Mom’s Two Children

For a year, I endured the bullying of the schools alpha, Lucas Rothwell.

When my head was viciously held underwater in the grimy sink, his face would twist into a mask of savage satisfaction. I never understood why he targeted me.

Until that day, when in my struggle, I tore the chain of his cherished pocket watch. The photo insidea picture of my mother and himrevealed the truth. He was my older half-brother. The son my mother had, in her deepest disappointment, given up. He bullied me because he hated me.

That night, returning home, I no longer hid my bruises. When my mother asked, her voice laced with concern, I burst into tears. "Mom, someone at school is bullying me. Will you stand up for me?"

1.

Ding-a-ling

The sound of the dismissal bell sent a shiver through my body. The moment my teacher left the classroom, I snatched my backpack and bolted. But I was caught at the bottom of the academic building.

A few slacker guys saw me, their eyes lighting up. "Lucas was right! The little wretch was trying to run!"

I was trembling all over, instinctively turning to escape. But as I spun, a strong hand grabbed my collar. I caught a faint scent of cigarette smoke from him It was Lucas. The ringleader of the year-long torment I'd endured.

This is it, a wave of despair washed over me.

Soon, I was dragged between them, up to the top floor. This floor had no classrooms, only an abandoned restroom. This was their "sanctuary," where they terrorized me with impunity. I never understood why, out of so many students, Lucas had singled me out.

This secondary school had both a middle school and a high school section. I was just starting seventh grade, while he was already a junior. I couldnt fathom why someone as ordinary as me could evoke such intense hatred in him. From the very first day I enrolled, he had appeared in my line of sight. He just stood there, outside my classroom, watching me with eyes like a viper, fixed on its delectable prey When he bullied me, his face would sometimes contort into a grimace of twisted pleasure.

Bang

I was shoved violently into the restroom. My body slammed against the dilapidated door, my arm aching.

"Didn't we tell you to come up here on your own after school?" A boy raised his hand and slapped the back of my head. "What the hell are you running for?" Seeing my silence, he slapped my face again. These were Lucas's hangers-on, his "enforcers."

I clenched my fists, struggling to speak. "Today is my mom's birthday. I want to go home and celebrate with her." I was so terrified that I didn't notice Lucas, who had been leaning against the wall with an impassive face, suddenly darken at my words.

He strode over quickly, roughly pushing aside the boy in front of me. Lucas was tall and strong. He grabbed my collar, forcing me to stand on tiptoes to look at him.

"What do you think you are?" Lucas gritted his teeth, his eyes twitching slightly, his breathing unsteady, as if he was struggling to contain something. Before I could grasp the reason for his sudden outburst, he hauled me to the sink. The water in the basin was filthy and foul, probably unchanged for centuries. Lucas, without the slightest hesitation, slammed my head into the water.

A suffocating sensation overwhelmed me, and I thrashed wildly. I had a terrifying feeling Lucas truly wanted to kill me Why? My hands flailed incessantly, trying to grasp anything I could. In my struggle, my hand caught on Lucass clothes, my fingers snagging the chain around his neck.

"You little bitch! Let go!" Someone pulled my hands away, but the chain snapped, too. The metallic clink echoed as it hit the ground. Lucas seemed to snap out of a trance, abruptly letting go.

Exhausted, I collapsed to the floor, gasping for fresh air. When I came to my senses, I saw Lucas, uncharacteristically, scrambling on the ground, searching for something. His expression was panicked, his hands even trembling slightly. "Where is it? Where is it?!" he roared. "Find it for me, damn it!"

His stunned cronies quickly snapped to attention and began searching on the floor. Watching their unusual behavior, my fingers curled slightly, accidentally brushing against something. I glanced down. It was a delicate pocket watch, broken open. Inside, was an old, somewhat blurry photograph.

But my pupils dilated in shock, because I recognized the person in the picture. My mom

Before I could get a closer look, Lucas snatched the watch. He held it carefully, rubbing it repeatedly with his designer clothes, treating it like a precious treasure.

"It's broken, the watch is broken," he mumbled, almost obsessively, then turned and quickly walked out.

"Lucas," a boy asked uncertainly, "what about this wretch?"

"Whatever!" Lucas was fixated on the watch. "I need to get this watch fixed. Don't bother me unless it's urgent!"

2.

Thanks to that pocket watch, I had a rare chance to go home early today. A cold wind blew on the way home. My clothes were already half-wet, and now the chill felt biting. But I barely noticed it, my mind a chaotic mess. The moment I closed my eyes, I could see that photo in the pocket watch again.

The gentle, beautiful woman was my mother, in her younger days. So, who was the little boy she was holding? Was it Lucas? What was their relationship?

