Cedric Grant looked over, and his expression changed when he saw Bun on the other side of Chloe.

He recognized her.

The chubby, fair-skinned child in front of him was the same one his mom had brought to the restaurant last time, and also the one he had almost pushed down the stairs at the hospital!

Sophia Shaw saw him staring intently at Bun and assumed he was embarrassed about what had happened at the hospital. Just as she was about to speak, Cedric Grant grunted and stepped back.

His fair little face was taut, and his lips were pressed into a thin line.

’Mom is just ridiculous!’

’My grand-uncle’s family had twins, and it’s not like they can’t afford to raise them. Why does she need to carry one around everywhere all the time!’

’She already has me, her son, yet she still has to dote on someone else’s kid!’

Cedric Grant felt a sour pang of jealousy, and it left him feeling awful.

He liked Bun even less.

He didn’t want to spare her another glance.

Cedric Grant’s cold attitude once again plunged Sophia Shaw into hell.

Her gaze trembled as she looked at Bun, her heart feeling as if it were being violently torn apart by a hand.

’Cedric Grant could at least manage a smile for Chloe, so why did he despise his own sister so much!’

Fortunately, a servant called them for dinner just in time, or their grandmother would have seen the scene.

After dinner, June Evans and Sophia Shaw went out for a walk, carrying Bun and Chloe.

They hadn’t gone more than a few steps before they ran into three people.

"Well, well, if it isn’t Mrs. Grant? Earlier, I saw President Grant drop Cedric off, but he didn’t even come in. What’s going on? Don’t tell me you two are splitting up."

The speaker was a woman of about fifty, with harsh features and a tongue as sharp as a razor blade.

June Evans’s face immediately darkened. "Selina Zelia, watch your mouth!"

"My mom didn’t say anything wrong," the young woman beside her retorted unhappily. "If you can’t keep your own man, why take it out on others!"

"I’m telling you, June Evans, tell your old man Shi not to be so stubborn. He should hurry up and kowtow to Yvonne Sherman to apologize. Maybe it’s not too late." To the right of the two women was a pot-bellied man who was looking at them with a sidelong, smug glance.

These three were none other than Joanna Sherman’s second uncle, second aunt, and cousin.

They lived by relying on Yvonne Sherman and had often followed her lead in leeching off Sophia Shaw’s mother!

June Shaw trembled with anger. "In your dreams!"

Afraid of upsetting Sophia Shaw, she grabbed her and tried to leave.

Selina Zelia’s daughter, Sharon Sherman, had already noticed the child in Sophia Shaw’s arms. "No way. My cousin adopted a child, so you went and adopted one too?"

"Did you think adopting a bastard could win back Brother Grant’s heart? Hilarious!"

"What did you say?" Sophia Shaw couldn’t stand hearing anyone call her child a bastard. A fierce glint instantly appeared in her eyes.

Before she could act, someone rushed forward. "Don’t you talk about my mom!"

It was Cedric Grant.

Looking like an enraged lion, he glared murderously at the three of them. "My dad did not abandon my mom! If any of you dare to say that again, I’ll call my dad right now and have him tear down your house!"

The Shermans weren’t afraid of Sophia Shaw, but they were wary of Cedric Grant.

The Grants were not to be trifled with.

Cedric Grant was the Grant Family’s only heir at present, making him even more untouchable!

The three of them didn’t dare say anything more and left in a hurry.

"Way to go, Cedric," June Shaw praised excitedly.

Just then, Chloe started crying.

"He’s hungry. I’ll go feed him."

June Shaw walked away, coaxing the child as she went.

Sophia Shaw looked at Cedric Grant, and a cold corner of her heart began to warm up because of how he had just defended her. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Cedric, thank you. You’re Mommy’s..."

"You know people will laugh at you, so why do you insist on raising some random kid?" Cedric Grant didn’t give Sophia Shaw a chance to finish, roaring at her with an extremely fierce tone.

His eyes, as he looked at Sophia Shaw, were full of disappointment.

’Auntie Joanna adopted a child because she’s kind. She couldn’t bear to see the child of a terminally ill single mother left all alone.’

’But what about Mom?’

