Kayla sat in the dimly lit office, her hands clenched tightly into fists on her lap. Her heart pounded so loudly it drowned out the ticking of the clock on the wall. Her dark brown eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she refused to let them fall. She had done nothing wrong. Nothing. Yet, here she was, being treated like a criminal. Across from her, Miss Bella Rodriguez, the school’s most feared teacher, stood with her arms crossed over her chest, a smug smirk curling her lips. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped against her elbow as she turned to the Headmaster, an aging man with sharp, disapproving eyes. “She’s a troublemaker,” Bella spat venomously, flicking her gaze toward Kayla with a sneer. “A menace to the school, a bully, and an embarrassment to our prestigious institution. We cannot allow a girl like her to remain here, tarnishing our reputation.” Kayla felt her stomach churn with anger, but she bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from lashing out. She lifted he
At first, Kayla didn’t know how to feel—was she happy, sad, or just numb? The words Miss Bella had thrown at her still rang in her ears, sharp and cruel. Insulting her mother in front of her? Even as a child, she knew that was wrong. No one deserved to be humiliated like that, not even a newborn baby. It didn’t make sense—why did Miss Bella hate her so much?She had always been one of the teacher’s favorites, praised for her good grades and politeness. But today, everything changed. Why? What had she done to deserve this sudden hatred?Kayla clenched her fists by her sides, her small frame trembling as she stood before the entire school, her classmates whispering behind her back. She could hear them."She’s really getting expelled?""I knew she was a troublemaker.""No way! Kayla’s too nice for that!"But none of their words mattered now.Miss Bella, standing tall with her arms crossed, glared down at her with a smug expression, as if she had already won. “The principal will make the
After the encounter with the teacher, everything moved so fast that Kayla could hardly believe what was happening. For the first time, she was vindicated—by Mr. George, no less. No one had ever stood up for her like that before.All her life, she had been bullied, not just at school but even in their neighborhood. People looked down on her and her mother, mocking them for their financial struggles. Her mother had always tried to protect her, standing up for her whenever she could, but Kayla knew deep down that her mother could only do so much.But now… now she had Mr. George on her side. The way he had defended her today—it felt like, for the first time, she had a father figure looking out for her. That thought made her chest tighten with emotions she didn’t quite understand. It was strange, almost comforting, to think of Mr. George that way.Still, she wasn’t entirely happy. She didn’t like that her teacher, Ms. Bella, had been fired, even though the woman had brought it on herself.
Nancy wasn’t joking when she found out that her daughter wasn’t feeling well. In fact, she had already suspected something was wrong the moment she saw Kayla standing outside the school gates. The little girl wasn’t her usual lively self. Her shoulders were slumped, her lips pressed into a thin line, and there was a distant, almost vacant look in her brown eyes.Nancy had dismissed it at first, assuming Kayla was just exhausted from a long school day. But something gnawed at her, a mother’s instinct whispering that this was more than just tiredness. Still, she didn’t press too hard on the drive home.The silence in the car was unnerving. Kayla wasn’t the type to sit quietly for too long, yet she barely responded to Nancy’s attempts at small talk. Even when asked, “Kayla, is everything okay?” the girl simply forced a weak smile and muttered, “Yes, Mom, everything is fine… I just had too many lectures today.”Nancy’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. Too many lectures? That was a fl
Nancy stormed into the Birdman Bar, her heart pounding with rage and desperation. She had come here for a confrontation, ready to demand justice for her daughter, but instead of the people she had expected to see, only Mr. George was inside.She frowned, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the nearly empty room. The other people present informed her that the meeting had already ended, leaving only George behind. That only fueled her frustration."Are you kidding me?" she hissed, her hands clenching into fists. "I came here to demand answers, not to be dismissed like an afterthought!"George, leaning back in his chair with an air of calm control, watched her with a raised brow. "Nancy, I understand that you're upset, but yelling at me won't change what happened."Nancy scoffed. "You have no idea how upset I am!" She took a shaky breath before speaking again. "The worst part is, I don’t even know who did it. But I do know this—my daughter and that boy had the same bags, and they were swit
George’s jaw tightened as Nancy’s words echoed in his head. “My ex-husband is actually better than you.”He had laughed it off at first, convincing himself she was joking, but the way she constantly compared him to that man, mentioning him so casually, gnawed at him. It wasn’t just once. It was again and again, always referring to him as her ex-husband instead of just his name. George had never met this man, yet he was being measured against him like some unworthy competition.And when he finally gathered the courage to ask Nancy outright if she truly believed her ex-husband was better, she had simply fallen asleep, leaving him with his thoughts and a dull ache in his chest.But that wasn’t the only storm brewing in George’s life.The next morning, as he walked into his office, Mr. Anthony’s face was tight with concern. He handed George a tablet.“I think you need to see this,” Mr. Anthony said, his voice grave.George took the device, his stomach twisting into knots. The footage play
