The bedroom exuded a charming blue theme, creating an atmosphere that was both playful and cozy. Every detail indicated the meticulous effort put into decorating the room.
Samuel sat by the bedside, engrossed in something on his tablet. Oblivious to Dolores’ presence, he remained focused on his reading.
Quietly approaching Samuel, Dolores stood behind him to see what he was browsing. But as soon as she caught sight of the webpage on his tablet, Dolores nearly lost control.
“Samuel Flores, what are you doing?”
Startled by his mother’s sudden outburst, Samuel knew he had to close the webpage immediately to avoid trouble. In his haste, the tablet slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground, exposing the contents of the page. He hurriedly stepped forward, attempting to shield Dolores from seeing it.
“Mommy…”
Dolores grasped his shoulders, pushing him aside, and picked up the tablet. The Google search results still displayed the keywords – ‘What’s the usage of Durex?’ The screen was littered with indecent advertisement pictures featuring a couple embracing each other.
He was only five years old!
Anger coursed through Dolores, causing her body to tremble.
“Samuel Flores, tell me why you were searching this and who taught you.”
Samuel hung his head, realizing his mistake. He quickly apologized, “Mommy, I’m sorry.”
Did he think that admitting his fault would make her let the matter go?
Dolores turned off the tablet and sat on the bed. She wouldn’t easily dismiss this issue today.
“Tell me why you were searching this and who taught you.”
Samuel contemplated for a moment and decided not to reveal that his teacher had taught him. He couldn’t risk losing his teacher’s support in the future, especially when he sought revenge against that jerk.
Fidgeting with his fingers, he explained, “While I was playing a game, a Durex advertisement suddenly popped up. I Googled it because I wanted to know what it was and how it’s used.”
“And?” Dolores was clearly unconvinced.
“Then, how do you explain this?” Dolores retrieved her phone, showing Samuel the news article. “Tell me why you did this and who influenced you.”
Dolores couldn’t believe that Samuel could have done this on his own.
Samuel vehemently denied it. How could he, a five-year-old boy, have done such a thing?
“Why… Why do you hate him so much? You did something similar before…”
“I hate him for no reason!” Samuel suddenly lifted his head to look at Dolores. “He bullied my mommy, so I wanted to embarrass him in public!”
Dolores furrowed her brow. Samuel hadn’t shown such strong emotions in the past, and it seemed that he was deeply affected by this matter concerning Matthew.
This was not a good sign.
“You’re not allowed to do this in the future.”
“No. He’s a jerk. Why can’t I seek revenge?” Samuel refused to back down. Matthew had abandoned them, so why should he show respect to him in the future?
It was impossible!
Dolores was infuriated. She raised her hand, intending to slap Samuel, but she found it difficult to follow through when she saw his innocent face.
In a fit of anger, Dolores confiscated his tablet, smartwatch, and all other electronic devices. “You won’t eat anything today. Reflect on your actions. You can only eat when you acknowledge your mistake.”
Samuel didn’t argue. However, he remained determined not to stop troubling Matthew, regardless of his mother’s words.
Not having anything to eat was fine. After all, missing a few meals wouldn’t lead to starvation.
However, with his smartwatch taken away, he couldn’t contact his teacher.
“What’s wrong? Why are you so angry?” Jessica asked when she saw Dolores storming out of the bedroom.
It was the first time Dolores had shouted at Samuel.
“Mom, please take care of the children. Don’t let them go out.” Dolores locked away all the items she had taken from Samuel in a drawer.
Then she began helping Jessica tidy up the room.
The house was well-furnished, and they only needed to organize their luggage.
“He’s just a kid. What’s the use of getting mad at him? Besides, Samuel is very considerate. He’s more mature than most children his age.”
“He’s being disobedient because he’s too mature. A child should act like a child.” Dolores’s anger surged again as she recalled the webpage Samuel had visited.
Dolores rarely became so furious; perhaps Samuel had indeed done something wrong.
Jessica tried to change the subject, saying, “I’ll go to the supermarket to buy some things. I’ll also get flowers to make the house livelier.”
She found a suitable spot for Dolores’ trophy and turned to her. “Do you need anything? I can buy it for you.”
Since they had just returned to the country, there were many things they needed to purchase. Dolores wrote a list and handed it to Jessica, saying, “These are the things I need.”
Jessica took the list, quickly glancing at it before putting it in her pocket. “It’s good that you wrote it down; otherwise, I might forget.”
“You haven’t rested since you came back. You must be tired. I’ll take the two children with me, and you can have a nap at home,” Jessica suggested, taking out Simona’s baby carriage. It would be easier to put Simona in the carriage when they went out later.
Dolores was indeed tired, but she was concerned about the convenience for Jessica. So she said, “Leave them at home. I’ll take care of them.”
“No worries. I used to take them with me when we went out,” Jessica reassured her.
Dolores nodded. “Don’t bring Samuel with you. Leave him at home to reflect on his actions.”
Jessica turned around and replied, “I understand. Take a nap now.”
After organizing their luggage, Jessica gently placed the still-sleeping Simona in the carriage and walked toward Samuel’s bedroom. At that moment, Samuel was standing by the bedside, frozen in the same position he had been in when Dolores left the room.
Jessica approached and ruffled his hair. “Did you upset your mom?”
Samuel didn’t respond and kept his head down.
With a sigh, Jessica said, “It’s okay. Your mom isn’t really angry with you. Let’s go. Come with me to the supermarket. I’ll show you what it’s like in China. We’ll see if there’s any difference between Chinese supermarkets and the ones in Country A.”
“But my mommy…”
“She’s sleeping. Plus, I’m taking my own grandson out. Can she really complain about that?” Jessica said confidently. “She’s your mom, so she can teach you a lesson. But I’m your mom’s mom, and she wouldn’t dare defy me, would she?”
Samuel cracked a smile and nodded eagerly. He was curious to see what this city had to offer.
Their house was truly in a great location. It was not only close to Dolores’ workplace, but there was also a large supermarket within walking distance.
Simona woke up during their journey to the supermarket and was overjoyed.
They started by exploring the vegetable and meat section on the first floor. Jessica planned to buy some vegetables and meat.
“I want to eat this,” Jessica pointed at the freshwater shrimps.
Coral, who was also shopping for vegetables and meat, heard a crisp and childlike voice. She looked up and saw a handsome little boy standing opposite her. His eyes bore a striking resemblance to Matthew’s when he was young.