The Unwanted Wife and Her Secret Twins (Mia and Kyle) novel Chapter 243

Chapter 243 I was done.

Mia’s POV

+25 BONUS

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of phone calls and emails, trying to coordinate with contractors and city officials to meet Maxwell’s impossible deadline. But part of my mind remained fixed on the preschool, wondering how my boys were handling their first day with Madison Whitmore.

By pickup time, I was practically vibrating.

Victoria and her daughter triggered my old patterns. I hate the script of “competing with another woman for a man’s love.” One Taylor in my life is enough. Especially if someone like that wants to hurt my children, then they really shouldn’t do that.

I arrived at Bright Beginnings fifteen minutes early, parking in the same spot I’d used that moming. The luxury car was nowhere to be seen, but I found myself scanning the area anyway, looking for anything that seemed out of place.

Other parents trickled in for pickup–familiar faces I’d seen dozens of times over the years. Sarah’s mom with her yoga mat still slung over her shoulder. Jake’s dad in his work suits. The usual collection of caregivers and family members who made up our little preschool community.

No Victoria. No expensive car. No obvious signs of drama.

Maybe I’d been overreacting.

The classroom door opened, and children began streaming out in their typical post–day chaos. I spotted Alexander first, his dinosaur backpack crooked and his hair sticking up at odd angles. But instead of his usual post–school energy, he looked… deflated.

Ethan appeared a moment later, walking with careful steps and clutching his backpack straps tightly. His expression was guarded, the same look he got when he was trying very hard not to cry.

My maternal instincts kicked into high gear immediately.

“Hey, my loves,” I said, crouching down as they approached. “How was your day?”

“Fine,” they said in unison, but the word came out flat and unconvincing

“Just fine?” I studied their faces. “Did you have fun? Make any new friends?”

Alexander’s mouth tightened. “The new girl is mean.”

“Alexander,” Ethan warned softly.

“She is! She said we smell like dogs and that our clothes are ugly.”

My protective mama bear instincts roared to life. “She said what?”

“It’s okay, Mama,” Ethan said quickly, always the peacemaker. “We didn’t say anything back. We just ignored her.”

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I

Chapter 243 was done

+25 BONUS

“She also said her Uncle Thomas is better than any dads because he has more money,” Alexander added, his voice getting smaller. “And that we don’t even have a dad, so we can’t have Uncle Thomas either.”

The words hit me like a slap. Uncle Thomas. So Madison had specifically mentioned Thomas.

“Boys, listen to me.” I cupped both their faces in my hands. “What that little girl said was unkind and untrue. You don’t smell like dogs, your clothes are perfectly fine, and having Uncle Thomas in your life has nothing to do with money.”

“But we don’t have a dad,” Alexander said quietly. “She’s right about that.”

My heart shattered into a million pieces. “Oh, sweetheart. Not having your dad here doesn’t make your family less important or less loved. Families come in all different shapes.”

“Is Uncle Thomas going to pick her instead of us?” Ethan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“No,” I said firmly, pulling them both into a hug. “Uncle Thomas loves you both very much. Nothing is going to change that.”

But even as I said the words, doubt crept in. What if Victoria’s return to Thomas’s life did change things? What if her presence meant less room for us?

“Did you tell Ms. Rodriguez what Madison said?” I asked.

“We tried,” Alexander said. “But Madison said we were lying and that we were just jealous because we don’t have nice things like her.”

“And when we tried to explain, she started crying really loud,” Ethan added. “Ms. Rodriguez had to spend a lot of time making her feel better.

The same pattern as the wedding.

“Did she say anything else?” I asked, dreading the answer.

The boys exchanged a look.

“She said her mommy knows all about us,” Alexander said reluctantly. “And that her mommy doesn’t like you because you’re trying to steal Uncle Thomas.”

The breath left my lungs in a rush. Victoria had specifically told her six–year–old daughter that I was a threat. Had armed a child with information designed to hurt my sons.

What kind of person does that?

“She also said,” Ethan continued quietly, “that her family is going to make sure Uncle Thomas doesn’t want to be with us anymore.”

Rage, pure and protective, flooded through me. Using children as weapons was bad enough, but targeting my boys‘ deepest insecurity was unconscionable.

“Did she say anything else?” I managed to ask through gritted teeth.

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Chapter 243 I was done.

+25 BONUS

“Just that we should get used to not having Uncle Thomas around,” Alexander said. “Because soon he’s going to be too busy with her real family to play with us.”

That was it. I was done.

“Boys, I want you to listen to me very carefully,” I sald, making sure I had their full attention. “What Madison said is not true. Uncle Thomas is not going anywhere. You are not losing him. And you did nothing wrong by not fighting back when she was mean to you.”

“But what if she’s right?” Ethan asked. “What if Uncle Thomas likes her better?”

“He doesn’t,” I said with absolute certainty. “Uncle Thomas has known you your whole lives. He loves you. Real love doesn’t just disappear because someone else shows up.”

“Like how you love us even when we’re naughty?” Alexander asked.

“Exactly like that.” I kissed both their foreheads. “But I am going to talk to Ms. Rodriguez about what happened today. What Madison said wasn’t okay, and it can’t happen again.”

We walked toward the classroom, where Ms. Rodriguez was organizing art supplies for tomorrow.

“Ms. Rodriguez? Could I speak with you for a moment?”