Part 3The Parenting Trope
About 681 characters · Part 3 is the last of the three Parts printed here; Part 4 continues in the official app.
Julian looked shifty for a second, then denied it. "No."
I was about to lay into him when he added, "He stole *my* phone and played."
Leo slowly let go of his father's leg, looking up at him with betrayed eyes.
I scoffed. "See?" I said to Leo. "You want to run off with your dad to Auntie Claire? The first thing he does is throw you under the bus! The second he marries her and they have their own baby, you'll be the forgotten stepchild! A new mom means a new, worse dad!"
Leo let out another epic wail, his face turning beet red. It was his first taste of betrayal. The pain was real.
I saw my opening and swept in, scooping him up and carrying him to the backyard, away from Julian.