Chapter 179

The mall was supposed to be a peaceful family day.

Supposed to be.

Instead, it somehow turned into one of the most entertaining days of Lisa’s life.

“Mommy! Mommy! Look!”

Four-year-old Ruby waddled through the mall in her yellow duck hoodie, tiny squeaky shoes making squeak squeak squeak noises with every step.

Behind her walked Jennie and Lisa, each carrying shopping bags.

“Slow down, baby dumpling,” Jennie laughed.

Ruby immediately ran back and grabbed Jennie’s hand.

“No.”

Jennie blinked.

“You just ignored what I said.”

“Yes.”

Lisa burst out laughing.

“She’s literally your clone.”

Ruby proudly nodded.

“Mommy made me.”

“That’s… technically true,” Jennie admitted.

The little family continued walking until someone suddenly stepped in front of them.

Jennie’s smile instantly disappeared.

Lisa noticed it immediately.

The man standing there looked overly confident.

The kind of confidence that only existed when someone had absolutely no reason to be confident.

“Jennie.”

Jennie sighed.

“Oh no.”

Ruby looked up.

“Mommy knows him?”

Lisa already knew where this was going.

Unfortunately.

“Long time no see,” the man said with a grin.

Ruby immediately disliked him.

Why?

Because he was looking at her Mommy weirdly.

Nobody looked at Mommy weirdly.

Only Mama was allowed.

Jennie politely nodded.

“Hello.”

The man smiled.

“You look beautiful as always.”

Lisa almost gagged.

Ruby actually gagged.

“Loudly.”

The man stared.

Ruby stared back.

“Sorry,” Ruby said.

“I thought I swallowed a bug.”

Lisa nearly collapsed.

Jennie bit her lip.

The man awkwardly laughed.

“So who’s this little one?”

Ruby crossed her arms.

“I’m Ruby.”

“Ah.”

His eyes returned to Jennie.

“I honestly didn’t expect to see you again.”

Jennie gave a polite smile.

“Okay.”

The man blinked.

Apparently that wasn’t the response he expected.

“I’ve actually been thinking about you recently.”

Lisa’s eyebrow twitched.

Ruby looked horrified.

“Why?”

The man looked down.

“What?”

“Why would you think about my Mommy?”

“Uh…”

“Do you not have hobbies?”

Lisa turned away because she was already laughing.

Jennie wasn’t much better.

The man forced another smile.

“You’re funny.”

“I’m serious.”

The man looked back at Jennie.

“You know, if things had gone differently between us-“

Ruby gasped dramatically.

“Oh no.”

Everyone stared.

Ruby looked devastated.

“What happened?”

“What?”

“What happened to your memory?”

The man frowned.

“My memory?”

Ruby nodded.

“Because Mommy married Mama.”

She pointed proudly at Lisa.

“My Mama.”

Then she pointed at herself.

“And they made me.”

The man looked increasingly uncomfortable.

Ruby continued.

“So if you think things can still happen…”

She tilted her head.

“…your memory is broken.”

Lisa immediately started wheezing.

Jennie buried her face in her hands.

The man laughed awkwardly.

“I was just saying hello.”

“No.”

Ruby shook her head.

“You were flirting.”

The man froze.

Jennie froze.

Lisa froze.

The entire universe froze.

“Ruby!”

“What?”

“You can’t say that!”

“But he was.”

The child pointed.

“He keeps staring at you like Mama stares at cake.”

Lisa gasped.

“BETRAYAL.”

“You do.”

“I DO NOT.”

Ruby looked at Jennie.

“Mama literally follows you around the kitchen when you bake.”

Jennie started laughing again.

The man was visibly regretting approaching them.

Unfortunately for him…

Ruby wasn’t finished.

“You know what else?”

“No…” he said weakly.

“My Mommy has standards.”

Lisa almost fell over.

Jennie choked.

The man looked offended.

“What does that mean?”

Ruby looked him up and down.

Very dramatically.

Very judgmentally.

Then she shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

The man looked hopeful.

“Okay…”

“I’m only four.”

The hope disappeared.

“But Mama is prettier.”

Lisa clutched her chest.

“My child.”

“And Mommy likes Mama.”

Ruby nodded.

“Very much.”

“Ruby…”

“I heard noises from their room.”

Jennie nearly died.

“RUBY!”

Lisa dropped to the floor laughing.

The man looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him.

Ruby continued innocently.

“Mommy giggles.”

Jennie wanted to disappear.

“Mama giggles too.”

“Baby.”

“Then they forget I’m awake.”

“RUBY!”

The little dumpling blinked.

“What?”

The man was now desperately looking for an escape route.

Unfortunately.

Ruby found one last attack.

“You know…”

“What?”

“If Mommy wanted you…”

The man straightened slightly.

“…she would’ve picked you.”

A beat passed.

“But she picked Mama.”

Another beat.

“And Mama is awesome.”

Lisa nodded proudly.

“I am.”

“So…”

Ruby shrugged.

“Skill issue.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Even nearby shoppers were trying not to laugh.

The man looked absolutely defeated.

Jennie looked like she was about to pass out.

Lisa was crying.

Actually crying.

From laughter.

Finally the man cleared his throat.

“Well.”

Nobody responded.

“I should go.”

“Good idea,” Ruby agreed.

The man left.

Very quickly.

The moment he disappeared around the corner-

Lisa exploded.

She dropped onto a bench laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe.

Jennie was equally bad.

“RUBY!”

“What?”

“You can’t roast people like that!”

Ruby blinked.

“Why?”

“Because it’s rude!”

The little dumpling thought about it.

Then she pointed in the direction the man had gone.

“He was rude first.”

Jennie opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

Because honestly?

The child wasn’t wrong.

Ruby immediately climbed into Jennie’s lap.

“My Mommy already has a wife.”

She hugged Jennie tightly.

“And my Mama is the best.”

Lisa immediately abandoned the bench and joined the hug.

“You’re my favorite child.”

“I’m your only child.”

“Exactly.”

Ruby giggled.

Then she looked at Jennie.

“Mommy?”

“Yes, baby?”

“If another ex appears…”

Jennie narrowed her eyes.

“…what?”

Ruby cracked her tiny knuckles.

“I got this.”

Lisa started laughing all over again while Jennie groaned and buried her face in Ruby’s fluffy duck-hooded head.

Their little dumpling was only four years old.

Yet somehow she had just destroyed a grown man’s confidence in under five minutes.

And neither Jennie nor Lisa would ever let him forget it.