Chapter 207

From a young age, Ethan was immersed in a prestigious education. Skills like swimming, essential for survival, were mastered by the time he was a few years old. In kindergarten, swimming lessons were mandatory, seen as crucial for a child's safety. They even had swimming competitions at the end of the term.

Marvin, on the other hand, hadn't learned to swim yet. Last year, an accidental fall into the ocean left him with a fear of water. Still, he knew he had to learn and was determined to overcome his fear before the end of the term. Stella had encouraged him when she heard about his plan.

Keen suddenly paused, his breath catching. He had almost forgotten—he could swim. Not too long ago, Marvin had caught him trailing them.

“Keen, I didn’t expect you’d follow us all the way here. Now that you have, what do you think?”

Keen was infuriated by the friendly connection between Marvin and Stella. He retorted harshly, “I’m Mom’s son. No matter how much she cares for you, you’ll never take my place.”

“I get to call her Mom, and you can only call her Stella. That’s the difference between us.”

“Mom’s just upset with me right now. You’re only a stand-in.”

“You really think if I just go apologize and sweet-talk her, she wouldn’t come back to me and leave you behind?”

Marvin’s eyes narrowed. He often provoked Keen and had managed to win Stella’s favor a few times. Yet, deep down, he knew Keen still held a more significant place in Stella’s heart.

But Marvin wasn’t worried. He believed that with enough time and by being good to Stella, he could eventually become more important to her than Keen. Being young, though, patience wasn’t his strongest suit. Hearing Keen’s words made him anxious. His bond with Stella wasn’t strong enough yet. If Keen did go to charm Stella, she might very well choose him over Marvin.

He couldn’t let that happen. He had to act. His eyes drifted to the nearby lake, and he recalled how Rachel had framed Stella by pretending to fall down the stairs. Without his recorded video, Stella would have been unjustly accused by Keen and Mr. O’Brien. Marvin hatched a plan. He taunted, “If I’m not as important as you, why did Stella share your secret with me?”

Keen took the bait. “Secret? What secret?”

“Not telling!” Marvin said, taking a few steps toward the lake. “I’m going to find Stella. I’m done talking to you.”

Curiosity got the better of Keen. He had to know what secret his mom had supposedly shared with this troublemaker, so he followed. “Marvin, come on, tell me! What did Mom say?”

“Nope, not saying a word!”

As they tussled, Marvin deliberately fell into the lake, flashing a triumphant grin just before he splashed in.

“If I tell Stella you pushed me, she’ll stay with me to take care of me.”

Keen was stunned by Marvin’s cunning move. For a moment, he was frozen. By the time he snapped back to his senses, Marvin was already floundering in the lake, crying for help.