Chapter 71
Daph lowered her head, nervously twisting the hem of her shirt between her fingers. She didn’t feel she’d done anything wrong, but she knew her impulsiveness had
landed her mother in trouble.
Selene placed a reassuring hand on Daph’s shoulder, standing behind her like an invisible shield. “My daughter didn’t hit anyone.”
“She did!” Dames shouted, arms flailing as he pointed accusingly at Daph.
“Daph hit me! She’s a bully–totally unfair! You must be blind if you didn’t see her hit
me!”
Selene’s tone was firm and unwavering. “I demand the security footage from the front entrance be reviewed. It’s the ones who make false accusations and try to frame others who deserve to be punished.”
She looked at Dames as if he were a stranger.
The principal gave Selene a helpless shrug. “The cameras were down. Damien has been Student of the Year for three consecutive years–he’s Charteris Academy’s brightest pupil. I trust his word.”
He turned to the other parents gathered in the office. “Did any of you see Daphne hit
Damien?”
Several parents quickly avoided his gaze.
“I saw it!” Clarissa stepped forward, her voice loud and clear. “I saw Daphne hit
Damien!”
“Clarissa!” Selene snapped, her voice low and sharp. “Have you lost your mind?”
Clarissa shot her a withering look. “You’re not Mrs. Vaughn anymore. Kids with your last name don’t belong at Charteris Academy.”
Seeing Selene ostracized by the Vaughn family, the other parents grew bold. “Ms. Thompson and your daughter were both kicked out by the Vaughns. Do you really think it’s appropriate for your kid to attend a private school?”
“The Vaughns didn’t want Daphne because she’s just like her mother–a classless nobody.”
“Never seen a girl raised so rough. I’m worried my son will end up getting knocked around by her.”
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Chapter 71
Selene looked around the room, meeting the eyes of every parent who wanted her daughter expelled, memorizing their sneers and faces.
Since leaving the Vaughn family, all their polished manners had fallen away. Now, contempt and prejudice flooded toward her and Daph like a tidal wave, as if everyone was determined to grind them into the dirt–never to rise again.
The principal squared his shoulders, emboldened by the parents‘ support.
With so many voices backing him, expelling Daphne would be easy. He turned to his secretary. “Go to the records office and bring me Daphne’s file.”
“Yes, sir!”
Daph’s eyes brimmed with tears as the gravity of the situation hit her. “Mom, I’m sorry.”
“Daph, you did nothing wrong.”
Selene knelt down, her voice gentle but resolute. “There’s something rotten at Charteris Academy. We’re leaving, so you won’t have to put up with this kind of treatment anymore, but we won’t just let them walk all over us.”
She stood and addressed the principal. “I’ll make sure the school board hears about what happened here today.”
The principal laughed, completely unbothered. “Selene, do you really think you’re still Mrs. Vaughn? With your status, you won’t even get past the front desk at the board of education.”
He looked at her with thinly veiled disdain. He could crush her with a single phone
call.
“For your daughter’s sake, think carefully.” He lowered his voice, the threat in his words unmistakable. “You wouldn’t want every preschool in the city to turn your daughter away, would you?”
Selene’s eyes widened. The principal was threatening her–if she reported this, he’d make sure Daph was blacklisted from every school in the city.
“Selene…” Felicity practically sang her name, drawing it out with smug satisfaction. “I caught the whole thing–Daph running over and grabbing Dames–on video.”
Selene knew exactly what kind of person Felicity was. “You only filmed the part that makes Dames look innocent.”
Felicity’s smile was blindingly bright. “So what? Too bad for you I caught your daughter red–handed.”
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Chapter 71
Watching Selene and Daph fall so low, Felicity was practically giddy, laughing to
herself on the inside.
