My husband, Ethan Royce, drove to the village school in a luxury car to pick me up after work. The new female teacher, Vivian Spencer, pouted and asked for a ride. She hopped into the passenger seat, gazing at my husband with admiration. “Ethan, you’re already a school director at such a young age? That’s impressive! With your looks and success, you haven’t abandoned your wife for someone younger. You must be a truly devoted man.” Sitting in the backseat, I raised an eyebrow. Abandon me? If he dares, he can kiss his position goodbye. “Ms. Sutton, your husband is so handsome! And he’s rich, drives such a nice car, and treats you well. I’m jealous,” Vivian teased me. But her gaze was glued to Ethan. I was the principal of a village girls’ school, and Vivian was a newly hired teacher. Since the school was far from our home in the city, Ethan would come to pick me up whenever he had time. Vivian asked, “Ethan, what do you do to make so much money?” Ethan scratched his head and chuckled, “This car is not that good anyway. I’m just a director for a few private schools, that’s all.” I felt a little uncomfortable. This car was my birthday gift to him. I also arranged his position as the school director. But he was my husband, so I let him have his moment. Vivian’s eyes lit up. “Wait… are you with Nova International Academy? That’s the top private school in the province!” Ethan smiled and nodded. Vivian’s eyes flickered before she suddenly switched to a coy tone. “Ethan, my house is so far from school. I’m just a young woman who just graduated. I’m so scared to go home by myself every day! Would it be too much trouble to give me a ride? Please?” Vivian clasped her hands together pleadingly, staring at Ethan with innocent eyes. Ethan was about to agree but suddenly remembered I was sitting right there. His expression stiffened as he glanced at me. Vivian turned to me with a sweet smile. “Ms. Sutton, you care so much about your staff. Surely you wouldn’t say no to such a small favor? Or could it be that you’re jealous over something like this?” I glanced at Vivian and chuckled before agreeing. I was curious to see what tricks she had up her sleeve. The moment we said yes, Vivian dashed to the car, yanked the door open, and plopped herself into the passenger seat. Which meant I had no choice but to sit in the back. For over an hour, Vivian showered my husband with flattery. “Ethan, being a school director in your early thirties? That’s beyond impressive! “I was wondering how Ms. Sutton managed to keep a girls’ school running in the countryside. It only takes in underprivileged students, so there’s no money to be made! Turns out, she’s got a supportive husband funding everything behind the scenes. “What? Ms. Sutton is younger than you? No way. To me, she feels like an elder, but you’re like an older brother.” Vivian turned to glance at me, eyeing my plain outfit with barely concealed disdain before adding, “Ethan, you really should take Ms. Sutton shopping sometimes. If you two went out together, people might mistake her for your mom.” I had spent years working in the village, so my wardrobe was all about practicality. Besides, our students came from struggling families. I didn’t want them to feel self-conscious, so I dressed as simply as possible. I looked at Ethan. He seemed to be basking in the praise, grinning from ear to ear. When we finally got home, Vivian lingered, chatting with Ethan for a few more minutes before reluctantly dragging herself away.
As soon as we got home, our son, Joe, ran up to us excitedly, calling out, “Mom! Dad!” Joe was seven years old and had just started elementary school. To keep things simple, we enrolled him at Nova International Academy. “I’ll go make dinner. You play with Joe for a while.” Ethan put on an apron without being asked. Only then did my frustration ease a little. We had a clear division of labor. I focused on my career while Ethan managed the household and took care of our child. I initially wanted Ethan to be a stay-at-home dad, but after much hesitation, he admitted that unemployment would be too humiliating for a grown man. So, I arranged a few honorary board positions for Ethan at schools under the Sutton Education Group. The title sounded prestigious, but it was just a formality. Ethan only needed to attend an occasional meeting, leaving him plenty of time to look after Joe. As for me, my mind wasn’t really on the company. Ever since I volunteered to teach during my college, I have dreamed of opening a school for underprivileged girls. The moment I inherited the family business, the first thing I did was establish an all-girls school in a neighboring impoverished county. Now, my energy was entirely devoted to changing these girls’ futures. I had no interest in trivial matters like Vivian’s behavior. Still, I was worried that what Vivian did might affect the students. So, I called her into the principal’s office the next day for a talk. Before I could say a word, Vivian slapped a resignation letter onto my desk. “I quit!” I was stunned. “You’ve only been here for a few days. Why are you quitting so soon?” Vivian crossed her arms, looking impatient. “The conditions here are terrible. Who could stand working in a place like this?” I fell silent. The village’s conditions were indeed rough, which was why I had offered high salaries to attract good teachers. I accepted Vivian’s resignation. I needed teachers who were truly passionate about education. Forcing her to stay would only be unfair to the students.
