Chapter 126 Calling the Parents
The little boy tumbled, his bottom squatting ungracefully on the ground. His round body made the scene seem almost comical, but he wasn't hurt.
"Young lady thinks she can hit me!"
The boy, Tony, scrambled to his feet, seething with anger. He lunged at Camila, grabbing her pigtails and yanking them fiercely, causing her to burst into tears.
"Tony, what are you doing? Do not bully Camila!"
Thankfully, the teacher, Ms. Klein, noticed the scuffle and intervened promptly.
"Ms. Klein, she pushed me first!"
Tony, indignant, pointed at Camila.
"Ms. Klein, he called my mom a vixen and said I have no dad!"
Camila, sobbing and distressed, buried herself in Ms. Klein's embrace.
Ms. Klein's expression darkened instantly.
Indeed, Hannah had discussed her single-parent status with Ms. Klein, who always took extra care to comfort and attend to the emotional needs of children with similar backgrounds. She never expected Tony, such a young child, to utter such hurtful words!
"Tony, friends should help and care for each other. Apologize to Camila right now!"
Ms. Klein commanded sternly.
"I won't apologize. I spoke the truth, and what my mom said wasn't wrong! She told me so!"
Clearly disregarding Ms. Klein's authority, Tony snorted with a smug look.
Hearing Tony mention his mother, Ms. Klein showed a look of resignation.
Tony's mother was an affluent woman, her husband a CEO, known for her snobbery and sharp tongue.
Indeed, a child mirrors their parents.
"Camila, sweetie, don't cry. Let's go to my office, okay?"
Ms. Klein picked up Camila and, along with Tony, returned to her office.
She felt it necessary to discuss his behavior with Tony's mother properly. So she called both parents, asking them to come to the school.
While on the phone with Tony's mother, Ms. Klein hadn't expected Tony to be so cunning. In the office, he suddenly burst into loud cries.
As soon as the call connected, Tony's sobbing was heard on the other end, and his mother immediately demanded angrily, "Ms. Klein, is that my son crying? What exactly do your teachers do? How can you fail to take care of a little boy?"
"Mrs. Juliet, please don't panic. Yes, Tony is crying, but he's alright. I'd appreciate it if you could come in; we need to discuss an issue concerning Tony."
Ms. Klein furrowed her brows but maintained a calm tone in negotiating with the other party.
"Seriously? Calling in parents for every little thing? What's the point of this preschool, then? I'm warning you; if anything has happened to my son, you will regret it!"
Tony's mother was upset. She raised her voice in protest.
"You should come over as soon as possible."
Ms. Klein, frustrated and not wanting to lash out, concluded with a final reminder and then hung up the phone.
On the other end, upon receiving Ms. Klein's phone call, Hannah immediately put aside her work and hurried to the preschool.
Mrs. Klein briefly explained the situation and Tony's mother's attitude. As busy as she was, Hannah couldn't stand by and let her daughter be bullied.
Soon enough, Hannah was the first to arrive at the preschool and headed to Mrs. Klein's office.
Seeing her mother, Camila rushed into Hannah's arms and burst into tears, telling her how Tony had been picking on her.
"I'm sorry for the trouble, Mrs. Klein."
After calming Camila down, Hannah stood up and apologized to Mrs. Klein.
"It's fine; kids will be kids, and a little tussle is inevitable. But today isn't Camila's fault; I was concerned about her emotional well-being. That's why I asked you to come. As her mother, you can comfort her," reassured Mrs. Klein with a smile.
"Little guy, your name is Tony, right?"
Hannah nodded, then turned to the little boy, bending down to ask him politely.
"Hmph! You’re as sly as a fox!"
Tony let out a scoff and turned his head away.
The smile froze on Hannah's face; nobody expected that such a young child would be using phrases like 'sly fox' so casually.
Mrs. Klein's face flushed with embarrassment at the remark.
"I apologize, Hannah. We should wait for Tony's mother to arrive before addressing his issues. I'll do my best to communicate with her and correct his bad habits," Mrs. Klein said helplessly.
"My baby... Did someone upset my sweet boy? Who dares to bully my precious son? This is outrageous!"
Just then, an enraged voice echoed through the corridor.
The woman's indignant voice preceded her arrival.
Hannah and Ms. Klein turned toward the office door, only to see a voluptuous socialite decked out in gold and silver jewelry make her grand entrance.
"Mommy, they're picking on me!"
As soon as Tony saw his rock of support arrive, he lunged into the ample embrace of the heavyset woman and burst into dramatic tears, his aggrieved performance overshadowing even Camila's earlier display.
Hannah and Ms. Klein were stunned. This kid had some serious acting chops–it would be a waste not to get him into showbiz!
But what took them by surprise was the woman's reaction. Without a word, she stepped forward and slapped Ms. Klein across the face!
"Ma'am, how can you just hit someone like that?"
Hannah couldn't believe the nerve of this woman and asked her incredulously.
"A punishment is what she deserves. My baby has been so upset. What am I paying all this money for if not to ensure my child is well cared for? If I'm not going to slap her, then who will?"
The woman replied with even more arrogance, acting like the victim.
"That's completely unreasonable! You didn't even bother to find out what happened before taking a child's word. Don't you think you're being too high-handed?"
Hannah couldn't help but retort.
"My baby is always right. He said you were mean to him! And who are you to tell me what to do? Mind your own business!"
The woman sneered dismissively at Hannah.
"Mommy, I'm scared!"
Intimidated by the woman's hostile demeanor, Camila quickly hid in Hannah's embrace.
"Mommy, they were the ones who bullied me! Camila even pushed me down a while ago!"
Ever the instigator, Tony pointed directly at Hannah and her daughter, spinning his tale.
"What? Did you dare to push my son? I remember now. Aren’t you that temptress from the school gates the other day? Like mother, like daughter; neither of you are any good!"
The woman erupted in fury upon hearing this, pointing accusingly at Hannah.
"Enough! If you keep this up, I'm calling the police! Apologize to Ms. Klein right now!"
Hannah's patience had reached its breaking point. She put her daughter down and reached for her phone, ready to call the authorities.
"You dare threaten me? I'll make you pay for bullying my son today!"
Without warning, the belligerent woman raised her hand and slapped Camila's cheek.
Camila lost her balance and fell to the ground, immediately bursting into tears.
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