Chapter 242
Compared to Sarah's agitation, I was actually quite calm.
"Principal," I said, "since both parents are here, let's get to the bottom of this."
The Principal nodded, gesturing for us to sit down first.
Sarah was still standing there, holding Jack tightly and refusing to let go, her face showing both distress and anger.
She looked up, her gaze cutting toward me like a knife, but her voice still had that soft, weak tone, "Ms. Brown, I know you care about Milly, but Jack is hurt like this. You need to give us an explanation, don't you?"
I ignored her and looked down at Milly, "Do you want some water?"
Milly shook her head, her little hand clutching my clothes, but her eyes kept glancing toward Jack.
The Principal cleared his throat and began recounting what happened.
It was pretty much what Milly had told me.
During today's sharing session, the teacher asked the children to talk about who they loved most.
Milly was the first to raise her hand, saying she loved her mom most.
Then Jack started making a fuss, saying some unpleasant things.
Milly went over and pushed him, and the two got into a fight.
"Unpleasant things?" Sarah seized on those words. "What things?"
The Principal glanced at her, hesitated, but still said, "Jack said Ms. Brown was a bad woman, that she stole someone's husband, that nobody wanted her, things like that."
Sarah's expression changed for a moment.
The Principal continued, "Later the two got into a scuffle. Jack tore up Milly's drawing, and Milly scratched his face. Both children have admitted to what happened."
The office fell silent for a few seconds.
Sarah's arms tightened around Jack as she lowered her head, seemingly lost in thought.
George stood by the window, not saying a word the whole time.
I stood up and walked in front of the Principal, my voice not loud, but every word clear, "Principal, I want to ask, is this the first time something like this has happened?"
The Principal paused, looking toward Milly.
Milly kept her head down, not speaking.
I gently patted her back, "Milly, tell the Principal, has this happened before?"
Milly looked up, her eyes red, and said quietly, "He got other kids not to play with me before, saying I'm a kid nobody wants without a dad, saying mom is a bad woman, telling everyone not to talk to me. They knocked down my blocks, hid my crayons..."
Her voice got smaller and smaller, finally becoming almost inaudible.
The Principal's expression changed.
Sarah also looked up, wanting to say something, but I cut her off.
"Principal," I looked into her eyes, "Milly didn't want to come to kindergarten for a while. I asked her about it, but she wouldn't say anything. I only found out today that she was being bullied. She kept it all to herself to keep me from worrying."
My voice was calm, but I knew my eyes were already red.
"I came here today not to fight. I just want to ask one thing: does the kindergarten have any response to this kind of situation?"
The Principal was silent for a few seconds, then nodded seriously, "Ms. Brown, we will handle this matter seriously. Bullying is absolutelyunacceptable, no matter whose child it is."
Sarah's expression changed, and her arms tightened around Jack again.
"Principal," she spoke up, her voice no longer as gentle as before, "it's normal for kids to roughhouse. How can you call it bullying? Jack is so young, what does he understand?"
"What does he understand?" I turned to look at her, my lips curling into a smile without warmth. "Sarah, Jack understands plenty. He knows how to call me a bad woman, knows how to bully and isolate Milly, and knows how to tear up her favorite drawing. You tell me he doesn't understand?"
Sarah was left speechless, her face turning pale.
Jack suddenly spoke, his voice muffled, "I didn't bully her."
Everyone's eyes fell on him.
He kept his head down, clutching his clothes, as if afraid to look at anyone.
"I just wanted her to know that my mom is the best."
I looked at him, not sure what I was feeling.
I thought again about those six years, when I cooked for him, slept beside him, taught him to talk, made him happy.
The first time he called someone mom, he was calling me.
But then Sarah came back.
She told him she was his real mom.
She told him Grace was a bad woman, the bad person who stole his dad.
She told him Milly wasn't his sister, she was an outsider.
He believed her.
He said with his own mouth that he hoped dad would hurry up and marry his real mom, so the family could truly reunite.
His family didn't include Milly and me.
I knew Jack was just a child.
A child used by adults, treated as a tool, fed hatred.
He didn't know how hurtful his words were, didn't know what his actions meant.
He was just imitating—imitating Sarah's teachings, imitating the grudges between adults.
But I didn't feel sorry for him.
He had hurt Milly, again and again.
"Jack." I spoke.
He looked up, his eyes red, looking at me.
"Milly is my daughter," I said each word clearly, "I don't care what others have told you, but she hasn't done anything wrong to you. You shouldn't bully her, and you definitely shouldn't insult her."
Jack's lip quivered, tears welling up in his eyes.
"But... but..." he choked up, "my mom said you're the one who hurt her, at the archery range."
Sarah's face changed, and she quickly crouched down to hold him, "Jack, stop talking."
But Jack couldn't stop anymore.
"My mom said if it wasn't for you, she wouldn't have gotten hurt, and dad wouldn't have been so upset, so I hate you, and I hate Milly too."
He started crying, his voice loud and aggrieved.
The office became extremely quiet.
Sarah held him, her face looking terribly pale.
George still stood by the window, but I could feel his gaze on me.
I didn't look at him, only at Jack.
"What happened at the archery range," I said, "your mom fell on her own. It had nothing to do with me."
Jack froze, tears still on his face.
"What she told you, I don't know." I continued. "But I know one thing. I raised you, cooked for you, took you to school, spent every birthday with you. You don't have to like me, but you can't bully my daughter."
Jack stared at me blankly, as if not knowing who to believe.
Sarah stood up, her face ashen, "Grace, why are you saying all this to a child?"
"Then what have you been saying to him behind the scenes?" I looked at her. "Did you tell him I was the one who hurt you? Did you tell him I'm a bad woman? Did you tell him Milly isn't his sister, that she's an outsider?"
Sarah was forced back a step by my questioning, her lips trembling, unable to speak.
"Sarah," I took a step closer, lowering my voice to make sure only she could hear, "when you did these things, did you think about the consequences? You manipulated a child into hating the person who raised him, you made him bully another innocent child. Do you think that's something to be proud of?"
Her face looked awful.