"Making mistakes should come with consequences, Riley. Do you realize how much harm you nearly caused to the school this time?" Riley's shoulders shrank sharply, feeling deeply aggrieved. She hadn't expected that her little prank would elicit such a strong reaction from the principal!The principal's voice turned stern. "Call your parents, and there will be disciplinary action."Riley, upon hearing this, lifted her head abruptly, her expression filled with panic. "No, Principal, you can't do this to me. After all, Haley wasn’t injured, was she?"The principal immediately sensed that she was oblivious to her mistake. He let out a cold chuckle as he reminded her, "Today is the school anniversary. Do you realize how many leaders are in the audience? You should count yourself lucky that Haley wasn't harmed."If the anniversary celebration was disrupted, he wouldn't be able to hold his head high for the entire next year.Riley's eyes welled up instantly. She hurried to the principal,
Meeting her clear and perceptive gaze, the principal felt as though his thoughts were being read. He chuckled awkwardly twice and echoed Haley's words, "We absolutely won't allow any student to suffer unfair treatment."Haley smiled and didn't say anything more. After exchanging a few brief words with the principal, they left his office together.Haley looked at Shane, her eyes filled with a smile. "Mr. Ford, thank you. If it weren't for you coming to my rescue, I wouldn't know how long I'd be kept in there."Shane stared at her face intently for a long time, then raised his hand and pinched her soft cheek. "What did I say? Already forgotten so soon?"Feeling the warmth of his touch on her cheek, Haley's cheeks flushed red instantly. She took two steps back abruptly, looking at Shane in confusion. Because she was so flustered, even her words became stuttered. "Mr. Ford, you, you shouldn't..."Shane raised an eyebrow, smiling as he asked, "Shouldn't what?"Haley stuttered, "You sh
Today, Xena felt deeply wounded after the humiliation from Haley. Upon returning home, she locked herself in her room, sinking into her bed, shedding tears of both frustration and sorrow.Why couldn't that foolish Riley handle things more discreetly? It left Xena unable to hold her head high in front of Haley, and she was sure the principal's opinion of her had plummeted.But what stung the most was Shane's behavior. Xena had assumed that, as a woman James deeply loved, Shane would afford her some respect. Yet, she never anticipated his cold indifference. What fueled her resentment even further was his preferential treatment of Haley.As Xena wallowed in her misery, her phone suddenly rang. Without bothering to check, she promptly ended the call. She was feeling annoyed now and didn't want to answer any calls. But unexpectedly, shortly after she hung up, the phone rang again, one after another, as if it wouldn't stop until she picked up.The ringing irritated Xena so much that
Zoe was setting the dinner table when she heard his remark. She looked up and playfully scolded him, "You're my husband, of course, I'll take care of you."Joe chuckled heartily, feeling content.Xena sighed with emotion, "Mom, Dad, your relationship is really amazing. When Dad wasn't around when I was little, I always wished for our family to reunite. Now it's finally happened."Joe recalled the past and felt a pang of guilt. He tightly grasped Zoe and Xena's hands, expressing, "I'm sorry for what happened before. I made you both suffer."Zoe shook her head, her eyes slightly teary. "Why bring up the past? It's all behind us now."After dinner, Joe noticed Xena sitting on the sofa lost in thought, her expression somewhat melancholic. He asked in confusion, "Xena, is something on your mind?"Xena snapped out of her daze, a hint of panic flickering in her eyes, but she vigorously shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong."Joe's suspicions were further confirmed by her evasive behavio
As Xena saw Joe about to dial, her eyelid twitched, and she intervened swiftly. "Hold on. There's no need for that. The Ford family has stepped in. Making a call won't change anything."If Joe proceeded with the call and got the truth from the principal, Xena feared it would only stir up trouble.She couldn't afford to let that happen."The Ford family?" Joe's hand paused as he dialed the phone, feeling somewhat surprised.Xena nodded knowingly. "Haley sought Shane Ford's help. Otherwise, how else would Riley end up facing disciplinary action?"Joe put down the phone, dismissing the idea of calling.At the same time, he felt a twinge of doubt.When had Haley connected with Shane? And why had she kept it from him?Zoe also felt uneasy and nudged Xena gently. "Xena, you should apologize to Haley tomorrow. Offending the Ford family wouldn't be wise."With Shane's influence in Jasper City, handling the Carter family would be a walk in the park.Joe, feeling displeased, questioned
Finally, she stressed, "I don't know when Haley got so close to Shane. Somehow, she managed to leverage him to pressure the school for Riley. Riley really didn't mean any harm..."Hearing her sobbing uncontrollably, James's heart clenched painfully. He wished he could instantly teleport back to Xena's side, hold her tightly, and comfort her.He whispered softly, "Xena, please don't cry. My uncle isn't someone who can't tell right from wrong. Let me make a call and find out what's going on.""No, James, I don't want you to feel upset because of me and your uncle. I don't know what Haley said to him. Today, I greeted him, but he completely ignored me."Xena sat on the bed, tears flowing down her cheeks, her voice choked with emotion, sounding extremely aggrieved.On the other end of the line, James heard her heart-wrenching sobs, and it tore at his own heart. He gently reassured her, "Xena, it's alright. You're so kind and gentle. My uncle will surely like you. I'll talk to him late
On the other hand, James returned Huxley's phone and stated, "Take me to find Haley. I need to call off the engagement!"Huxley accepted his phone back, hesitated momentarily, and inquired, "Are you absolutely certain about this? Breaking off an engagement is a serious matter."Though he knew he shouldn't interfere in others' romantic affairs, he couldn't shake the feeling that Haley hadn't done anything wrong. Wasn't it unfair for someone who wasn't loved to suffer such humiliation?But James was too furious to entertain such thoughts at the moment. He couldn't delay any longer. He was determined to provide Xena with a stable family and couldn't bear to witness her suffer any longer."Quit the nonsense, just take me there. If you're not up for it, lend me some cash, and I'll grab a cab."Initially, Huxley wanted to offer further advice, but upon seeing James's expression, he immediately abandoned the idea of persuasion. Suddenly, he pondered, perhaps calling off the engagemen
Haley mercilessly turned him down.James glanced at Huxley beside him, feeling embarrassed as his expression darkened. "Some things can't be resolved over the phone. Let's schedule a meeting and discuss it face to face."His tone was firm and authoritative, with a hint of command.Haley paused for a moment and questioned, "You don't feel repulsed or disgusted by seeing me now?"James was momentarily taken aback, suddenly recalling the many insults he had hurled at Haley in the group chat to vent his anger. He felt his face flush with embarrassment."I'm sorry, can we move forward from here?"A man who had been pampered and arrogant, enjoying the favor of the Ford family, was now humbled in the presence of a woman for the first time.He felt deeply ashamed, wishing he could disappear. Fortunately, besides Huxley, there was no one else around. Otherwise, wouldn't he be the butt of everyone's jokes?Haley sneered, her tone icy and indifferent. "If an apology lacks sincerity, then