Chapter 4

In the end, I was unexpectedly dealt another harsh blow. I was struggling with my studies due to the bullying, and I was seriously considering transferring schools, yet Holly secretly reported me to the school for cheating on an exam.

In the face of the meticulously fabricated evidence, I couldn't even defend myself, which resulted in disciplinary action from the school.

Even Dad, who had been planning to transfer me to a new school, changed his mind after listening to Holly. He began to believe that I was the problem, leading to his growing disappointment in me.

It was only in my final moments that I learned that Holly not only had feelings for Calvin but also had a deep-seated resentment toward the wealthy. I realized that everything I had gone through was all orchestrated by her behind the scenes.

I could hear Dad's voice coming from downstairs before I even reached the stairs. He said, "I can't believe Madison would behave so unreasonably! How could she do something like that?"

"I don't think Madison did this on purpose, Mr. Latham. I mean, she comes from a privileged background, so it's understandable that she'd feel uncomfortable sharing a table with us. And besides, we're not that hungry, so let's give Ms. White some time to finish cooking."

Calvin and Holly were standing behind Dad. Their gazes were fixed on me as I made my way downstairs.

The moment my dad saw me, his anger dissipated significantly. He simply said, "Alright, come down and wash your hands. It's time for dinner soon."

I immediately threw my arms around Dad's neck, hugging him tightly like I used to when I was a child. I then said with a pout, "You're finally home, Dad! I hadn't eaten breakfast before heading to school, so I was really hungry. And since I didn't know where Calvin was, I decided to come home by myself first.

"I'm allergic to seafood, but Ms. White keeps making seafood dishes every day—even though I've reminded her countless times. I just got really upset and threw a tantrum. I didn't think she'd tell you about this, though."

Dad had been so wrapped up in his work after Mom's passing. He felt guilty about not being there for me, but he just didn't know how to express it—just like I did in my past life. In the end, Holly, with her ability to act cute and cheer him up, ended up becoming more like his daughter instead.

Upon hearing that, Dad wrapped his arms around me and gently patted my back. He then turned to Karen and said, "I've made it very clear on your first day of work that Madison is allergic to seafood. How can I entrust Madison's care to you if you can't even remember something this important?"

I was the only one who knew Dad was coming home, so Karen didn't have time to clean up the evidence of her cooking. Even though she had been the one who tattled on me earlier, she ended up facing the consequences of her own actions.

"It's alright, Dad. I don't think you should blame Ms. White for this. I mean, she is getting up there in age, so it's quite normal for her to forget things at times. I'll listen to her and eat what she cooks from now on."

Holly was taken aback. She thought that she was the only one who knew how to play the weak and submissive card.

Dad glared at Karen. He then pondered for a moment before saying, "I guess she is getting old. I'll find you someone younger, more reliable, and willing to follow orders."

Upon hearing that, Karen and Calvin turned to look at each other, with the latter gritting his teeth in anger.

I leaned against Dad's shoulder and subtly pulled him away from Holly.

It was just the three of us—Dad, Holly, and me, at dinner tonight, as Calvin didn't join us at the table.

Holly, who had always been in cahoots with Calvin, immediately started stirring up trouble. "Are you aware that Madison has become quite a well-known figure now, Mr. Latham? Her name's known all over the school now!"

Upon hearing that, Dad calmly set his cutlery on the dining table.

Holly was really getting into it, throwing out what seemed like a casual joke, but it was actually a veiled attempt to slander me. Her face lit up as she turned to me and said, "You should tell Mr. Latham—"

I cut her off mid-sentence and decided to turn the tables on her. "I'm pretty sure our classrooms are very far apart, so how do you know so much about me? You should be focusing on your studies instead, Holly. You're in the lowest C-class in the grade, after all.

"If you have so much free time on your hands, you should spend it doing some extra revision instead of engaging in such baseless rumors."