He Protected Her Car, Not Our Child Novel – Her husband’s stepsister, Silvia Whitmore, had locked their son Lucas in a car for over an hour during a scorching heatwave—and she even stopped the police from breaking the window to save him. Jeannie Sinclair rushed to the scene, grabbed the hammer from an officer, then smashed the car window. But her husband, Charles Whitmore, blocked her with everything he had.
“The red on the window is probably just ketchup Lucas accidentally wiped on it,” he insisted calmly. “This car was a keepsake from Silvia’s parents. She treasures it more than her own life. We can’t break the glass.” “Silvia lost the car key by accident. The spare will be here in two minutes. That’s nothing. Lucas will be fine.” Jeannie stared at him, her eyes bloodshot. “You think the car is more important than your son’s life?!” *** She snapped. Swinging the hammer wildly, she broke free from Charles’s grip and charged at the car, smashing the window with all her strength.
Silvia let out a piercing scream as the glass shattered. Behind the fragments, Lucas’s small, unconscious face came into view. Tears poured down Jeannie’s cheeks as she shoved Charles aside and pulled her son into her arms. At the ER, the doctor told them, “If you’d come two minutes later, even the best doctors in the world couldn’t have saved him.” Trembling from lingering fear, Jeannie turned to Charles and slapped him hard across the face. Then she slapped Silvia too.
Silvia clutched her cheek, her eyes wide with tears. “I just wanted to take Lucas out to play. If Jeannie can’t accept me, I’ll leave,” she sobbed before running off. Charles stood silent for a moment, then chased after her. It wasn’t until later in the evening—after Lucas was discharged for the second time—that Charles returned to the hospital. His brow was tightly furrowed. “Silvia’s gone missing. She’s sensitive, she might do something reckless.
Jeannie, why don’t you slap yourself ten times and post a video online apologizing to her? That should calm things down.” Apologize? Ever since Silvia had moved in with them two months ago after finishing her grad degree, “sorry” had become Jeannie’s daily mantra. “I didn’t know you hated lumpy mashed potatoes. Sorry.” “I got home late and shut the door too loudly while you were sleeping. Sorry.” “Going shopping with Charles without inviting you. It wasn’t on purpose. Sorry.” She’d dug her nails so hard into her palms that they were bleeding.
Slowly, she looked up at him. “Get out.” Charles’s face darkened. He lunged forward and grabbed the oxygen mask off Lucas’s face. “You’re Jeannie, aren’t you supposed to be generous?!” Jeannie felt like lightning had struck her. She didn’t recognize the man standing in front of her anymore. “This is the second time Silvia’s locked Lucas in the car. Do you really not know whether it was an accident or intentional?” “Don’t start with that. Silvia’s out there alone at night. It’s dangerous,” he said coolly, as if he’d made up his mind.
“You’ve got one minute.” On the hospital bed, Lucas’s pale little face remained motionless. And the man who was supposed to protect him was now using him to shield the one who’d almost killed him. “Jeannie, don’t make me force you,” Charles warned. As he raised his hand, the monitor suddenly let out a shrill alarm. Jeannie’s heart pounded. “Fine! I’ll do it!” Smack! The first slap shattered every sweet memory they ever had. Smack! The second broke whatever was left of their future. By the tenth slap, Jeannie had no strength left.
She collapsed against the wall and slid to the floor. Charles strode off, calling his assistant to have the video posted on every major platform. The next afternoon. Jeannie went to find the attending physician but heard Silvia’s voice giggling from the stairwell. “Charles, I was on my best behavior today. I didn’t even argue with her. Don’t I deserve a reward?” Jeannie peeked in and saw Silvia with her arms around Charles’s neck, standing on tiptoe to kiss him. And Charles… didn’t push her away.
In fact, his hand was resting on her waist—and pulling her closer. It took a few seconds before he seemed to snap out of it and gently pushed her aside. “There are people around. You know I’m your brother,” he said softly, indulgently. “But we’re not related by blood,” Silvia pouted. “And I liked you way before Jeannie did.” “Don’t do this again,” he said, ruffling her hair, his gaze filled with a tenderness Jeannie had never seen before.