Cynthia’s hands trembled as she clutched the custody agreement in front of her, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, sending waves of rage coursing through her veins. Her eyes darted across the words on the paper, and with each passing second, the meaning of George’s actions sank deeper into her consciousness.Her breathing grew uneven. “Honey…” she began, her voice barely above a whisper, trying to mask the panic in her tone. She forced a smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes. “Can we… Can we talk about this? You don’t have to do this, please.”George sat across from her, his expression calm, unreadable, as if he had already anticipated her reaction. He exuded the kind of indifference that made her stomach churn with frustration. He leaned back in his chair, fingers interlocked, staring at her with a look so impassive that it sent chills down her spine.Cynthia swallowed hard. “You can’t expect me to—”“To take responsibility for you
Cynthia’s chest tightened the moment she heard Nancy’s name. Could it be the same Nancy? Her mind raced, trying to piece things together.No. It can’t be. There were thousands of women named Nancy. This had to be a different one.Still, unease coiled inside her like a snake. She couldn’t ignore the possibility.And then, Anthony dropped the bombshell.Nancy was the lawyer handling their case.A sharp jolt shot through Cynthia’s body.Her grip tightened around the edges of the agreement. Her fingers dug into the paper, creasing it, but she barely noticed.She had spent years ensuring that no one—no one—knew about her arrangement with George. And now, Nancy of all people was going to find out?Her throat dried up. Her heart pounded against her ribs.Panic swirled in her gut, but she masked it with a soft, almost uncertain laugh.“Oh, a lawyer named Nancy?” she said lightly, forcing a small smile. “Well, there’s no need to call her. This is a personal matter, and I think it’s best we kee
Nancy sat on the edge of the bed, her heart still thudding from her daughter’s unexpected words. Find a prince of your own, Mommy.It wasn’t the first time her ten-year-old had said something like this. In her little girl’s innocent world, happy endings were simple: a prince and a princess fell in love and lived happily ever after. But for Nancy, real life wasn’t a fairytale. She had convinced herself that she was fine without a man, that she didn’t need love to complete her life.Yet, her daughter’s words echoed in her mind, lingering like an unshakable shadow. Was she really okay? Or was she just pretending?A notification pinged on her phone, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was a message from George.George: Room 605. Urgent. Bring the contract.Nancy hesitated before replying. Working late hours wasn’t new to her, and meeting George alone in his hotel suite wasn’t something she found unusual. But tonight, she felt… unsettled. Maybe it was her daughter’s words, or maybe it was
Cynthia’s heart ached with every failed attempt. No matter how hard she tried, nothing seemed to get his attention. She had poured herself into making every possible effort, hoping that somehow, he would see her, desire her, and give her the attention she craved. But all her attempts were in vain. He didn’t even spare her a glance anymore, let alone the affection she so desperately sought. Every time she thought there might be a chance, it was always snatched away, leaving her feeling smaller, invisible.Her eyes flickered to the clock. He was leaving. And she could feel that it was happening again—another moment, another chance slipping away. But Cynthia wasn’t going to let him walk out without her.She had never been one to simply step aside and let things happen. This was her chance, and she wasn’t going to let it slip through her fingers like everything else had. As she watched him grab his jacket, preparing to leave, the cold knot of desperation twisted in her stomach. Without th
Cynthia paced back and forth in her bedroom, her hands clenched into fists. Frustration twisted her features, her lips pressed into a tight line as she tried to steady her breathing. Nothing was going as planned. Every single move she made seemed to backfire, and worst of all, George remained indifferent to her struggles.She had expected him to help her, to show even the slightest bit of favor, but he had done the exact opposite. He was distancing himself from her—cold, detached, and completely uninterested.Her jaw tightened at the thought of Hassan, the boy who had been nothing but a nuisance. He was her son, yes, but his existence did nothing but remind her of the biggest mistake of her life. Instead of being a bridge between her and George, he was more of a barrier, refusing to listen to her and always ruining things for her. He wasn’t even making an effort to help his mother win George’s heart.Yet, Cynthia had been stunned when George had come to her with a request—a custody ag
