Chapter 1622

Charlie had even asked his classmates at preschool about their grandmothers, curiously comparing them to his own.
It didn’t take long for him to realize that his grandmother was quite different. None of his friends’ grandmothers behaved like a child, playing games or speaking in such an unclear, disjointed way. But Charlie didn’t mind. In fact, he adored his grandmother just the way she was.
Seeing Charlie nearby, sticking close to Linda and watching over her, Jamie felt reassured and continued selecting groceries.
Just as she decided she had everything she needed and was ready to check out, a commotion broke out nearby.
“Hey, this old lady stole something! Somebody grab the thief!”
“That’s not true!” Charlie’s voice rang out, loud and defiant. “My grandma isn’t a thief! You must have dropped it, and she picked it up to look at it.”
The accuser was a middle-aged woman with her young daughter in tow. As an adult, she easily dismissed Charlie’s protests and placed all the blame on Linda, the only adult present.
“I just set my phone down for a moment while taking care of my kid and grabbing groceries. Then your grandma takes it, and somehow she’s in the right?” the woman sneered.
A small crowd began to gather, and she raised her voice, clearly enjoying the attention.
“Everyone, come judge this for yourselves! Who’s in the wrong here? She’s a grown woman. How could she not know it’s wrong to touch someone else’s property?” “She’s right. Taking other people’s stuff is stealing.”
“”Little boy, it’s your grandma’s fault this time.”
Charlie’s face flushed red with anger and frustration. “It’s not true! Grandma was trying to give the phone back to its owner!”
The woman found his defense amusing and let out a mocking laugh. “And I am the owner.”
No matter how much Charlie argued, it was a losing battle. The surrounding adults automatically sided with the middle-aged woman, leaving Charlie feeling helpless.
He was so upset that his lips quivered, and tears welled up in his eyes. But then, he looked over at Linda and forced himself to hold back.
He couldn’t cry. His mom had told him to take good care of Grandma, and he was determined to be a strong little man who wouldn’t let this get to him.
“Charlie.”
The moment he heard his mom’s voice, all his efforts to hold it together crumbled. He ran into Jamie’s arms, sniffling and pointing at the woman and her daughter. “Mom… they’re accusing Grandma of stealing! I told them she didn’t, but they wouldn’t believe me.”
Jamie’s heart shattered. She held him close, her voice gentle but firm. “It’s okay, Charlie. You’ve done such a great job.”
Then, her gaze shifted to the mother and daughter, her eyes turning icy cold.
While Jamie
one?
was often a strict mom at home, her love for Charlie was boundless. She had disciplined him when he needed it, but she had always protected him fiercely when it came to unjust treatment. Charlie had grown up in a safe, loving environment and rarely experienced hardship.
And now, this stranger dared to make him cry?
The middle-aged woman flinched at Jamie’s cold glare but quickly recovered, puffing herself up with false bravado. “What are you glaring at me for? I heard your kid call you ‘Mom, so you’re his guardian, right? That must make this old hag your mother.”
Hearing Linda referred to as an “old hag,” Jamie’s anger surged. “Who are you calling an old hag?”
The woman sheered. “What, I can’t
call it like I see it? She’s old, isn’t
she? And stealing at her age, doesn’t she have any shame? Or maybe it’s you as her daughter who’s
neglecting her and causing all this trouble.”
Jamie’s voice turned razor-sharp. “Do I need to remind you that baseless accusations like these constitute defamation?”
Search theFindNovel.netwebsite on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.