Chapter 12

Sunlight streamed through the window into the main room, illuminating David’s pale face, his forehead wrapped in gauze. Emily Johnson’s heart ached as she gently touched his head before turning to fetch water from the kitchen.

"Mommy..." David called timidly.

"Don’t be afraid, I'm here," Emily reassured him, handing him the cup with a soft voice.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the yard.

"Emily Johnson, come out here right now!" Patricia Stone’s shrill voice echoed from beyond the gate.

Little Tommy hid behind his brother, frightened. Emily’s eyes hardened as she strode toward the entrance.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly, facing the furious mother and son.

Patricia yanked her son forward. "Look what your boy did to mine!"

Emily glanced at the faint red mark on Richard’s arm and scoffed. "That’s it?"

"What do you mean?" Patricia’s eyes bulged with outrage.

"Your son pushed David down and split his forehead open," Emily retorted, pointing inside. "Would you like to see the wound?"

Patricia faltered for a second before snapping, "Kids roughhouse all the time!"

"Oh?" Emily narrowed her eyes. "Then it’s perfectly fine if I roughhouse your son right now?"

A crowd of villagers had gathered, murmuring among themselves. "Since when did Emily become so bold?"

Patricia, incensed, rolled up her sleeves and lunged. "I’ll teach you a lesson today!"

Emily didn’t retreat—instead, she seized Patricia’s wrist. "Looking for a fight?"

As they stood locked in tension, Elizabeth Stone rushed over. "Stop this at once!"

Patricia wrenched her arm free and hissed, "You’ll regret this!"

Emily smirked. "I’ll be waiting. But remember—if you lay a finger on my son again, you’ll wish you hadn’t."

The onlookers gaped. Was this really the same delicate Emily they knew?

Elizabeth pulled Emily inside, whispering anxiously, "Why provoke her? She’s notorious for her temper."

Emily handed each boy a piece of candy and replied calmly, "For my children, I’ll stand up to anyone."

Her gaze drifted to the window, resolute. This time, she wouldn’t back down.

In the distance, Patricia dragged Richard toward the brigade office, loudly demanding justice from John Stone Sr.

The real drama had only just begun.