Lately, I had noticed that Joe was becoming distant from me. He used to run into my arms the moment I got home from work. But that evening, he just stood there, frowning like an adult. “So you still remember to come home? Dad works so hard every day, and all you do is enjoy yourself out there.” Hearing those words from a child felt strange. However, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. Maybe I had spent too much time at the girls’ school and neglected Joe without realizing it. “Joe, do you want to go to the amusement park? I’m taking some time off to spend a few days with you, okay?” “I don’t want you to!” Joe shoved me with all his strength. I was shocked. I wasn’t around as much as Ethan, but I had never been anything less than loving toward Joe. I felt a flicker of irritation. “What’s gotten into you today? Joe, pushing people is wrong.” Joe only grew more upset. “I don’t want you! I want Dad!” I swallowed my frustration and reached out to touch his head. “Dad’s still at work. Can’t Mommy keep you company?” Just then, Joe sank his teeth into my hand. The sharp pain made me instinctively pull away, maybe with a little too much force, and Joe landed on the floor with a thud. Joe burst into tears. “You’re not my mom! I want Ms. Spencer to be my mom!” I was stunned. Ms. Spencer? Did he mean Vivian? Just then, Ethan came back. Joe immediately ran to him, clinging to his waist, sobbing as he spoke, “Dad, Mom hit me! We don’t need her anymore, right? Take me to Ms. Spencer. I want her to be my mom!” Ethan’s expression shifted instantly. He shot me a guilty glance before turning to comfort Joe. “Don’t cry, Joe. Mommy didn’t mean to. Can you forgive her?” But Joe wasn’t having it. He sobbed even harder, his little body shaking with every breath. Ethan sighed, “How about this? Let’s hit her back, okay?” He took Joe’s small hands, curled them into fists, and gently tapped my stomach over and over. “Bad Mommy. Daddy and Joe will fight her together.” My face darkened. “So this is what you’ve been teaching him while I’m not around?” Ethan frowned. “He’s just a kid. Why are you taking it so seriously? What kind of mother argues with her own son like this?” Then Ethan scooped Joe into his arms, wiping away his tears. “What do you want for dinner, Joe? Daddy will make it for you, and we won’t let Mommy have any.” Joe finally stopped crying. I spoke abruptly, “Who is Ms. Spencer?” For a split second, Ethan looked flustered, but he quickly regained his composure. “There’s no Ms. Spencer. Probably some character from a cartoon. Kids say all sorts of things.” I didn’t believe Ethan for a second. I silently made up my mind that I would find out where Vivian went after she quit. But before I even had the chance to investigate, she delivered herself right to my door. That day, something came up, and I had to leave the rural school early to drive home. As I approached the villa, bursts of laughter drifted through the air. “Ms. Spencer, can you be my mom?” Vivian’s tinkling laughter rang out from inside. “Oh? Joe, you like me that much? But you already have a mommy. How can I take her place?” Joe thought for a moment before saying, “Then if Daddy and Mommy get a divorce, can you be my mom?” Vivian laughed so hard she nearly gasped for breath. “Would you really be willing to give up your mommy?” Joe snorted, “I hate that old witch! Ms. Spencer, you are so gentle and pretty. How could she ever compare?” Vivian’s voice carried an unmistakable note of glee. “Well, that depends on whether your dad agrees.” “Dad, didn’t you say she’s just an old nag? Kick her out and let Ms. Spencer move in, okay?” I pushed open the door just in time to see Ethan sitting there, his face flushed, caught between hesitation and temptation. “What a lively family gathering,” I said coldly. Ethan turned to look at me, his face instantly drained of color. He shot to his feet and stammered, “Sabrina, it’s not what you think…” I asked, “Then why don’t you tell me what it is?” Ethan said, “Vivian is Joe’s homeroom teacher. She came over for a home visit today. “She reached out to me after she left the rural school, saying the conditions were too harsh. She’s a fresh graduate and just couldn’t handle it. She begged me for help. “I thought, since she was your