Chapter 59
“Then drink it quickly, or I’ll call the police. Let me be clear with you: I’ve clawed my way back from the brink of death. There’s nothing I can’t handle.
“If f you
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don’t let me get this off my chest today, I’ll be at your school every day. I’ll stand right at the entrance, and we’ll see what you can do about it.”
The director’s face turned a sickly green.
I knew that this year, the kindergarten was undergoing a critical evaluation. If any scandal broke now, the director would be finished.
That was why she was trying so hard to avoid involving the police. If this could be dealt with quietly, she’d prefer to keep it under wraps.
The choice was obvious. It didn’t take long before the director made her decision.
She shot a hard look at Rhea. “As a teacher, you should be setting an example. How could you do this in front of the children? No matter how capable you are, if your character is flawed, I can’t protect you.
“If Mrs. Cook insists, we’ll have to call the police. These surveillance tapes will be used as evidence, and I can vouch for her.”
At that, Rhea couldn’t hold it in anymore. She didn’t want the police involved, and certainly didn’t want to lose her job.
After glaring at me with pure hatred for what felt like forever, she finally took the cup of toilet water from me, her hands. shaking.
Rhea gulped down the water. Before she could finish, she was violently retching, spilling it all over the floor.
I let out a cold laugh. “Remember this lesson. If you ever think of tormenting a child like that again, the consequences w
be far worse.
In the end, the director refunded us a semester’s worth of tuition and also gave us Rhea’s entire annual salary as compensation.
When I received the money, it finally clicked: no wonder Rhea didn’t want to lose her job. It seemed the kindergarten held her in high regard. Her salary was nearly 70 thousand dollars a year.
That salary was considered top–tier for an early childhood educator. It was clear that if this hadn’t happened, Rhea would have continued to rake in the benefits of her “golden teacher” status.
As I passed by Rhea, I caught a familiar scent again. The memory clicked into place.
I was sure of it now–that perfume was the rare, niche fragrance I had asked Holly to help me get. It was so distinctive that only a select few could buy it in the country,
I wondered, “Why do both Dexter and Ms. Santos smell the same? As I thought back to what I had said earlier, an icy chill ran down my spine.
I quickly jumped into the car, not giving Dexter the chance to catch up.
“Sylvia, where do you think you’re going? You won’t go home, are you planning on running off with some random man?” Dexter shouted loudly, clearly trying to draw attention.
14:41 Mon, 17 Feb 5
Chapter 59
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I cracked the window open slightly and replied coldly, “You know better than anyone whether I’ve cheated on you. Don’t think for a second that I’ll crumble just because you’re spreading lies. As long as you haven’t killed me, Fill fight you to the
end.
“Dexter, just wait. This isn’t over!”
With a sharp press of the gas pedal, I sped past him. If he wasn’t going to divorce me and still wanted me dead, I wasn’t going to let this slide easily.
Back home, I reached out to an old project client and asked for a favor. With his help, I managed to get the hotel security footage from the 19th floor. If I was going to clear my name, this was where I had to start.
In the footage, I saw myself stepping out of the elevator. From the shadows, I saw a flash of magenta, and a wooden stick swung down toward my head.
Even though I had already walked a few yards, she didn’t stop. She kept hitting me, blow after blow, until I collapsed,
unconscious.
Then, I saw her call over two men to drag me into a room. One of the men later came out, meaning the one who stayed behind in the room was the one taking photos of me.
The thought of being exposed, naked, in front of a stranger made my stomach churn with humiliation.
I kept my eyes fixed on the screen, and then my heart stopped. It was him!
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