His Rejected Mommy Never Back

Chapter 5 Coming Home

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the cracks in the curtains, gently touching Leo's little face.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes, groggily climbing out of bed.

Normally, at this hour, he would have already smelled the familiar scent of porridge wafting from the kitchen—Claire's special breakfast for him.

But today, the house was unusually quiet, and that comforting smell was missing.

Leo dragged his feet to the dining table and when he saw only plain milk and bread, his face immediately scrunched up in displeasure.

He pouted, muttering, "This isn't Mommy's porridge, I'm not eating this!"

Felix, sitting at the other end of the table, looked up at Leo throwing a tantrum. A flicker of irritation crossed his face.

He set down his newspaper and said in a soft voice, "Leo, Mommy's not home. Just eat the bread, okay?"

But Leo acted like he hadn't heard a word, continuing his tantrum. "I want Mommy's porridge! I want Mommy back!"

Felix's expression darkened, and he turned to Mandy, who was standing nearby. "Mandy, you know how to cook, right? Can you make that porridge?"

Mandy smiled faintly, her voice tinged with helplessness. "Sir, the ingredients for that porridge need to be prepared in advance, and it takes hours to cook. It's a lot of work, and I can't do it alone."

Leo pouted harder, his eyes welling up with tears. "Why isn't Mommy back yet? She didn't even make me breakfast. It's all her fault. I don't even feel like eating anymore."

Felix's face grew darker, and he could no longer hold back. "Leo, stop it! Can't you be a little more understanding? She's not here! And you have to take care of yourself. Understand?"

Leo, startled by Felix's scolding, lowered his head, tears starting to fall.

He mumbled, "Mommy never yells at me..."

Felix's heart softened at the sound of Leo's voice, but he quickly resumed his stern tone. "Alright, stop crying. We're having dinner with Julia tonight. You like Julia, right? Go get ready for school."

Felix then had the driver take Leo to school and rushed off to work.

Leo slumped in the backseat of the car, feeling completely deflated.

Sure, without Claire for the past few days, he'd been free to play and eat as much as he wanted. But after Felix yelled at him, the longing for his mom came rushing back like a flood.

After all, Claire had never raised her voice like that before.

In the past, whenever he was craving something, Claire would always drop everything to make it for him, no matter how busy she was.

He vividly remembered one time when he had a high fever and, in the middle of the night, suddenly wanted fish. Claire had gone out at 2 AM, picked up the ingredients, and cooked it for him, all without a second thought.

Leo paused for a moment and wondered if maybe Claire hadn't called him because she was angry. Was she angry about the trip with Julia, the one he hadn't invited her on?

Though Claire couldn't give him a kidney like Julia could, a mother was a mother. What if he upset her so much that she didn't want to come back?

But then again, Claire loved him. She always had. No matter what he did, in her eyes, he was everything. Surely, she wouldn't stay mad at him for long.

In the past, whenever he'd upset her, she'd give him the silent treatment for a few days—just long enough to make him sweat. But then she'd always come around, forgive him, and everything would go back to normal.

He picked up his smartwatch and started to dial her number.

But as the call screen appeared, Leo suddenly remembered what his dad had said about dinner plans with Julia tonight. If Claire came home now, it would ruin everything.

For a moment, Leo hesitated. Then he put the smartwatch down.

She'd be back soon enough. There was no need to rush things.

Meanwhile, a car slowly approached Brooks Mansion and came to a smooth stop in front of the gates.

Butler Reginald Clarke looked up to see who was stepping out of the car, and he froze in shock.

"N-No way... Claire?" Reginald's voice trembled with disbelief.

Claire gave him a soft, warm smile. "Mr. Clarke."

Reginald stood frozen for a moment, his jaw dropping as he stared at her. The watering can he had been holding fell to the ground with a loud thud.

He quickly snapped back to his senses and rushed inside the mansion, panting as he announced, "Claire is back!"

In the living room, Kenneth Brooks and Harrison Brooks were leisurely sipping coffee.

When they heard Reginald's shout, both men paused, their faces filled with astonishment.

"What did you say? Claire's back?"

Kenneth pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his tone skeptical. "Claire hasn't been home in five years. Are you sure you're not seeing things?"

Harrison nodded along, muttering, "Ever since Claire married Felix Williams, we haven't seen her at all. Reginald must be seeing things."

Just as they spoke, the door opened, and Claire stepped inside.

She quietly surveyed the living room, her eyes briefly flashing with a distant gleam. Then, in a calm, composed voice, she said, "Dad, Harrison... I'm home."