Chapter 3
Lily’s words made my heart clench.
Before I could answer, someone was pounding on the door.
I opened it to find Linda and Director Anderson from the Advanced Mathematics Competition
program.
Anderson held a cardboard box, her smile cold and artificial.
Linda leaned against the doorframe, her eyes contemptuously sweeping over us. “Ms. Manning,
we’re here to bring your daughter her things.”
Anderson forcefully shoved the box into my arms. I stumbled backward as books tumbled out.
On top was a drawing my daughter had made that had even won an award–now with a clear, muddy footprint stamped across it.
“Can’t leave things behind. Our school always believes in seeing things through to the end,” she
said, her mouth twisted with heavy sarcasm.
“Also, we wanted to ‘communicate‘ with you face to face.” She slowly adjusted her scarf. “We’re sorry the child was expelled. But you need to reflect on yourself. Fabricating injuries, threatening the school–now you’ve even lost
your job. People like you who don’t follow rules are pariahs
wherever you go.
Linda snickered and stepped forward, bending down condescendingly in front of my daughter.
Lily shrank back in terror, hiding desperately in my arms.
“Like mother, like daughter!” Linda said into Lily’s ear, her voice quiet but full of malice. “Morally corrupt herself, what kind of good child could she possibly raise? Little liar.”
“Shut up!” My face flushed red instantly, my fingers gripping the doorframe so tightly they went white. “My daughter’s paper was perfect! You’re the ones twisting the truth!!
“Perfect?” Linda laughed even louder, straightening up and deliberately raising her voice. “Oh, that piece of cheating trash? I tore it up in front of the whole class with my own hands and threw it in the garbage! I tore it up to educate her for you! Our school cultivates elites, not social dregs from families like yours!”
“You’re lying!” I shouted back, though my voice was shaking.
Chapter 3
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Lily clung to my clothes behind me, her small body trembling violently from fear and humiliation.
“Lying?” Anderson sneered, pointing at my small, shabby apartment. “Ms. Manning, don’t be
shameless. We came today to give you some advice. Don’t appear near the school again, or else…”
She paused, her gaze shifting to my daughter, her smile turning sinister. “We can’t guarantee your
daughter won’t ‘accidentally‘ tumble down the stairs and get her face smashed.”
I trembled all over, my chest heaving violently.
Their voices were too loud–a neighbor’s door cracked open.
Linda noticed and, instead of restraining herself, shouted even more triumphantly in that direction, “Everyone look! This is the parent who coached her child to self–harm for money!
Everyone better watch out for her!”
The neighbor’s door slammed shut with a bang.
Linda clapped her hands in satisfaction. “Alright, message delivered. You’d better behave
yourself!”
They turned and left, leaving the open door and chaos scattered on the floor.
Lily let out a suppressed whimper behind me, “Mommy… I’m sorry… it’s all my fault…”
I closed the door, shutting out the entire world.
I crouched down and held her tightly in my arms.
“It’s not your fault. Baby, it never was.” My voice was soft and steady.
The next day, going to process my resignation, I held my daughter’s hand.
As soon as we opened the door, the entire hallway fell silent.
Mrs. Thompson, who was waiting for the elevator, saw me and immediately showed disgust on her face, stepping back a large step. “What rotten luck, living in the same building as people like this! Coaching a child to self–harm to extort the school–serves her right!”
The elevator doors opened, and she rushed in, shouting to those inside, “Quick, quick, close the doors! Don’t let the crazy woman in! Bad luck!”
The elevator doors slowly closed in front of me, reflecting my expressionless face.
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We took the stairs down.
In the residential complex, neighbors who used to nod and smile in passing now made wide detours around us.
Several elderly women chatting together saw us and immediately stopped talking.
One of them spat a thick glob of phlegm on the ground.
I walked expressionlessly, gripping Lily’s hand tighter.”
Her head hung low, shoulders hunched, as if she wanted to disappear entirely.
I stopped walking and looked up at the sun.
I looked down at my daughter’s hollow
eyes.
In this overwhelming malice, I smiled softly.
I took out my phone and dialed a number.
Chapter 3