’She only adopted a kid to spite Auntie Joanna!’

’Auntie Joanna has it so hard. Why can’t Mom be more understanding?’

Sophia Shaw stared at her son in disbelief. "Random? Is that how you see your own sister?"

Cedric Grant’s eyes darted away guiltily.

He’d just been too emotional, and that was why he’d snapped at Sophia Shaw.

’But why did Mom want him to accept an adopted kid as his sister?’

"Apologize to Bun!" Sophia Shaw said in a stern voice.

’In that moment, a chill seeped into her very bones.’

’Cedric Grant hadn’t helped her just now because she was his mother, but because she was one of the Grants, and those people had trampled on the Grant Family’s dignity.’

...That was all!

’Was this the son she had risked her life to give birth to?’

’When she gave birth to Cedric Grant, she was in labor for two days and two nights, refusing an epidural simply because she was afraid it would affect his health.’

’Even though the doctor said the probability was less than one percent, she still didn’t dare gamble that one percent against Cedric Grant’s entire life!’

’She would even gamble her own life to ensure he had a healthy body!’

’She didn’t expect Cedric Grant to treat Bun the same way he treated Joanna Sherman’s child, but she absolutely would not allow him to be so brazenly disrespectful!’

"S-Sorry."

Cedric Grant lowered his head.

He couldn’t accept Sophia Shaw’s severity, and after apologizing, he stormed off in a huff!

Although she had reprimanded Cedric Grant, he was still her son, after all.

Sophia Shaw felt it was necessary to have a good talk with him about Bun, and to try and talk some sense into him at the same time.

After taking him back to the marital home she shared with Vincent Grant, Sophia Shaw went to her own place, handed Bun over to Ms. Archer, and then came back.

Vincent Grant wasn’t back yet, and the house was quiet.

When Sophia Shaw found Cedric Grant, he was sitting cross-legged on the sofa.

A tablet was propped on his knees.

The sullenness from when he’d returned was gone, and he even had a smile on his face. "I was pretty upset just now, but seeing my little sister made me feel better. Thank you, Auntie Joanna."

This time, Cedric Grant didn’t talk with Joanna Sherman for long and quickly hung up.

He sighed to himself,

’Sigh, Mom is just so unreasonable. If only she were half as sensible as Auntie Joanna.’

’Whatever, if she wants to adopt a kid, let her. In my heart, Auntie Joanna’s Belle is my real sister anyway!’

Sophia Shaw had been about to call his name, but now her throat felt like it was stuffed with rocks, unable to make a single sound.

Besides the dull ache in her chest, there was only irony.

’So Cedric Grant thought Bun was adopted!’

’She had told him more than once that he was going to be a big brother, and she had never hidden her prenatal checkup appointments from him.’

’She had even shown him the 4D ultrasound images and asked if he wanted a little sister or a little brother.’

’Apparently, he hadn’t listened to a single word!’

’Cedric Grant was smarter than the average child; he understood things instantly.’

’How much must he ignore her to not even register something she had stated so clearly?’

’To be completely oblivious to her belly growing bigger for months right in front of him?’

Sophia Shaw didn’t disturb him and quietly backed out of the room.

A soundless, desolate, and self-mocking smile escaped her lips.

...

「In the blink of an eye, Bun was three months old.」

Sophia Shaw suddenly remembered that the baby hadn’t been registered yet.

She had originally planned to register her after the divorce, but she had tried to contact Vincent Grant several times and he hadn’t answered his phone.

Her household registration was tied to Vincent Grant’s, so it wasn’t easy to register Bun elsewhere.

After some thought, she decided it was better to get the registration done first.

"This is your third child?"

She had just handed over the documents when the clerk asked with a puzzled look.

Sophia Shaw paused for a moment. "No, this is my second child."

"Cheryl Shaw?"

Sophia Shaw glanced at the name she had written. "That’s right."

Vincent Grant had been unwilling to name the child, so she had simply given Bun her own surname, Shaw.

It would also save her the trouble of changing it in the future.

The clerk turned the monitor toward her, tapping their finger on the screen. "You and Vincent Grant already have two children registered under your names. What’s the deal with this child?"