Chapter 92



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Hayden was a bundle of nerves as she flew at full speed to Kindergarten. It was almost departure time when she had arrived, hence numerous luxury vehicles were parked in front of the entrance, with butlers and servants crowding the area. When she finally made her way through the crowd, Rita, the director of the Castillo Azul Bilingual Kindergarten, who was waiting for her, immediately ushered her inside the building.

“How is Stella?”

“Dr. Wilson treated her and she’s fine now. We were lucky that the symptoms were caught before the seizure occurred, so she didn’t suffer any shock. I decided to call her because she wasn’t in good condition before, so we thought you might be worried about her.”

After running full speed to the infirmary, Hayden teared up as soon as he laid eyes on Stella, as an immense helplessness began to well up inside him. He didn’t know what to do at times like this. She could only stand by her bedside as she softly called out to her daughter, “Mommy’s here, Stella.”

Stella’s complexion looked exhausted as she lay in bed, her usual bubbly demeanor nowhere to be seen at the moment. Although her forehead was bruised, she tried to sketch a forced smile.

“I’m fine, Mom!”

Hayden squeezed her little hand self-consciously, and tried hard not to say any harsh words to her. In the end, he couldn’t help but admonish her, “Have you forgotten your promise that you would be obedient and stay out of trouble? Mom is getting angry.”

Stella felt slightly aggrieved as she muttered, “But Mommy, they started it first.”

Dr. Wilson, who had cared for Stella earlier, came in at that moment and asked, “Are you Stella’s mother?”

“Yes, I am.” Hayden turned around hurriedly.

Dr. Wilson was an elderly gray-haired woman wearing round, gold-rimmed glasses and dressed in a doctor’s coat, she was a woman of a very kindly disposition. Hayden hurried to follow her after she motioned for him to leave the room.

“Dr. Wilson, is there something wrong with Stella’s condition?”

“I’ve reviewed the medical records you just sent me. Stella’s asthma is hereditary, and our usual approach is to prescribe medication to control this type of asthma. However, there is a risk of dependency to the medications if she takes them for a long period of time, which would harm her body. I suggest you try Chinese acupuncture.”

“Is it possible to treat your disease? If so, we will be willing to try.”

“There is no need to rush, so take it easy. Just keep in mind that the course of an acupuncture treatment is not short-term, and you can’t stop halfway once you’ve started. We can talk about the details another time, as I think you need to take good care of the matter that has occurred today.”

Dr. Wilson’s wise counsel had brought Hayden back to Stella’s condition. Her asthma had not relapsed for a long time, and not only had she suffered an asthma attack, but her little face was full of bruises and scratches. It was certain that she had gotten into a fight with someone.

Hayden suddenly remembered Rita’s comment to stop by his office after she had calmed down by visiting Stella. He hurried to thank Dr. Wilson and returned to inquire into the context of the incident that had occurred and hurried to the office.

Rita’s office was occupied by a young mother holding a little girl’s hand with a badly bruised face and her face clouded with a frightened expression.

As soon as Hayden entered the office, he could immediately hear a barrage of unbearably contemptuous condemnation and reprimands coming from the young girl.

“What the hell is wrong with this school, why have they admitted all sorts of children without filtering their quality, can they bear the consequences if anything happened to Charlotte?”

Rita smiled and replied ingratiatingly, “It happened for a reason, Madame. Please calm down first and I will explain.”

“What kind of reason is there…?”.

Hayden knocked on the door just then and burst into their discussion.

Rita stood up hurriedly upon spotting their arrival and proceeded to introduce them, “This is Charlotte and her mother, this is Stella’s mother.”

Charlotte’s mother shot a glance at Hayden and asked dismissively, “So you’re Stella’s mother, why haven’t I seen you before, you’re from N-Town?”

Hayden frowned, puzzled by the fact that she was being questioned about where she was from when the fight between the girls broke out. It didn’t make any sense to her.

Despite being plunged into a state of bewilderment, she nodded in response, “Yes, I am.”

