I Saw My Cruel Stepmom Future And Changed It All Chapter 06

I Saw My Cruel Stepmom Future And Changed It All Chapter 06

I skipped bringing Jasper his warm milk that night.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to-Jasper showed up at my bedroom door first.

Knock knock knock.

I pulled the door open, and there he stood in the hallway wearing his dino print fleece pajamas, barefoot, clutching his worn stuffed linen bunny tight to his chest.

“You didn’t come tonight,” his voice was small, half accusation, half quiet fear of being forgotten.

“I’m sorry, I got swamped with things and lost track of time.”

I lifted him up into my arms.

“Your feet are ice cold-why didn’t you put on your slippers?”

He ignored the question and buried his face against my shoulder.

“There’s a woman staying in the house. Everyone says she’s my mom.”

My movements stilled instantly.

[He heard everything.]

[This poor kid’s mind must be all twisted up right now.]

I carried him over to sit on my bed and rubbed slow circles on his back.

“Do you want to meet her?”

A long stretch of heavy silence followed.

“Did she leave ’cause she didn’t want me?”

A five-year-old shouldn’t ask a question this hollow and calm.

My heart squeezed tight in my chest.

“I don’t know why she left,” I told him the full truth.

“But no matter if she comes back or not, I’m staying right here with you.”

“You promised you’d never leave.”

“I did, and I meant every word.”

He lifted his tear-red eyes from my shoulder and stared at me dead serious.

“What if she comes to take me away?”

[The kid’s already terrified.]

[Hold onto him tight Elowen, don’t let her steal him!]

“Nobody can make you leave this house if you don’t want to.’

He shook his head hard enough to ruffle his hair.

“I’m not going anywhere. I only wanna stay with you.”

He buried his face back into my shoulder, words muffled against my shirt.

“You’re my mom. She’s not.”

I squeezed him tighter against my chest.

The next day, Seraphina returned to Hale Manor.

She dragged piles of gifts through the front door: interlocking brick sets, battery-powered race car models, a full set of limited-edition galactic ranger action figures.

When Hugo brought Jasper into the grand reception lounge, he hid completely behind my legs, his

small fingers clamped tight onto the hem of my shirt.

Seraphina dropped to her knees and spread her arms wide, eyes glistening with fake tears again.

“Jasper, my baby, Mom’s home. Do you remember me?”

Jasper didn’t move an inch.

He glanced at the mountain of toys, then Seraphina, then tilted his head up to look at me.

I nodded at him gently.

“It’s okay, I’m right here.”

He turned back to Seraphina and spoke flatly, the exact same line he’d thrown at me our first day together.

“You’re not my mom.”

That single sentence drained all color from Seraphina’s face for a split second.

She recovered fast, forcing her soft smile back into place.

“It’s alright if you don’t recognize me yet, honey. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

“I don’t know you. Don’t come near me.”

Seraphina still tried to step closer.

“Jasper, it’s me, your mom.”

“STAY AWAY!” He shouted, voice cracking and trembling with panic.

“I don’t like you at all!”

Seraphina’s pleasant facade crumbled completely, stiff and furious.

[A child’s gut feeling never lies-he senses how unsafe she is.]

[She got shut down hard by a five-year-old kid lmao.]

[The little one only chooses the person who truly loves him.]

Kaelen stood off to the side, his face dark and unreadable.

Seraphina drew a deep breath and stood upright, turning to face him.

“Don’t you think there’s something wrong with how he’s been raised?”

Every word was pointed straight at me.

Kaelen said nothing.

But his gaze swept over me, sharp with quiet judgment.