Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 360

In the living room, water that was past their calves was pouring out from the kitchen.

The new furniture was soaked, and even the flowers on the balcony had been drenched.

The two children, holding water guns and completely soaked, were still spraying each other, neither willing to back down.

“Cynthia, you’re so dead! Today, you’re going down!”

Raymond pointed his water gun, running his mouth.

Thud!

The bags of groceries fell to the floor.

Celestine was so angry she felt a migraine coming on.

She suddenly had the urge to spank her child.

Cynthia had sharp eyes and spotted the people at the door.

She held up her water gun, twisted her ankle, and fell into the water, rubbing her eyes and wailing, “Waaah, you win, you win, okay! Raymond, stop hitting me!”

Raymond, still basking in the glow of victory, swaggered forward with a smirk. “Surrender is useless! You loser! Don’t you ever step foot in my mom’s house again! Or I’ll make you taste my wrath!”

“That impressive, are you?”

A familiar female voice suddenly cut in.

Raymond’s back went rigid, and the hand holding the water gun froze.

Cynthia, still on the floor, shot him a smug look.

*Nice try, you're still just a kid! Na-na na-na boo-boo!*

Raymond finally realized he had been tricked.

His bravado vanished in an instant. He spun around in a panic. “Mom, you… you’re back?”

Celestine smiled. “If I hadn’t come back, were you planning to demolish the place?”

“Mom, I can explain! It’s not all my fault, it was her, too! She did it!”

He pointed at Cynthia behind him, only to see the girl looking utterly wronged, collapsed in the water like she'd been bullied.

Cynthia shook her head, then nodded. Right in front of Raymond, she started throwing him under the bus. “Celestine, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have fought back when Raymond hit me. My butt hurts a little, but I can take it.”

Raymond was already upset that Celestine had ignored him and rushed to check on Cynthia first.

Her words made him burst into tears.

But he was a big boy, he wouldn’t stoop to her level!

Raymond didn’t say another word of explanation, just waited with pleading eyes for Celestine to show him some concern.

Instead, what he saw was Celestine leading Cynthia to the bedroom without even glancing back at him.

Raymond watched them walk away. Though it was only a few feet, a wave of bitterness welled up in his eyes.

He couldn’t hold it in any longer and started sobbing loudly. “Waaah, Mom! She squirted me with water too! Waaah! Why didn’t you ask if I was okay? I’m hurt! She hit me too, waaah!”

The only response he got was the sound of the bedroom door shutting firmly.

Flossie, leaning against the doorframe, snorted with laughter.

Celly’s poor son—his crying sounded just like a boiling kettle.