The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 303: Venting

With a CLANG, Gene Woods dropped the club in his hand, a show of good faith.

"Really?" Ethan Shaw asked, not easing the pressure of his foot.

Gene Woods struggled to breathe. His mind, once muddled with exhaustion and anger, was now shockingly clear from the excruciating pain in his chest.

"Please... be the bigger man. I really... *cough, cough*... I know I was wrong. Forgive me, please forgive me..."

He struggled, pushing against Ethan’s foot. His greasy face turned a deep, blotchy purple from the pain.

The director, looking anxious, hurried over and took Ethan Shaw’s arm. "Mr. Shaw, please, let him go. His face is turning purple..."

Naomi Kenway stepped forward. She noticed that all the cameras had been turned off during the fight between Chelsea Raines and Gene Woods, a measure taken to prevent any negative publicity. She breathed a small sigh of relief. The court of public opinion could be merciless, and she subconsciously wanted to shield Ethan Shaw from that.

"Ethan..." Naomi Kenway called his name.

Gene Woods looked like he was about to suffocate. He really couldn’t be beaten any further.

Ethan Shaw glanced back at her, then his sharp gaze returned to Gene Woods. He still remembered the image of Gene charging toward them, club raised, his face a vicious snarl. Fortunately, they had dodged in time. ’But what if they hadn’t...?’

Ethan Shaw’s gaze grew colder, more menacing.

Ethan Shaw unhurriedly picked up the club from the ground. He tested its weight in his hand, a smile on his face that didn’t reach his eyes.

With a sickening CRACK of wood against flesh, Ethan Shaw tossed the club aside.

He said, "I forgive you."

Meanwhile, Gene Woods was on the ground, clutching his leg and writhing in agony.

Ethan Shaw’s expression remained impassive, betraying no emotion, as if he had nothing to do with what had just transpired.

Everyone present was stunned, especially the director, who quickly called for the on-site medical team.

Chelsea Raines watched from a distance. After so many years of marriage, she was all too familiar with Gene Woods’s patterns, but she’d never thought he would dare lay a hand on his own son. Hugging Jared Woods, she felt not a shred of pity for Gene. ’I wish he’d just die,’ she thought. ’Then he could never cheat again, never lift a finger against me or our son, and all his money would go to Jared.’

Jared Woods wailed, "Mom, is Dad going to die?"

Chelsea Raines scoffed. "A scourge like him will live a thousand years. Your dad won’t die that easily. It’d be for the best if he did, though. It would solve all our problems."

When Jared Woods struggled, trying to get a look at his father, Chelsea Raines gripped his shoulders. With no cameras around, she wasn’t afraid of her words being twisted and used against her. "Jared Woods, you need to learn from this. I want you to remember who pushed you, who took his anger out on you. That bastard, Gene, was about to swing that club, and he didn’t hesitate for a second, not even when he saw his own son."

Chelsea Raines reached out to wipe his tears. "Don’t cry. I’ve told you so many times, your dad probably has other sons out there somewhere. He treats you like a new toy. When he’s happy, he spoils you. When he’s not, you’re less than nothing to him. If he’d hit us with a club today, he’d be capable of killing his wife and abandoning his child tomorrow..." Hatred and a cold light flashed in her eyes. "You need to be stronger than this. I want you to remember the cut on your hand. A man like Gene Woods doesn’t deserve to be your dad!"

Chelsea Raines held Jared’s gauze-wrapped hand, her heart aching. Jared was the apple of her eye. She might scold him from time to time, but she could never bring herself to hit him, let alone draw blood.

Jared Woods’s crying subsided for the moment, as if he were mulling over what his mother had just said.

Listening to the wails in the distance, Chelsea Raines didn’t feel as vindicated as she let on. The only reason she had put up with so much for so long was to ensure her son received his rightful inheritance. A complete falling-out with Gene Woods right now would be disastrous for her.

But a moment later, another question flooded her mind:

’If staying quiet only invited more of Gene’s vicious beatings and abuse for her and her son, was any of this truly worth it?’

Ethan Shaw took Naomi Kenway’s hand, his earlier grim expression gone. "I didn’t scare you, did I?"

"No," Naomi Kenway said, looking at him with concern. "Gene Woods didn’t hurt you, did he?"

Ethan Shaw shook his head, then scooped Ian up into his arms and said seriously, "I’m sorry, Ian. Did Daddy scare you just now?"

Ian Shaw’s eyes sparkled, showing no fear at all. He seemed thrilled. "Ian’s not scared! Daddy’s a hero who fights bad guys!" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Ethan Shaw felt a wave of relief. He freed one hand to take Naomi’s, and the three of them were once again a picture of family harmony. "Come on, let’s get back to making dinner."

Hearing the incessant wails behind them, Naomi Kenway couldn’t resist a glance back. Two medics in white coats were already gathered around Gene Woods.

"Gene Woods... he..."

Ethan Shaw knew what she was worried about. He squeezed her hand a little tighter, his tone both a promise and a comfort. "Don’t worry. He won’t dare come after us."

Naomi Kenway felt a little more at ease. She had already seen that Gene Woods was an incredibly vengeful person—he’d furiously grabbed a club just because his wife scratched him, completely ignoring that his own son was standing right there. Ethan Shaw had just given him a harsh lesson, and a man as petty as Gene would likely hold that grudge for a lifetime.

When she glanced over and saw Ethan Shaw’s completely unconcerned expression, her anxiety subsided. She trusted him.

Ethan Shaw caught her gaze and couldn’t help but smile. "So, you were that worried about me, keeping your eyes on me the whole time. If I’d known, I would have spent a little more time teaching Gene Woods a lesson."

Naomi Kenway couldn’t help retorting, "Don’t joke around. If something had really happened..."

"Are you worried about me?"

"I don’t want Ian to be without a father."

Ethan Shaw froze for a moment. It wasn’t the answer he’d been hoping for, but he was still thrilled to hear words of concern from her.

’They had time,’ he thought. ’He had plenty of time to be good to Naomi.’

Renee Jennings heard the commotion and immediately came out to see what was going on. She had arrived late; the fight was already over, and all she could hear were Gene Woods’s pained wails.

Renee Jennings sneered, the noise hurting her ears. Noticing the nearby cameras were off, she dropped her pretense and said sarcastically, "What kind of trash did Chelsea Raines marry? He’s squealing like a pig heading to slaughter!"

Footsteps approached from the side. It was Margaret Jennings.

"Pearl, what just happened? It was so scary," Renee Jennings said, instantly reverting to her innocent, pitiful act.

Margaret Jennings had also come downstairs after hearing the noise. "I heard Chelsea Raines’s voice. Are she and her husband fighting?"

"So it was just a domestic dispute," Renee Jennings repeated, a gloating light flashing in her eyes.