Charlotte’s mother scoffed, “Are you from here? Rita tells me you work in a hotel.”

Hayden nodded again in response.

“How could a mere hotel manager have the ability to send her daughter to this school? Surely she must have had illicit relationships, so of course the girl was swayed and will follow her example. Now I see that demoralization runs in the family.”

Her shrill voice was extremely piercing to the ear as she spewed spiteful accusations toward Hayden.

The barrage of vicious accusations made Hayden’s eardrum buzz as anger began to rise in her. She clenched her fists tightly and rebutted, “I know Stella is to blame for hitting your daughter, but I shouldn’t talk like that. Why couldn’t I send my daughter to this place? What’s wrong with being a hotel manager?”

“Should I say it more explicitly for you to understand? It’s obvious that, only by engaging in that kind of illicit affairs, a young woman like you could afford something like that.” Charlotte’s mother sneered at her with contempt as she glanced over her shoulder.

Hayden’s expression darkened, but she was reluctant to continue the dispute with her. She gritted her teeth angrily and blurted out, “Please don’t lump everything together and let’s get straight to the point. Tell me how you want to settle today’s incident, I will take care of all your daughter’s medical expenses, including compensation for any emotional trauma.”

“You want to give me money?” Charlotte’s mother let out a giggle as if she had heard an absurd joke.

“Do you think our family is in need of money? Let me be very clear with you, I demand an apology from you and your daughter regarding the fight that had happened today, and that she be forbidden to come here starting tomorrow.”

Hayden’s expression blackened as he could not believe the unreasonable demands he had just heard.

It was just a fight that had happened when the girls were playing around, on the other hand, since it only happened under genuine extenuating circumstances, it shouldn’t go so far as to force Stella to leave the Kindergarten. How could he act in such an insensitive and callous manner?

“That’s impossible.” Hayden pulled himself together and continued with a shadowed expression, “I don’t think this matter is serious enough to warrant Stella’s expulsion from here.”

“Impossible? Wait and see what I’ll do to make it possible if you refuse to do it. The scratches on my daughter’s face demand a serious interpretation of this matter. Or do you want to pay a visit to the police station with your daughter?”

He stared at Rita, who was lost beside him, with a haughty expression on her haughty face.

“Since you are the director, I will leave this matter in your hands. If Charlotte continues to see that brat in the nursery tomorrow, the Lewis Group will withdraw all of our investments next year.”

Rita’s face turned ashen as she was stunned on the spot by his bull-headed request.

Hayden gritted his teeth in silent fury and clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked in unison. He wished he could talk some sense into Charlotte’s mother, for her utter contempt for others and her snobbish attitude had made his blood boil.

“The ST Group will invest double what the Lewis Group had invested this year for the construction of the school’s infrastructure after they have withdrawn.”

An imposing shadow loomed over the office entrance as a low, husky voice sounded from the silhouette, breaking the stalemate between the women in the office.

Joseph strode towards them with a leisurely pace as he held Noah in his hand, when he cast a glance at Charlotte’s mother, his eyes were filled with coldness and condescension.

“I don’t believe that the Lewis Group still has such substantial influence and power over the Blue Castle Kindergarten, am I wrong, Mrs. Lewis?”

Charlotte’s mother’s expression turned frightened as soon as Joseph appeared in front of them.

“Why, why are you here, Mr. Beckham?”

“I was informed that my son had caused some trouble, so I’m here to get the context of the situation. He had misbehaved after all, so he should at least come to apologize in person.”

“Caused trouble?” Charlotte’s mother smiled slavishly as she complimented him further, “How could your son possibly have gotten into any trouble seeing as he’s such a polite boy?”

Noah cocked his head to one side and shot her a fierce look as he moved closer to Hayden to snuggle up next to her.

“Don’t tell me you’re still ignorant of the reason your daughter has been getting a spanking after insulting another person for so long, Mrs. Lewis?” Joseph gave her a cold shoulder as he continued, “Now tell me, who taught your daughter, that Noah is a wild child just because he doesn’t have a mother?”

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