Chapter 473 Absurd
After the principal finished speaking, he announced, "Now, let's welcome one of our student parents, Mr. Heilbronn, to the stage."
The principal's gaze swept over the crowd, and everyone followed his line of sight until it landed on Nathaniel.
It was only then that Aurelia realized the parent representative the principal mentioned was Nathaniel.
Nathaniel exchanged a quick glance with Aurelia, unable to explain before he strode up to the stage.
All the parents' eyes followed him to the podium, and Nathaniel's deep, resonant voice flowed from the microphone, "Good morning, school leaders, teachers, parents, and kids. I'm Jacoba and Dorothy's dad..."
He hadn't mentioned to Aurelia that he was chosen as the parent representative, and Jacoba and Dorothy were also unaware. At that moment, Aurelia stood holding their hands, watching him speak, filled with questions.
When did he become the parent representative?
The happiest ones were Jacoba and Dorothy. Last time, Juliet's dad spoke on stage, and everyone said he was handsome. Back then, they didn't live with their dad and didn't even know they had one, feeling so envious.
Now, the person standing on stage, shining brightly, was their dad.
Jacoba asked, "Mommy, when did Daddy become the parent representative?"
"I don't know either. We'll ask him when he comes back."
Dorothy added, "Mommy, Daddy looks so handsome today. He's the most handsome dad."
Aurelia gestured for them to be quiet as Nathaniel finished his speech and descended the steps to applause.
The principal took back the microphone. "Thank you, Mr. Heilbronn, for donating a new school building. We will be dedicated to education, ensuring all parents can rest easy, and we will focus solely on the children."
The applause on the playground was thunderous.
Jacoba and Dorothy were the center of attention. All the parents and kids knew their dad donated a building to the school, and he was incredibly handsome.
After the opening ceremony, the teachers led the children back to their classrooms, officially separating from the parents.
Aurelia got into Nathaniel's car and said, "When did you donate the building? How come I didn't know?"
Nathaniel adjusted his clothes. "I wanted to surprise the kids. I was afraid you'd spill the beans, so I didn't tell you. Were the kids happy?"
"Happy? They were over the moon. This will make them proud for a while."
Nathaniel started the car, "Good. I was nervous about participating in this kind of event for the first time. I didn't want to overdo it and scare the other parents, but I also didn't want to be too low-key and not make the kids feel proud of having a dad."
Aurelia thought to herself, "You weren't low-key at all. You probably intimidated some of the more reserved parents."
Donating a building at the opening ceremony would definitely be the talk among parents picking up their kids.
"As long as the kids are happy, I have no objections."
Nathaniel nodded, "Alright, I'll consult the kids for similar events in the future."
They drove back to the office, each heading to their own workspace.
As Aurelia walked into the building, she felt like someone was watching her. She turned around but saw nothing. Just as she sat down in her office, an unfamiliar number called.
"Ms. Semona, we're the bodyguards Mr. Semona hired to protect you. We just caught a reporter following and photographing you. We've confiscated his equipment. We're calling to remind you to be cautious. Have you attracted any media attention recently?"
"A reporter?"
Aurelia almost thought she had misheard. She wasn't a celebrity; why would a reporter be interested in her?
"Are you sure it was a reporter?"
"Yes, a well-known one. But we've destroyed all the photos he took. Don't worry."
Aurelia hung up, pondering recent events. She couldn't think of any reason a reporter would follow her.
She returned to work, starting to design the jewelry she promised Nova for her wedding.
Aurora burst in, holding her phone, "Ms. Semona, you're trending!"
Aurelia froze with her sketch pen, "What did you say?"
Aurora cautiously handed over her phone. Aurelia almost exploded with anger. She wasn't just trending; she was dominating the top spots. Six out of the top ten trending topics on Instagram were about her.
And the reason she was trending was even more infuriating—it involved Phoenix.
"Phoenix's girlfriend is a renowned jewelry designer, the CEO of Karma Jewelry!"
"Phoenix's early marriage breaks countless hearts."
"Confirmed: Phoenix and Aurelia's late-night rendezvous, returning home together."
It was absurd.
Aurelia clicked on the last post. Someone had taken photos of Nathaniel and Phoenix dropping her off at The Semona Family's villa, and the post described Nathaniel as the driver and Phoenix and Aurelia as a sweet couple returning home after a date.
Aurelia couldn't imagine how Nathaniel would react. He and Phoenix didn't get along well, and she could sense a strange tension between them.
But now wasn't the time to worry about Nathaniel's reaction. Aurelia opened her Instagram, and as expected, the comments were filled with hate.
"Old woman, leave Phoenix alone. Find another man to work with. Don't make me beg you!"
"Don't ruin Phoenix. Don't you know you're older than him? Break up quickly, or I'll kill you."
"You must have plenty of men around you. Don't drag our innocent Phoenix into this. Phoenix belongs to everyone, not just you."
Aurelia was fuming. She hadn't done anything and was already the enemy of these women.
Aurora tried to comfort her, "Ms. Semona, maybe you should disable the comments. Don't take what people say online to heart. They're just following the trend. Once something new comes up, they'll forget about this."
Aurelia took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but she couldn't help feeling upset.
She followed Aurora's advice and disabled the comments. The hateful words were baseless but could still affect her mood.
Just then, a colleague from the front desk came in with a package. "Ms. Semona, your delivery is here."
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