Chapter 323: Embarrassed

After Roxanne took the children to lunch, she bought them two new outfits before returning home. Lysa prepared dinner, and Roxanne sat at the table with the children. Lysa asked the boys about their day, and they answered honestly. The atmosphere was pleasant.

After a while, Roxanne noticed Benny eating unusually slowly. "What's wrong, Benny? Were you too full at lunch?"

Lysa and Archie turned to look at Benny. He was holding his stomach under the table with one hand while slowly eating with the other. His face was pale, and he looked unwell.

Archie, worried about his brother, said, "Benny doesn't look well, Mommy."

Roxanne put down her fork and went to her son. As she approached, Benny stopped pretending and clutched his stomach with both hands. His face was contorted in pain.

"What's wrong? Do you have a stomachache?" Roxanne asked, taking his hand and trying to assess his condition.

Benny nodded vigorously. Just as she grasped his wrist, his expression worsened. He jumped from his chair and ran to the bathroom.

Roxanne looked at Archie worriedly. "Are you feeling okay?"

Archie, after carefully considering his own health, shook his head.

Lysa glanced worriedly toward the bathroom, then back to the dishes. "This shouldn't have happened. I'm sure the food tonight is fine."

Roxanne smiled reassuringly. "It's not the food. I think he might have caught a cold swimming earlier, or maybe the lunch was bad."

Lysa nodded, relieved but still concerned. Ever since I started caring for this family, this mother and son have been constantly falling ill. I wonder how they managed before. After a while, Benny emerged from the bathroom, still pale.

"How are you feeling?" Roxanne asked gently.

Benny shook his head. "I feel fine now."

Still worried, Roxanne took him to the couch and checked his pulse. "When did you start feeling unwell?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

Benny replied, guiltily, "In the car, this afternoon."

Roxanne sighed. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

He mumbled, "I didn't want you to worry. And I just wanted to go to the bathroom"

He and his brother had both expressed a desire to protect their mother. They were children, but they also possessed a sense of dignity. He hadn't felt truly sick; he'd only had a stomachache in the car. He was surprised the pain returned so severely after eating only a few bites. He felt ashamed and embarrassed that his mother had discovered his discomfort.

Roxanne understood Benny's feelings. Her heart ached; she wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. "If you want to protect me, you must take care of yourselves first! If you feel unwell, tell me immediately."

He nodded.

"This only needed medicine. Now we have to go to the hospital." Roxanne glanced at the clock. "Good, it's still early enough."

She then asked Lysa to get the children's coats before taking them to the hospital.

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