Chapter Twenty-Nine

Emily awoke the following morning with fresh resolve. Claire's smug expression and harsh comments from the day before continued to plague her thoughts, but Emily knew she couldn't allow Claire's plotting kill her. She needed to take action.

Emily went directly to her classroom after arriving at Madison Middle School to complete her morning lessons. Her mind was already racing ahead, plotting her next action. During lunch, she sneaked away to make a call.

"Hello, is this Principal Thompson?" Emily questioned, her voice firm despite her nervousness.

"Yes, this is he," was the reply from the other end of the telephone. "How can I help you?"

"My name is Emily Carter," she said, selecting her words carefully. "I am a Madison Middle School teacher, and I am calling concerning Claire Montgomery, a former colleague of yours. I've been experiencing some troubles, and I was hoping you might provide some light on her previous performance at your institution."

There was a silence on the other end