I'd always known my mom had been divorced once before and had another child. I was the child she had with my father after their remarriage. My parents had never hidden this from me. But I couldnt connect Lucas with my mothers previous child

But if Lucas really was my older half-brother, then all my questions finally had answers. Why he targeted me, bullied me Because he was abandoned by our mother, so he hated me. Why did he threaten me after bullying me, telling me not to tell anyone at home? He also said his family was powerful and could easily shut down my mother's flower shop Because he was afraid. Afraid I would tell Mom. He was afraid Mom would find out he was bullying me!

The more I thought, the more startled I became, my heart thumping uncontrollably fast. I started to run, the cold wind sharpening my thoughts. I had to ask Mom to confirm!

What was usually a twenty-minute walk, I ran in ten. My mom looked surprised when I returned. "Home so early today?" Every day, Lucas bullied me, and to keep my mom from worrying, I'd lied, saying I was studying late at school. To prevent her from noticing anything, I always pulled down my long sleeves to hide the bruises on my arms before coming home.

Mom, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen and smiled at me. "Go wash your hands quickly, dinner will be ready soon." Her gaze lingered on my hair for a moment. "Why are your hair and clothes a bit wet?"

"I an old lady spilled water on the sidewalk and accidentally splashed me."

"Then go take a bath quickly, don't catch a cold."

I nodded, dropped my backpack, and went to my bedroom to get a change of clothes for a shower. When I came out, Mom had already finished dinner. Dad was away on a business trip and wouldn't be home for a while. I sat at the dining table, looking at my mom's gentle face, and hesitated before speaking.

"Mom, I have a question for you."

Mom placed a chicken leg in my bowl. "Eat while it's hot. What's the question?"

I deliberated for a moment, then asked, "Mom, do I have an older brother? Whats his name?"

Moms hand, holding her chopsticks, paused, and the smile on her face stiffened slightly. "Why are you suddenly asking that?"

"Just a little curious."

Mom remained silent for a long time, barely eating any of her meal. I suddenly regretted it. I shouldnt have asked, Mom suddenly looked so unhappy. But after dinner, Mom called me into her room. She handed me a photograph.

"His name is Lucas Rothwell. Hes my first child."

I took the photo, my hands trembling slightly. This photo was identical to the one in Lucass pocket watch.

3.

Eleanor Hayes hadnt thought about that child in a long time. After all, she had long since acted as if she had never given birth to him. If her daughter hadn't brought it up today, she might not have recalled him for a long time, nor would she have thought about her first failed marriage.

She should have cut her losses when her husband started staying out all night. But her repeated concessions allowed that man to test her boundaries again and again. He began to smell of other womens perfume. He would brazenly take his lovers on trips, claiming to be away on business.

Eleanor was heartbroken. She believed that even if her husband betrayed her, the son she had given half her life to bear would always be on her side. But she was wrong. Despite showering Lucas with boundless patience and tenderness, giving him all the love she could, Lucas ultimately disappointed her.

She heard little Lucas holding that womans hand and calling her "Mom." He said his mother was messy and annoying, always nagging him, and that he wished he had a pretty, gentle lady for a mom instead. From that moment, Eleanor understood: Lucas was just like his father, an ungrateful wretch through and through.

She was utterly disillusioned with this family. During the divorce proceedings, Eleanor relinquished custody of Lucas, striving to secure the best possible settlement for herself. She even remembered the reactions of the man and the little boy when she moved out of the Rothwell home. The older one was relieved. The younger one was ecstatic.

"Yes! I can get a new mom! This is great!"

Each cheer was like a thorn, piercing Eleanors heart. And like a knife, it severed the last shred of attachment she felt for that son.

4.

After listening to Mom, I gently placed the photo on the table. "Mom." I tugged at her hand. When she looked over, I slowly rolled up my sleeve, revealing the large and small bruises on my arm.

"What is this?!" Mom grabbed my hand, her voice changing. "Did someone hit you?"

I swallowed my tears and nodded slowly. "Mom, someone at school is bullying me. Can you come to school tomorrow and stand up for me?"

The next morning, when I arrived at school, my desk partner silently moved her desk away from mine. My own desk was overturned on the floor, its contents spilled out, covered in dirty footprints. I quietly righted my desk and glanced around. My classmates pointedly avoided my gaze. They were isolating me. Or perhaps, they were afraid of being associated with me and facing Lucas's retaliation.

During the break after the first period, a classmate I was fairly close with finally couldn't hold back and followed me to the restroom. "Chloe Thorne, how did you get Lucas Rothwell so angry?"

"I heard you broke his favorite possession, is that true?"

