Chapter 18
"Ms. Cook is also my children's homeroom teacher."
Caroline took out her phone and compared the number on Libbie's phone carefully before pulling up a contact from her address book. "She gave you her personal number, but she doesn't bring that phone to work. I have her work number—let me call and ask."
The call connected quickly, and Violet's voice came through the speaker, "Hello, Ms. Hamilton?"
"Hello, Ms. Cook," Caroline turned slightly away from Libbie's grateful gaze. "There's a Ms. Gomez at the school gate with her child. She says she had an appointment with you..."
After confirming the details, Caroline handed the phone to the security guard. "Ms. Cook would like to speak with you."
The guard verified the information and reluctantly opened the side gate.
Libbie, wiping sweat from her brow in excitement, held Rena's hand and repeatedly thanked Caroline. "Thank you so much! If we hadn't met you, our trip today would have been wasted."
"It was nothing," Caroline smiled, glancing at her watch. "There's still some time before school lets out. I'm waiting for my children too, so how about I show you around the campus? Ms. Cook probably won't be free until after class, and by then the school might be closing up."
Libbie gratefully accepted.
Along the way, Rena kept stealing glances at Caroline, her little cheeks flushed like ripe tomatoes.
When they reached the flower beds in front of the classroom building, Libbie sighed. "We didn't really have a choice. My husband is starting a business here and insisted we move, saying the education and healthcare are the best."
"Yesterday I visited another private school—the environment was nice, but I didn't care for the teachers' attitudes. Plus, it's too far from our home."
"Are you near Maple Street by any chance? We live in that area too. I also considered both schools before ultimately choosing this one."
"We're exactly on Maple Street! What a coincidence. I'm new here, so I'll probably be bothering you for advice quite often."
Caroline nodded understandingly but didn't inquire further into Libbie's personal affairs.
When the dismissal bell rang, Caroline was showing Libbie and Rena the playground where children were playing games.
The setting sun cast long shadows from the school buildings, and children's laughter rang like silver bells throughout the campus.
Violet hurried over, smiling apologetically at Libbie. "I'm so sorry—there was an issue in my classroom that I couldn't leave."
"It's been so hectic lately that I absentmindedly gave you my personal number."
Libbie turned to Caroline, gratitude in her eyes. "Thank goodness you helped us, or our appointment would have been wasted."
Caroline was about to say "you're welcome" when she spotted two small figures running out of the school building.
Layla and Logan approached with large backpacks, their expressions flat. When they reached her, they reluctantly mumbled, "Mommy."
Caroline's heart sank. She was about to ask how their day had been when Rena pulled a strawberry lollipop from her backpack and stood on tiptoe to offer it to her. "Ms. Hamilton, thank you for helping us. This is for you."
Rena's eyes sparkled like stars.
"Thank you. You're so beautiful and thoughtful," Caroline said warmly, smiling as she reached to pat Rena's head.
Rena just looked up at Caroline with a bright smile, her curved eyes warming Caroline's heart.
As Caroline knelt to accept the strawberry lollipop, Logan suddenly pushed Rena away, his face turning bright red. "Don't touch my mommy!"
Layla snatched the lollipop and threw it violently to the ground.
The colorful wrapper split open, and the pink candy broke in half.
"My mommy would never eat something so cheap!" she stood with hands on her hips like a bristling kitten. "We only eat imported chocolates that taste a hundred times better than this!"
Rena, pushed to the ground, began to cry.
Libbie quickly picked up her daughter but just smiled awkwardly at Caroline. "It's fine, really. Children don't always understand."
Caroline's face instantly darkened.
She looked at Layla and Logan, her voice cold as ice. "Both of you, apologize to Rena. Now."
"I won't!" Logan stomped his foot, tears welling in his eyes. "She was trying to steal our mommy!"
Layla also stood her ground. "Exactly! We hate her. She looks so poor and shabby."
Caroline felt a rush of blood to her head. She knew the children were close to Heidi, but she never imagined they would say such rude things.
Those imported chocolates—she had never bought them for the children. It wasn't hard to guess who had spoiled them with such attitudes.
"Pick it up," she pointed at the broken candy, enunciating each word. "Apologize to Rena, or neither of you is going anywhere today."
The setting sun cast half her face in light, half in shadow.
Layla and Logan, frightened by the coldness in her eyes, fell silent but still stubbornly pressed their lips together, refusing to yield.
Libbie, holding the sobbing Rena, said awkwardly, "Really, it's okay."
"If you don't apologize, do you want your great-grandfather to hear about this? If he finds out, you won't be seeing any woman who's nice to you—not a single one," Caroline said in a low, serious voice.
This finally scared the children.
Although Isaac was usually extremely kind to them, he was very strict about proper behavior. If he learned about this incident, they would certainly be severely disciplined.
Most importantly, they would never see Heidi again—and her art exhibition was this Thursday.
The two children looked at each other before reluctantly lowering their heads and quietly apologizing.
"It's okay. I forgive you," Rena said sweetly, though tears still hung on her eyelashes.
Caroline took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and pulled a business card from her bag to give to Libbie. "I'm so sorry. I haven't raised my children properly. Here's my card. Please go to the hospital immediately to make sure your daughter isn't hurt. I'll cover all expenses. Please contact me anytime if there's any problem."
Libbie tried to refuse, but Caroline insisted, placing the card in her hand before bending down to pick up the candy wrapper and throwing it in a nearby trash can.
"Let's go," she grabbed Layla and Logan's hands, her grip so tight that both children winced in pain.
The drive back was completely silent.
Layla and Logan kept their heads down, neither willing to speak.
Caroline looked at their small reflections in the rearview mirror and suddenly felt exhausted.
Layla and Logan hadn't always been like this. Since her pregnancy, she had been deeply invested in early childhood education. She had even created children's picture books herself to help them grow up well.
When the children had been with her before, they were sweet and kind, never judging others by their wealth. But now, somehow, they had begun to see the world in terms of social hierarchy.
The streetlights began to illuminate one by one outside the car window, their yellow glow casting flickering shadows across the children's faces.
Caroline suddenly spoke, her voice soft, "The art exhibition on Thursday—Ms. White's exhibition—do you want to go?"