Chapter 2

I didn't press Callum for answers, but my cold demeanor was enough to make him spill whatever he was willing to share.

"When we enrolled Eloise, we had to fill out a questionnaire. Considering our unique situation, I thought it was better to keep things discreet, so I listed her as coming from a single-parent family.

"If you want to know about Eloise's progress, let me handle it and contact her homeroom teacher directly. There's no need to involve the principal."

Though I still had doubts, I thought his explanation seemed reasonable enough. From the moment Eloise was born, I had meticulously planned her education, from kindergarten to university.

I invested a significant amount of money to purchase this international kindergarten, even renaming it Elove Kindergarten. I secured one of its limited spots for her, but because she was still so young, I didn't want her to attract undue attention or be exploited. For that reason, I kept my ownership of the school private.

Both Callum and I had numerous investment projects to manage. This seemed like such a minor detail that I never bothered to tell him. Eventually, it slipped my mind entirely.

"When she enrolled, you happened to be away on a business trip, so I handled all the paperwork myself. Don't you trust your husband to take care of things?" Callum continued, eager to reassure me that he cared deeply about our daughter.

I couldn't find any flaws in his story, so I chose to set the issue aside for the time being. The next day, I decided to join Callum in picking up Eloise. I also wanted to ensure her teacher corrected the information about her parents.

At the kindergarten entrance, luxury cars were parked everywhere, making it impossible to discern which belonged to influential figures. While Callum stepped aside to take a phone call, Eloise's teacher appeared while holding her hand.

I had already learned her name. Caroline Stetson, a recent university graduate. She had an oval face, soft and delicate features, and naturally rosy lips. Dressed in a simple yet elegant dress, she exuded an effortless charm that was undeniably alluring.

After glancing at her a few more times, even I had to admit that if Callum didn't find her attractive, he might lack basic taste. Caroline clearly recognized our car and walked straight toward it.

When she saw my long legs emerging from the passenger seat, her steps faltered slightly. Her gaze darted between me and the car, and she asked somewhat too quickly, "Why are you getting out of Mr. Verna's car?"

As I studied her, my suspicions deepened. Wasn't her reaction a little too much? I then responded slowly, "Why would it be a problem for me to step out of my husband's car?"

Caroline's expression immediately grew unnatural.

"Mommy, you're here!" Eloise tried to run to me, but Caroline pulled her back.

"Eloise, didn't I tell you not to trust strangers so easily?" Caroline said.

"But Ms. Carol, she's my mommy…" Eloise protested.

Caroline held onto Eloise tightly, her eyes filled with suspicion as she looked at me. "Eloise, you can't let bad people trick you. This woman might be a trafficker, pretending to be your mom to kidnap children. These days, bad people use all kinds of tricks. You can't just believe her because she says she's your mom."

I was both furious and amused as I glared at Caroline. "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm Eloise's mom! I came here today with my husband. How can you still not believe me?"

Caroline didn't back down. "I'm sorry, but until your identity is confirmed, you're not allowed near Eloise.

"The Little Sunshine Class keeps thorough records of every child's family background. If I believed every woman trying to get close to Mr. Verna who claimed to be Eloise's mom, the child would've been abducted countless times by now!"

With that, she coldly dragged my daughter back toward the school. Eloise glanced back at me, and I could see her lips trembling as if she were about to cry.

Thorough records, she said? A surge of anger rose within me. I tried to calm myself, telling myself it was better for teachers to err on the side of caution.

As I suppressed my frustration, I suggested, "Ms. Carol, why don't you wait a moment? Callum will be back soon, and he can explain everything to you directly."

I assumed she would agree—it was just a matter of standing and waiting for a few minutes. But instead, she quickened her pace without so much as a backward glance.

I was speechless.

By the time Callum returned, he asked, "Why isn't she out yet?"

I responded sarcastically, "Your daughter's teacher was worried I might kidnap her, so she took her back inside."

Callum looked baffled. "Isn't she being overly cautious? Doesn't she recognize our car?"

"That's a question for you to answer!" I said, staring at him with a mix of amusement and suspicion. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was acting, but I didn't have any proof.

Before he could respond, his phone rang. He answered and, to my surprise, put the call on speaker. "Hello, Ms. Carol. Can you bring my daughter out? Her mom is here too."

"Mr. Verna, didn't you say Eloise comes from a single-parent family, and that…"

Callum interrupted sharply, sounding impatient. "Being a single-parent family doesn't mean she doesn't have a mom. I'm a man—how could I possibly have given birth to her?"

There was a pause on the other end before Caroline replied, her voice carrying a hint of reluctance. "Alright, Mr. Verna. I'll bring her out now."

When she finally came out, Caroline forced a strained smile. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Verna. It's just part of the job. I hope you don't mind."

Her words seemed apologetic, but her tone felt insincere; it was more like an excuse.

A woman's intuition could be frighteningly accurate. From the way she reacted when she saw me step out of Callum's car, I knew the warning signs in my marriage had already started flashing red.