"Is he just looking for an excuse to bully you?"

My silence was taken as an affirmation. "That's terrible!" At fourteen, the age of bursting righteousness, she frowned. "Why don't you go to the teachers?"

I paused. Teachers? Why hadn't I? Either they would dismiss it as typical childish squabbling, vaguely pacifying me before sending me away. Or, upon hearing that Lucas was the aggressor, the teachers would pass the buck like a hot potato. After all, our school had an entire laboratory building sponsored by the Rothwell family. Anything involving Lucas was a hot potato to them. No one was willing to deal with it. Or rather, no one dared to.

In the evening, after school, Lucas and his cronies cornered me again. His face was dark, and he seemed to be in a very bad mood. I noticed he wasn't wearing anything around his neck. Had the pocket watch not been repaired? So, was he here to punish me today?

My righteous classmate was, after all, still a child. Faced with boys several years older than us, she too felt afraid. She stood at the corner of the hallway, watching me being led upstairs. She hesitated for a long time but ultimately didn't take a step. She squatted there, frustrated, running her hands through her hair.

Suddenly, a pair of high heels appeared before her. She looked up. It was a beautiful, gentle lady. "Hello, student. Are you in class 7B? Have you seen my Chloe Thorne? I'm here to pick her up."

5.

Lucas pushed me into the abandoned restroom. I tripped over a broken mop handle near the door and fell directly to the ground. My face scraped against some stacked tiles in the corner of the restroom, and a sharp sting immediately flared. I propped myself up, feeling a warm trickle on my face. My hands trembled, afraid to touch it.

Lucass reaction, however, was even more intense than mine. He knelt down, looking at my face, visibly panicked. "You cut your face" He had always avoided my face when he bullied me.

"You know what to say when you get home, right? Huh?" Lucas gripped my shoulders tightly, his voice laced with urgency. "Speak!" "You can only say you fell! Do you hear me?!"

I ignored his sudden outburst. I just stared blankly, looking towards the door. Because of this unexpected incident, Lucass hangers-on were all crowded at the doorway, peering in. None of them had noticed when another person had appeared outside the door.

I looked at my mother, who was so shocked she hadnt spoken for a long time, and called out in a trembling voice.

"Mom, it hurts"

"Chloe!!"

I never thought someone as slender as my mother could unleash such powerful force. She pushed aside the boys blocking her path, rushing straight in, and pulled me into her embrace. "Mommys here! Dont be scared, Chloe! Mommys here to stand up for you." She carefully checked the wound on my face, her eyes red. "Im so sorry, Im so sorry. I should have come earlier."

She had planned to come earlier that morning, but I had stopped her. It was the grand opening of her flower shop branch today, a very important event. So, I had only asked her to pick me up after school that evening

I huddled in Moms arms, looking at Lucas, who was now utterly stunned. Mom also snapped out of her shock. She angrily turned, her gaze fixed on Lucas. The moment their eyes met, Lucas almost frantically looked away. Mom, too, unconsciously frowned. She found the despicable teenager before her somewhat familiar.

Lucas felt incredibly tormented under her scrutinizing gaze. He turned, about to leave, but Mom stood up and grabbed his shirt. "Where do you think youre going?! My daughter is beaten up like this, and you just think you can walk away?"

Lucas looked at the woman before him, his mother, who seemed almost unchanged from his memories. He parted his lips slightly, wanting to say something, but ultimately, no words came out. In his memory, his mother had once stood up for him with such fierce determination. He was small then, only five years old. Mom had taken him to the playground, and he was pushed down by an older child. Mom picked him up, patiently comforting him. Then, she marched angrily to confront the child and their parents. He clung to his mothers neck, his frightened soul finding solace in that moment. He felt Mom was like a brave warrior. She seemed invulnerable and would never let him get hurt.

But in the end, the person who hurt Mom the most was himself. He was swayed by the beautiful woman who often took him out to play. She told him that his mother, who fiercely fought for his interests, wasnt gentle or elegant, and would embarrass him. She said his mother, who only knew how to bathe and cook at home, was incompetent and useless. The beautiful woman also said that a mother who truly cared for him wouldnt hit or scold him, but would give him lots of candy and fulfill all his childish wishes.

Little Lucas believed her. He thought that this beautiful woman, right before him, was the best mother in the world. He didnt understand anything back then. So, he didnt understand why Mom looked so disappointed and sad when she left that house. He also didnt understand why the beautiful woman completely changed once she became his mother. He thought his mom would come back.

But it was only now that Lucas finally realized. His mother wasnt coming back. His mother had another child. His mother was even standing in front of him, and she didnt recognize him.