Seeing me standing in the doorway, his little face puffed up with anger, Leo grabbed a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet and hurled them at me.
He hissed loudly, "Julia, are you deaf? My dad feeds you and clothes you—is this how you treat his son? Do you believe me when I say I'll have my father throw you out?"
Simon frowned slightly, his gaze sharpening as he shot the boy a warning glare. "Leo, who taught you to speak like that?"
Before the boy could respond, Lisa Kimberly hurried in, pulling him close and shielding him protectively. She pouted at Simon, her voice laced with soft reproach. "Simon, don’t be so harsh. You’ll scare the child."
Then, as if remembering my presence, she turned her gaze to me. "I'm sorry, Julia. He's still young and doesn't understand. You're an adult—don't hold it against him." Her words carried no sincerity, only provocation and smugness.
She knew, just as I did, that Simon’s so-called anger was nothing more than an act. He wouldn’t truly reprimand them. And sure enough, barely a second after she finished speaking, Simon turned to me and said, "Julia, Lisa is right. Don’t get upset over a child. Take him to play—I have something to discuss with her."
Without waiting for my response, he turned and led Lisa upstairs. She clung to his arm, her voice playful as she murmured, "I made sure to wear your favorite black silk today..."
Simon's breath hitched almost imperceptibly. On the surface, he remained composed, but his steps quickened.
Before they even reached the top of the stairs, her soft, teasing whispers reached my ears. "Simon, not so rough… Let’s go back to the room. What if Julia sees…?"
Simon’s voice, lower and heavier than before, responded darkly, "Don’t mind her. She’s a fool. She doesn’t understand any of this."
I stood frozen, watching the disgraceful scene unfold, feeling as though I had fallen into an abyss of ice. Simon, you couldn’t even restrain yourself for the short walk up the stairs?
As their voices faded, a surge of determination shot through me. I lifted my foot to follow them—but before I could move, Leo yanked me back forcefully.
"Get down on the floor! I want to play horseback riding!" he demanded, his tone commanding and impatient.
I stood still, my stomach twisting in disgust as I looked at the little boy in front of me—his resemblance to Simon undeniable.
Seeing that I didn’t obey, Leo’s expression twisted in rage. He grabbed a cup from the coffee table and flung it at me. "Are you deaf? Get down!"
He raised his foot to kick me as well. Pain flared through my calf as his small but unrelenting foot struck me. I instinctively took a step back—but he lifted his leg again, aiming for another blow.
This time, I stumbled and fell, my head slamming against the edge of the sofa with a sharp crack.
The next second, a piercing wail filled the air. "Daddy! It hurts so much! Julia tried to kill me!"
I froze. My mind went blank. Leo had fallen to the ground, blood trickling from a small scrape on his forehead.
The moment I registered what had happened, I instinctively reached for a tissue to wipe away the blood—but before I could touch him, a violent force shoved me backward. I barely had time to react before a sharp, stinging pain exploded across my cheek. The slap was so forceful that my right ear rang, a dull buzzing sound filling my head, rendering me momentarily deaf.
When my vision cleared, I found myself staring up at Simon. His eyes burned with fury, his teeth clenched as he seethed, "Julia, how could you be so vicious? He’s just a child and you still refuse to let him go?!"
"I didn’t—"
Before I could finish, Lisa, now cradling Leo in her arms, lifted her tear-filled eyes, her face the perfect picture of sorrow. "Julia… If you have a problem with me, come at me instead. But Leo is just a child. How could you raise a hand against him?"
