Chapter 5

Layla immediately knew that Clarissa had tattled on her. She smiled politely and replied, "Not necessarily. Many things on low-budget shopping platforms these days are surprisingly useful. You just need to have a keen eye to spot the good ones. "Take me, for instance. I'm a master at spotting red flags, and I never fall for tricks." Her words hit Seth like a slap. She had just compared him to the cheap items on a low-budget shopping platform and proclaimed herself an expert in identifying scumbags. Wasn't she outright calling him one? Seth clenched his teeth in frustration. "Ms. Jenkins, since you're so skilled, why don't you tell me what level of scumbag my ex-wife is? She left without a word for four years, abandoning our child entirely. What kind of person does that make her?" Layla's expression remained composed. "Mr. Parker, would you mind telling me why she left? What did she experience before she made that decision? From what I understand, no mother would willingly leave her child unless she's been deeply betrayed by those closest to her." Her response stirred memories of her anguish back when he had divorced her and she had to leave Benjamin. Seth tightened his fists. "No matter how much she hated me, the child is innocent." The smile faded from Layla's face. "Mr. Parker, before women are mothers, they are individuals. They should cherish and respect themselves. "When faced with an unhealthy marriage, they have every right not to be shackled down by society's expectations. They have the right to make their own choices. Don't you agree?" Her voice was calm and devoid of any emotional outburst, as though the subject at hand had nothing to do with her. This detached attitude was something Seth struggled to accept. Layla had once been devoted to her marriage and her son. She had loved their home deeply. Even after four years, she shouldn't have grown so cold. Seth's dark eyes burned with a fiery intensity. He searched Layla's face, hoping to find even a trace of resentment. He would be satisfied with just a flicker of emotion. Yet, all he saw was a vibrant, beautiful woman. Her face was calm and adorned with a gentle smile. The sight made his chest tighten, as though something sharp had pierced through him. He said in a lowered voice, "Layla, what will it take for you to forgive Benjamin? He's been acting out more and more due to the lack of motherly love. If this continues, I'm afraid things might spiral out of control." Layla lowered her gaze. "Isn't this the outcome you all wanted? You drove a wedge between me and Benjamin, divorced me, and cut all ties. I've fulfilled your wishes. Shouldn't you be satisfied?" "Layla, must you be so petty? He's your son. Don't you want to stop him from becoming an entitled brat?" Seth asked. "That's your problem, not mine. He stopped being my son the day I left the Parker family. Please come to terms with that reality, Mr. Parker." Layla's tone was gentle, but her words were merciless. Seth struggled to accept them. What was Layla's heart made of? Why had it become harder than stone? He gritted his teeth. "Fine. He's your student now. I hope you won't single him out." Layla nodded politely. "Rest assured, Mr. Parker. I treat all my students equally. If there's nothing else, I'll head to class now." With that, she walked into the classroom and closed the door behind her. Seth remained standing in the hallway, peering through the small window at Layla, who was now addressing her class from the podium. She was still the confident and approachable woman he had known all those years ago. He had thought that she had grown colder and more detached, but now, he realized that she hadn't changed at all. The only thing that had changed was her attitude toward him and Benjamin. To others, she was still the warm and caring person she had always been. This realization hit Seth like a truck, and he felt his heart tremble, as though something was being torn away from him. That indescribable feeling left him dazed. Inside the classroom, Layla began her first day of teaching by introducing herself to the students before taking their attendance. When she called out Benjamin's name, no one responded. Benjamin was leaning against his chair, acting like a prince. He sat with his legs crossed and arms folded while his eyes remained fixed on Layla. His deskmate nudged him and whispered, "Benjamin, the teacher is calling you." Benjamin glared at him. "I'm not deaf." "Then, why didn't you answer?" "I don't feel like it. What's it to you?" Faced with the class' troublemaker, Benjamin's deskmate didn't dare to say anything more and backed down. Layla didn't so much as glance in Benjamin's direction. Instead, she looked down at the name list. "Is Benjamin not in this class? If he isn't, I'll cross his name off the list. He also won't be eligible for next month's International Mathematical Olympiad competition. I'll let someone else take his spot." Her words made Benjamin sit up straight. As mischievous as he was, he genuinely loved math competitions and was determined to win a prize at this Olympiad. He wanted to show off to Layla and make her regret abandoning him. His tone was filled with defiance as he asked, "Can't you see that I'm here?" Layla remained calm despite being challenged by him. "Are you Benjamin? If so, please respond with 'present.' Otherwise, I'll assume that you're absent." Her voice was gentle, but it carried an unmistakable authority. Benjamin found himself sitting up straighter, almost against his will. When his name was called again, he reluctantly muttered, "Present." Layla glanced at him briefly, treating him no differently than any other student. She nodded once before marking his attendance. Being ignored by his own mother filled Benjamin with frustration. He glared at Layla, simmering with anger that he had no outlet for. Just then, a voice came from the doorway. "Sorry for being late, miss." Layla turned to see a thin boy standing at the door. She walked over with a warm smile and said, "You must be William Ziegler." "Yes, miss," the boy replied nervously. "Don't be late next time. Go take your seat." William bowed politely and said, "Thank you, miss. I won't." As he limped toward his seat, Layla noticed that something was off. "Wait," she called out. "What happened to your leg?" The boy shook his head. "It's nothing, miss. I tripped while trying to catch the bus." Layla had read up on her students' backgrounds. William came from a struggling family. His father had passed away, and his mother was bedridden with illness. Despite being only eight years old, the boy had taken on the heavy burden of caring for his mother, all while commuting an hour to school every day. Yet, his intellect had earned him a place in this elite class. Having grown up in an orphanage herself, Layla felt a special tenderness toward children who had to fight against the odds. She immediately grabbed a small first-aid kit and crouched beside him. "Here, I have some band-aids. Let me patch that up for you. Be careful not to get it wet." She gently cleaned his wound and applied a cartoon band-aid. William's eyes lit up with gratitude. "Thank you, miss." "You're welcome. Now then, let's get started with class." Their interaction didn't go unnoticed by Benjamin. He clenched his fists under the table as he muttered, "She doesn't care about her own son but fawns over someone else. What kind of mother is this?" He glared at Layla, then at William, his envious gaze filled with simmering rage. When classes were over, Layla told her students to line up and noticed that one was missing. "Where's William?" she asked. A student raised a hand and said, "Teacher, during gym class, William went to the equipment room with Benjamin to get a ball. He never came back."