The parents erupted into applause at those words.
"That's our teacher for you! Fair, decisive, and straight to the point!"
"Exactly. This is an elite academy, not some shelter for every stray off the street."
"Does a mistress's daughter even need an education? Just teach her how to seduce men from a young age. That's how you make a living, isn't it? Who knows, maybe your daughter will surpass the master and land herself an even richer sugar daddy!"
Jolene grew even more brazen.
"See? This is what happens to homewreckers. A worthless mother and her worthless daughter, destined to spend your whole lives at the bottom of the gutter, hated by everyone!"
Insults rained down on me from every direction. The crowd of onlookers joined in, hurling abuse and humiliation without restraint.
The louder they cursed, the wider Jolene's smile stretched across her face.
Vera seized the moment to sidle up to her. "Mrs. Simmons, our principal mentioned that if this matter is resolved to your satisfaction, he was hoping you might be willing to do us a small favor."
"As you know, our preschool is looking to expand, but all the surrounding land belongs to Goldcrest Group. If you could perhaps..."
Jolene folded her arms across her chest, her chin lifted high. "Relax. I'm very pleased with how you've all handled things today. When the time comes, one word from me and my husband will hand over every parcel of land around here."
Vera's face split into a grin so wide it looked painful. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Simmons!"
"Mrs. Simmons, my husband has worked with Goldcrest Group before. Any future contracts, could you maybe put our company at the top of the list?"
"My firm is pivoting into a new industry. I'd love the chance to partner with Goldcrest Group down the road."
"Mrs. Simmons, here, this is an unlimited shopping card for our department store. Please take it. I just hope our families can stay close..."
Within seconds, the parents were falling over themselves, pulling out every trick they had, crowding around Jolene with flattery and gifts. Some didn't even bother with subtlety. They pulled out bank cards and stuffed them directly into her handbag.
Jolene basked in every second of it, radiating smugness from head to toe.
She lifted her chin and sauntered over to me, looking down with naked contempt. "See that? That's the power of money and status."
"A cheap little side piece like you will never amount to anything more than spreading your legs and waiting for a man to toss you scraps."
"Meanwhile, I'm the wife. I enjoy a kind of glory you couldn't touch in a thousand lifetimes."
"You have one day. Take your bastard daughter and get out of this city. If I ever catch you sniffing around my husband again, I'll bury that little brat of yours alive."
Effie trembled violently and burrowed into my arms.
"Mommy, I'm scared. My foot hurts so bad..."
Her voice was threaded with raw terror and pain.
I pulled off her little leather boot and looked down.
One of her toes was missing.
The wound was ghastly, raw and open. When I tipped the boot, blood poured out.
Agony ripped through my chest. My vision blurred red, and tears streamed down my face in an unbroken flood.
I couldn't bear to imagine how my daughter, who had always been so delicate, so afraid of even the smallest scrape, had endured this kind of pain in silence all this time without making a single sound.
I whipped my head toward Jolene, eyes burning.
"Your son did this too?"
Jolene glanced at me with a bored expression. "What's the big deal? Be grateful I didn't tell him to kill the little brat outright."
Before the last word left her mouth, my hand connected with her face.
The slap carried every ounce of fury in my body. I put everything I had behind it.
Jolene staggered backward, nearly losing her footing.
I was about to go at her again when one of the parents grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me back. The rest swarmed me like a pack, punching and kicking from every angle.
"You filthy tramp! You dare lay a hand on Mrs. Simmons? You must have a death wish!"
"Seriously, your little brat isn't even dead yet. What's the rush to join her?"
"Getting disciplined by young Murray is a privilege for a piece of trash like that. Look at you. What kind of mother could you possibly be? Even if she were beaten to death, she'd deserve it!"
Even Vera charged in and landed a kick against my ribs.
"Don't hurt my mommy!"
Effie sobbed, trying to shield me.
A pudgy boy kicked her square in the chest. She crumpled to the ground.
Vera saw it happen, walked over, and patted the boy on the head with a warm smile. "Murray has had a strong sense of justice since he was little. What a fine young man! Tomorrow I'm going to praise you in front of the entire school and give you an award!"
Murray's eyes crinkled into a satisfied squint. "Hmph, it's my duty. I'm going to beat that little brat every time I see her!"
I lay pinned against the ground, shaking with rage so violent it rattled my teeth. I forced the words out through a clenched jaw.
"You're all going to regret this."
Silence. Then the crowd burst into laughter, heads thrown back, as if they'd just heard the funniest joke of their lives.
"Did I hear that right? A pathetic mistress, making threats?"
"Please! This woman actually thinks she's somebody? Mrs. Simmons is the wife of Goldcrest Group's CEO. Crushing her would be like stepping on an ant."
"She can't do a thing to any of us, so all she's got left is impotent rage. Pathetic!"
"If I were her, I would've bashed my head against a wall and ended it already."
The parents pinned me flat against the pavement, taunting and degrading me without a shred of restraint. The bystanders piled on, spitting on me one after another.
Surrounded by her adoring mob, Jolene stepped forward and pressed the needle-thin heel of her stiletto into my cheek, grinding down hard.
"Regret?" She laughed, high and shrill. "I've never regretted a single thing in my entire life. Go ahead. I'm dying to see how a worthless tramp like you is going to make me."
The words had barely left her lips when a fleet of luxury cars came tearing down the road and screeched to a halt at the school gates.
One by one, men in tailored suits threw open their doors and sprinted toward us.
