The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 110: Competition to Choose Houses

Renee Jennings was stunned, finding it hard to believe.

Emotional manipulation was completely useless on a true foodie.

Chelsea Raines had always known Jared Woods was a handful. Right now, all she had was a headache and no other ideas.

The director walked over and held out a hand to Jared Woods. "How about you give these snacks to me, and after we’re done filming, I’ll give you back three times as much? Think of it like making a deposit at the bank."

"Really?" Jared Woods was instantly tempted.

The director nodded.

Perhaps it was because the director was stout and had a friendly-looking beard, but Jared Woods believed him.

"You better not be lying, or I’ll eat all the snacks in your house!" Jared Woods threatened.

The director chuckled.

Jared Woods successfully handed over his snacks.

When Renee Jennings returned to her spot, she found several bewildered staff members surrounding Nathan Lynch.

Renee Jennings hurried over. "What’s going on?"

"Nathan won’t hand over his toy."

Nathan Lynch clutched a stuffed rabbit, unwilling to let go. "My mommy bought this for me. I really miss..."

He glanced timidly at Renee Jennings and fell silent.

’I never pack toys for Nathan. Did he sneak it into his backpack himself?’

She leaned in for a closer look, and her blood ran cold.

’This wasn’t a toy *she* had bought for Nathan. It was one Victor Vance’s ex-wife had left behind.’

Renee Jennings’s throat felt dry. She was utterly repulsed. ’No one likes having things from their husband’s ex-wife around, especially not me.’

"Nathan..." Renee Jennings gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to throw the stuffed rabbit away. "Nathan, you can’t have toys during filming. Have you forgotten?"

"I know... but..." Nathan Lynch’s voice was choked with sobs.

The more Nathan cried, the more irritated Renee became. She pulled out a handkerchief and roughly wiped his face. "Good boys always listen to their mommy. Aren’t you a good boy anymore, Nathan?"

Tears rolled down Nathan’s cheeks. He shook his head. "I don’t want to be a good boy! I want my mommy..."

’He hadn’t seen his mommy in so long. He missed her so much. He couldn’t sleep at all without the toy to keep him company.’

Renee Jennings’s expression turned ugly.

The scene grew quiet and awkward. A staff member sucked in a breath. "Ms. Jennings?"

Renee Jennings snapped out of it and forced a smile. "I’m so sorry. Nathan probably didn’t sleep well last night, so he’s a bit grumpy. I’ll just take him for a short walk."

The director nodded in agreement.

Renee Jennings took Nathan Lynch by the hand and walked away. At her request, the camera stayed two meters behind them, filming only their backs.

Renee Jennings did her best to suppress her fury. "Nathan, haven’t I told you many times? I am your only mother."

Nathan hung his head, silent.

"Nathan... your mother abandoned you a long time ago. She’s off living the high life abroad, has she ever once cared about you? I’m the only one who works so hard every day, cooking for you, helping you with your homework. Can you really not tell who actually treats you well?"

Renee Jennings held out her palm, showing a faint scar. "Nathan, do you remember this scar? Mommy burned her hand making breakfast for you, and it still hasn’t healed."

"Mommy is so good to you. How can you have the heart to defy me at every turn on this show? Wouldn’t it be better to just listen to Mommy? You’re making Mommy so, so sad..."

Nathan looked at her hand, his resolve wavering.

"Mommy knows this toy is very important to you. How about we get it back after we’re done filming, okay? If you don’t listen to Mommy, no one will like you. And if no one likes you, Nathan, you’ll be all alone forever... eating alone, playing alone..."

Ten minutes later, Renee Jennings returned with Nathan Lynch. The boy was in very low spirits. He clutched the stuffed rabbit, not handing it over for a long while.

Renee Jennings couldn’t help but lean down and prod him. "Nathan, didn’t we just agree on this?"

Nathan’s eyes turned red, and he tremblingly handed it over.

Margaret Jennings ruffled his hair, trying to comfort him. "Nathan, don’t be so sad, okay? You’ll get your toy back as soon as we’re done filming and go home. Why don’t you let Sister Carina play with you?"

Carina Sanders hesitated for a moment before extending her hand. "Nathan, let’s go play with Ian."

Nathan turned his head away. "I don’t want to," he said in a low voice.

Renee Jennings gave an awkward laugh. "Nathan’s not in a very good mood right now. Sorry about that."

Margaret Jennings nodded in understanding. "Kids all love their toys. Our Carina is the same way; she has to sleep with three dolls every night. Just comfort him a bit."

The host’s voice rang out again. "Next up is our familiar house selection! It’s the same old rules: you have to compete to earn the right to choose your house first!"

A few staff members carried over equipment and quickly set up the area.

"We’ll be playing two mini-games, and you’ll pick your houses based on your rank! This first game is the ’Ball Grab Race’..." The host pointed to a tree in front of them. "Does everyone see this tree? The colored balls hanging from it are the key items for this game."

"Now I’ll explain the rules for the ’Ball Grab Race’ in detail. The guests will need to carry the children on their backs from the starting line, run to the tree to grab a colored ball, and then return to the start to place the ball in a bucket. The time limit is five minutes. The final rankings will be determined by the number of balls in each guest’s bucket."

"Has everyone understood the rules?"

The guests all nodded.

Naomi Kenway crouched down and explained the rules to Ian Shaw one more time, then ruffled his hair. "Don’t be nervous. Fun comes first, winning comes second."

Ian Shaw held up a small fist. "Mom, I know we can do great!"

Naomi Kenway smiled, made her own fist, and bumped it against his. "Let’s do this!"

Simon Sawyer looked hesitant. "Mom, am I going to be too heavy?"

He was the oldest of all the children.

Ruby Preston bent over, motioning for him to climb onto her back. She took a few steps with him before setting him down again. Only then did she realize that her son was actually thin for his age.

Her heart ached. "Why are you so skinny? Doesn’t the housekeeper cook for you at home?"

"I don’t like her cooking."

"Then whose cooking do you like? Mom will hire them to cook for us."

Simon Sawyer looked like he wanted to say something but held back. "...It’s nothing. You should just focus on your work. I’m fine."

Ruby Preston was confused.

Chelsea Raines looked at Jared Woods’s sturdy little frame, her face falling. "How are we supposed to compete...? Jared, you need to start eating less when we get back home."

The moment Jared Woods heard the words "eat less," he blew up. "No way!"

The other guests were at the starting line, each with their child on their back, but Renee Jennings was having a terrible headache.

Because Nathan Lynch was refusing to cooperate.