Cynthia’s chest tightened the moment she heard Nancy’s name. Could it be the same Nancy? Her mind raced, trying to piece things together.No. It can’t be. There were thousands of women named Nancy. This had to be a different one.Still, unease coiled inside her like a snake. She couldn’t ignore the possibility.And then, Anthony dropped the bombshell.Nancy was the lawyer handling their case.A sharp jolt shot through Cynthia’s body.Her grip tightened around the edges of the agreement. Her fingers dug into the paper, creasing it, but she barely noticed.She had spent years ensuring that no one—no one—knew about her arrangement with George. And now, Nancy of all people was going to find out?Her throat dried up. Her heart pounded against her ribs.Panic swirled in her gut, but she masked it with a soft, almost uncertain laugh.“Oh, a lawyer named Nancy?” she said lightly, forcing a small smile. “Well, there’s no need to call her. This is a personal matter, and I think it’s best we kee
Cynthia’s hands trembled as she clutched the custody agreement in front of her, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, sending waves of rage coursing through her veins. Her eyes darted across the words on the paper, and with each passing second, the meaning of George’s actions sank deeper into her consciousness.Her breathing grew uneven. “Honey…” she began, her voice barely above a whisper, trying to mask the panic in her tone. She forced a smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes. “Can we… Can we talk about this? You don’t have to do this, please.”George sat across from her, his expression calm, unreadable, as if he had already anticipated her reaction. He exuded the kind of indifference that made her stomach churn with frustration. He leaned back in his chair, fingers interlocked, staring at her with a look so impassive that it sent chills down her spine.Cynthia swallowed hard. “You can’t expect me to—”“To take responsibility for you
George’s jaw tightened as Nancy’s words echoed in his head. “My ex-husband is actually better than you.”He had laughed it off at first, convincing himself she was joking, but the way she constantly compared him to that man, mentioning him so casually, gnawed at him. It wasn’t just once. It was again and again, always referring to him as her ex-husband instead of just his name. George had never met this man, yet he was being measured against him like some unworthy competition.And when he finally gathered the courage to ask Nancy outright if she truly believed her ex-husband was better, she had simply fallen asleep, leaving him with his thoughts and a dull ache in his chest.But that wasn’t the only storm brewing in George’s life.The next morning, as he walked into his office, Mr. Anthony’s face was tight with concern. He handed George a tablet.“I think you need to see this,” Mr. Anthony said, his voice grave.George took the device, his stomach twisting into knots. The footage play
Nancy stormed into the Birdman Bar, her heart pounding with rage and desperation. She had come here for a confrontation, ready to demand justice for her daughter, but instead of the people she had expected to see, only Mr. George was inside.She frowned, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the nearly empty room. The other people present informed her that the meeting had already ended, leaving only George behind. That only fueled her frustration."Are you kidding me?" she hissed, her hands clenching into fists. "I came here to demand answers, not to be dismissed like an afterthought!"George, leaning back in his chair with an air of calm control, watched her with a raised brow. "Nancy, I understand that you're upset, but yelling at me won't change what happened."Nancy scoffed. "You have no idea how upset I am!" She took a shaky breath before speaking again. "The worst part is, I don’t even know who did it. But I do know this—my daughter and that boy had the same bags, and they were swit
Nancy wasn’t joking when she found out that her daughter wasn’t feeling well. In fact, she had already suspected something was wrong the moment she saw Kayla standing outside the school gates. The little girl wasn’t her usual lively self. Her shoulders were slumped, her lips pressed into a thin line, and there was a distant, almost vacant look in her brown eyes.Nancy had dismissed it at first, assuming Kayla was just exhausted from a long school day. But something gnawed at her, a mother’s instinct whispering that this was more than just tiredness. Still, she didn’t press too hard on the drive home.The silence in the car was unnerving. Kayla wasn’t the type to sit quietly for too long, yet she barely responded to Nancy’s attempts at small talk. Even when asked, “Kayla, is everything okay?” the girl simply forced a weak smile and muttered, “Yes, Mom, everything is fine… I just had too many lectures today.”Nancy’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. Too many lectures? That was a fl
After the encounter with the teacher, everything moved so fast that Kayla could hardly believe what was happening. For the first time, she was vindicated—by Mr. George, no less. No one had ever stood up for her like that before.All her life, she had been bullied, not just at school but even in their neighborhood. People looked down on her and her mother, mocking them for their financial struggles. Her mother had always tried to protect her, standing up for her whenever she could, but Kayla knew deep down that her mother could only do so much.But now… now she had Mr. George on her side. The way he had defended her today—it felt like, for the first time, she had a father figure looking out for her. That thought made her chest tighten with emotions she didn’t quite understand. It was strange, almost comforting, to think of Mr. George that way.Still, she wasn’t entirely happy. She didn’t like that her teacher, Ms. Bella, had been fired, even though the woman had brought it on herself.