friend, I’d do her a favor and get her a teaching position at Nova International Academy. I did it for you…” I sneered, “She is just my subordinate. What kind of friend is that? And she just happened to be Joe’s teacher? Let’s be honest, Ethan, this was never about me. You had your own agenda, didn’t you?” Vivian finally spoke up, “Sabrina, how can you talk to your husband like that? If it weren’t for Ethan, would you even be living such a comfortable life?” I pointed a finger right at her nose. “And who do you think you are? No one asked for your opinion.” Ethan’s face flushed. “Sabrina, do you have no respect for teachers? Vivian is Joe’s teacher and our guest. Apologize to her right now!” Ethan had always been gentle with me. But now, just to defend Vivian, he was suddenly playing the role of the tough, righteous man. Joe ran over, screaming, “Don’t bully Ms. Spencer! Get out of my house!” I was beyond furious. In just a few days, Vivian had poisoned my relationship with my own son. I turned to her, my voice cold. “Ms. Spencer, you are a teacher, and I suggest you act like one. What you’re doing now is completely unethical, and I have every right to request your termination.” Vivian’s eyes flickered before she feigned a pitiful expression. “Joe, how could someone like this be your mother? Poor child…” Vivian turned and hugged Joe dramatically. “I’m sorry, Joe. I can’t see you anymore. If I do, your mom will have me fired.” Joe let out a piercing scream and charged at me, pounding his little fists against me. “I hate you! Why did you have to be my mom?” Then he ran straight out the door, wailing. Ethan rushed after him. Vivian dropped the act, shooting me a smug, condescending glance before following them. My expression darkened. I pulled out my phone and made a call. “Jack, notify Nova International Academy. There will be a board meeting tomorrow.” The next day, I headed to Nova International Academy for a board meeting. As luck would have it, I ran into Vivian at the entrance. Vivian shot me a sideways glance. “What, really here to make a scene? This is a prestigious school. There’s no room for your nonsense!” Then, raising her voice, Vivian called out, “Security! We have a suspicious person here!” A security guard hurried over, frowning. “Who are you?” Since I rarely showed up at the school, the guard didn’t recognize me despite my status as a shareholder. I had no interest in arguing, so I simply walked over and pressed the elevator button. “I’m a parent. I need to speak with the principal about something important.” Vivian blocked my way, her eyes cold and sharp. “There’s a board meeting today. Did you really think I’d let you do whatever you want at a time like this? I don’t care if you’re here to sabotage my job or ruin Ethan’s reputation in front of the board. You’re not getting what you want!” Then, all of a sudden, Vivian raised her voice, putting on an exaggerated act. “Mrs. Royce, how could you say such things about me?” Before I could respond, Vivian burst into tears. A few teachers passing by stopped and asked what was going on. Between sobs, Vivian whimpered, “Just because I care about her son, Mrs. Royce accused me of having an affair with her husband. She even came to the school to hit me and demanded that I be fired…” One of the teachers frowned. “Ma’am, it’s our duty to look after the students. How could you make such baseless accusations?” A crowd started to gather, whispering among themselves. “Parents these days are so unreasonable. Poor Ms. Spencer!” “Look at her. She is probably a housewife who spends all day obsessing over her husband, thinking every woman is after him!” “People like her shouldn’t even be mothers. What a terrible influence on her child!” I glanced at the time. The meeting had already started. I pulled out my phone and sent a message in the group chat: [Meeting relocated to the first-floor lobby.] Then, I settled onto the sofa and watched Vivian’s little performance. Before long, the principal, Kevin Robson, and other board members arrived. The teachers immediately swarmed around Kevin, eager to report the situation. “Mr. Robson, a parent barged in, causing trouble and slandering a teacher! You have to do something about this!”
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