Chapter 69

**Emma's POV**

The kitchen echoed with the clinking of dishes and the soft murmurs of the other women behind me. Their whispering had followed me from the moment I entered the room, and now, as I washed the last plate, the anger that had been simmering inside me started to boil.

“Did you see what’s online? It’s insane. This whole thing is so unfair to Madam Mira,” one of them whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. “Teacher, you need to keep the water cleaner around here.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I slapped the washing gloves against the counter and wiped my hands dry. I turned around to face them, my anger barely contained.

“Excuse me,” I said, my voice sharp. “What’s wrong with the water here? I like it.”

The woman on the left raised an eyebrow, clearly confused by my sudden outburst.

“All the ingredients we use here are top quality,” I continued, my right hand resting on my waist. I walked to the sink, grabbed a cup, and filled it with water from the tap. “Teacher even got a