Chapter 69 Max's Elegant Retaliation
The referee and parents immediately rushed over.
The spectator stands erupted in discussion, "How can this kid have such poor manners?"
"Can't he handle losing? The competition was fair. Does he have to bully the winner just because he lost?"
"That seems to be Amelia's youngest son. I heard he's been acting like a bully in class."
"Amelia's youngest son... the Thomas family isn't one to mess with."
Grace immediately stood up and ran toward Max. "Max!"
Mason and Max had already been separated by the referee.
Mason continued his furious tirade, "You have no right to attend this school! You're poor, so go back where poor people belong! My mom says you're a bastard! Bastards don't deserve to win championships!"
Mason had always been hot-tempered, and losing the competition naturally made him lash out without thinking.
Since Amelia had called Max a bastard, Mason naturally treated him as one too—it was all parental influence.
Max supported his shoulder as he stood up, lifted his head to look at Mason. His lips were red and swollen from biting them to endure the pain, but he didn't make a sound. He said coldly, "I'm a bastard, so what does that make you? A loser?"
Mason glared angrily. "Who are you calling a loser?"
"I'm calling you a loser." Max said expressionlessly. "Mason, you can't accept that I beat you, so you're throwing a tantrum?"
"Who are you calling a loser?" Amelia charged over, pointing imperiously at Max's nose as she scolded, "Who are you calling a loser?"
She was about to slap Max across the face when a hand firmly blocked her.
Amelia looked over to see Grace gripping her hand and pushing it away. "Don't touch my son!"
She shielded Max behind her. "Your son hits people when he loses. Is this how you raise him?"
Amelia angrily retorted, "How I raise my son is none of your business! How did you raise yours?"
Grace shot back, "My son is excellent. He's polite, well-mannered, and knows that winning competitions requires skill. In this competition, his performance was steady and everyone saw how well he did. He won the championship through ability!"
Amelia was momentarily speechless.
"What about your son?" Grace countered. "Your son lost the competition, so he pushes people, hits them, and calls my son a bastard. I think you should reflect on whether your parenting is adequate."
She gently rubbed the spot where Max had been hurt. "Max, does it hurt?"
Max said, "Mommy, I'm fine."
He looked at Mason and asked coldly, "Mason, I won. Do you accept it?"
Mason stubbornly replied, "I don't accept it! If you're so capable, do you dare compete with me in fencing? If you lose to me, you're a dog, and you'll crawl on the ground and bark like one!"
The spectator stands fell silent.
Mason was clearly making a humiliating challenge.
Fencing was an elite sport.
Since enrolling, Max had only attended three classes and merely learned the rules of fencing. Mason challenging Max was clearly bullying him for not having received proper training.
"Fencing is Windsor Academy's most important event. You don't know how, do you?" Mason said contemptuously. "This is a sport for the privileged. Kids from poor backgrounds like you could never understand it!"
Liam saw Max being bullied and tugged at Alexander's sleeve.
But Alexander didn't move.
He saw an indomitable spirit in Max.
Any other child, being bullied and pushed around like this, would definitely cry pitifully.
But Max didn't.
He was nonchalant, dismissive, enduring the pain as he looked up with elegant yet casual indifference. "Fine, I accept your challenge. But what happens if you lose to me?"
Mason said, "How could I possibly lose to you?"
Max said, "If you lose to me, you'll also crawl like a dog and bark."
Amelia angrily said, "What gives you the right to make my son crawl like a dog?"
Max replied, "What gives your son the right to make me bark like one?"
Amelia said, "Because you and your mother are both filthy peasants!"
Grace was getting angry. She was about to explode when Max grabbed her hand.
Max looked at Amelia and said word by word, "Ma'am, just how noble are you exactly? No wonder your son has such poor manners. Instead of desperately trying to rank yourself and others into social hierarchies, you should spend that energy properly disciplining your son."
Max's elegant retaliation was absolutely brilliant.
Amelia could clearly hear the mockery in Max's words. "You think you're well-mannered? A seven-year-old who can't even speak properly! Is this the kind of upbringing poor families provide?"
Max retorted, "If your upbringing were any good, you wouldn't have raised your son to act like a rabid dog, running around biting people."
"You...!" Amelia was rendered speechless by his retort.
Liam understood and covered his mouth, somewhat amazed.
Max had such a sharp tongue, but watching him tear people down was incredibly satisfying.
Mason said, "I told you, I could never lose to you! We'll see about that!"
He took Amelia's hand and walked away.
Grace lovingly picked up Max.
Seeing her distressed expression, Max comforted her, "Mommy, it's okay."
"Max, don't compete." Grace said. "Mommy will take you to the infirmary to see if you're hurt anywhere."
Max said, "Why not compete?" He narrowed his eyes. "I want to compete. I want him to lose completely and accept it."
Grace knew Max had always been competitive.
Although he rarely showed it, she knew that Max had been infuriated by those words "your father doesn't want you."
In the infirmary.
The doctor examined his injuries.
They weren't serious, just some bruising.
The doctor applied medicinal patches to Max, who then put on his clothes and prepared to go to the locker room to change into his fencing gear.
Grace followed him, worried.
Max said, "Mommy, I know you feel sorry for me, but today I must prove something to everyone."
Grace asked, "What do you want to prove?"
Max said, "I've never had a father, but I'm still excellent."
With that, he picked up his fencing uniform and headed to the locker room without looking back.
Grace felt a pang in her heart.
Perhaps in the unknown corners of Max's heart, he also carefully hid the sensitivity and vulnerability of a single-parent child, along with his pride and self-respect.
He was unwilling—unwilling to be looked down upon just because he didn't have a father.
Soon, Max emerged from the locker room in his fencing gear and appeared in the fencing hall.
Mason had also changed clothes and declared to the referee, "I want to compete against him!"
He pointed at Max, specifically naming him for a match.
The referee checked the competition roster and said, "He didn't register for the fencing competition."
Mason said, "I want to compete against him. If I lose, I'll withdraw from the competition!"
With that, he put on his mask and walked onto the field.