Chapter 4

The moment Mariam said that, the parents erupted into applause. "That's why Ms. Schultz is the best homeroom teacher. She's fair, sharp, and totally unbiased!" Another said, "Exactly. This is an elite academy, not some place where street rats can just wander in." One mocked, "Do poor kids even need school? They're either going to work with their hands or sell their bodies. Honestly, Keira looked like she was enjoying picking up trash—might as well start training her now! Who knows, maybe she'll find something more valuable than that junk car her mom drives!" Teresa became even more arrogant, her voice full of venom. "People born at the bottom should know their place. Trash like you was born to crawl and get kicked around—nobody in this world will ever respect you." Every corner of the crowd was filled with insults. The harsher their words, the brighter Teresa's smile became. Mariam took the chance to flatter her once again, saying, "Mrs. Fraser, Ms. Barlow said if this whole situation ends in a way that pleases you, she hopes you'll return the favor. "You know we're planning to expand the campus, and the surrounding land belongs to Zenith Group... So, we were wondering—" Teresa crossed her arms and lifted her chin, acting like she ruled the entire city. "Relax. I'm satisfied with how you handled things today. When the time comes, I'll tell Bradley to give you all the land you want." Mariam beamed like she'd just won the lottery. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Fraser!" Other parents rushed in, too, voices eager and full of desperation. "Teresa, my husband's company used to work with Zenith Group, too. If possible, could we get some priority in future projects?" Someone said, "My firm's shifting industries. I really hope there's a chance to collaborate with Zenith someday." "Teresa, here's a no-limit shopping card from my department store. Please take it—we'd love to spend more time with your family!" In an instant, they surrounded her, pulling out all the stops to flatter her. One even slipped a bank card straight into Teresa's designer bag. Teresa basked in it all, radiating arrogance from head to toe. She slowly walked back to me, sneering. She hissed, "You feel it now, don't you? The difference between people like us is bigger than between masters and their mutts! You? You'll never know what it feels like to be admired and worshipped like this. Not in this life. "But me? I'm the wife of the wealthiest man in the country, so I enjoy honors you can't even dream of. You've got one day to disappear from this city with your garbage daughter. If I ever see Keira tainting Darius' sight again, I'll bury your little mutt alive." Keira, trembling, clung to me in fear. "Mommy, my foot hurts so bad... Can we just go, please?" I noticed that her voice was filled with terror and pain. Then, I gently took off her little leather boot, and what I saw nearly stopped my heart. One of her toes was missing, and the wound was horrifying. Moreover, blood had soaked the inside of her shoe so badly that I could pour it out. My chest felt like it was being crushed, and tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably. I couldn't even begin to imagine how my gentle, pain-averse little girl had managed to endure that kind of injury in silence for so long. I glared at Teresa with fury blazing in my eyes. "Was this Darius' doing, too?" Teresa barely glanced at me and said coldly, "What are you so worked up about? Your brat pissed off Darius. You should be grateful he didn't just kill her." Before she could even blink, my hand whipped across her face with a loud, resounding slap.