"Noah!"
My eyes burned, bloodshot. I lunged forward, but the guards held me back. All I could do was watch.
They threw me at the kindergarten entrance. I didn't register the pain—just crawled toward my nephew.
Serena scanned the crowd, a vicious smile spreading across her face.
"Everyone, I'm so sorry. Today is the children's first day of check-in—such an important day—but someone had no sense and brought a bastard child here, crying and making a scene. For the kindergarten's reputation, I had no choice but to have them removed."
The sympathy in the onlookers' eyes curdled into contempt.
"Shameless. She has a bastard and still shows her face in public—probably a mistress herself."
"Get out already. If her kid stays, what if mine gets influenced?"
"Exactly. Trash like this shouldn't be here embarrassing themselves."
"Bad enough the adult has no shame—now she's teaching the kid to act."
The voices piled on top of each other. I knelt beside my nephew, on the verge of shattering.
"Noah! Please—someone save him!"
I looked desperately at the crowd. A few calmer parents finally noticed something was wrong.
"This kid's color isn't right!"
A woman pushed through and crouched beside him. Her face went pale.
"Severe asthma. Where's his medicine? Give it to him—now."
It hit me. I wiped my tears and rushed toward the kindergarten, but the guards blocked me.
"Please. Have mercy. His medicine is in my bag. Just let me get it."
I begged. They didn't even blink—just looked to Serena.
She covered her nose in disgust.
"How unlucky. We can't let you in. What if you disturb our feng shui?"
I had no choice but to go back to my nephew. The woman had already called an ambulance.
I watched them load him into the vehicle. The guards exchanged glances, guilt flickering across their faces.
"Principal Fox, what if… what if something actually happens to him? Then we—"
Serena laughed.
"This kind of trick only fools idiots like you."
She twirled a strand of hair, utterly indifferent.
"Besides, I have Jason. If something happens, he'll cover for me. What's there to be afraid of?"
I'd been about to follow the ambulance, frantic. But her words ignited something in me that couldn't be suppressed anymore.
I turned and walked toward her. She glanced at me, her smile taunting.
"A perfectly good kid, and you raised him into this. What kindergarten would want him?"
I didn't hesitate. I slapped her across the face.
She stood there, stunned, for a long moment.
"Alex Weiss! What are you doing?"
My brother appeared out of nowhere. He rushed to Serena's side, shielding her.
I stared at him, eyes bloodshot.
"Jason, Serena hurt a child so badly an ambulance had to come. And you're still protecting her?"
My voice cracked. He froze, then glanced at the ambulance still parked nearby.
"Jason, I just didn't want a bastard affecting the school's reputation." Serena's voice turned pitiful. "How was I supposed to know she'd have the kid fake being sick to frame me?"
