Chapter 301 Not a Wild Child
Gabriel gently placed his hand on Danielle's head, trying to comfort and encourage her. In a deep voice, he said, "Danielle, tell the principal why you fought with Tommy."
Danielle looked up at the principal. She had already explained and cried enough outside, so now she was clear-headed and repeated what she had said earlier.
When Danielle mentioned that Tommy said she didn't have a dad and called her a wild child, the principal's expression became complicated as he glanced at Trevor and Heather.
Trevor quickly pulled Tommy behind him, looking embarrassed. He had thought his influence would help Tommy, but he hadn't expected to run into Gabriel.
"Danielle doesn't have a dad! Everyone in our class knows she doesn't have a dad. She is a wild child," Tommy suddenly shouted while struggling.
"Shut up!" Trevor slapped Tommy on the back. When Tommy was about to cry out loud, Trevor held him down to stop him.
Tommy looked at Heather with a hurt expression.
Heather's previously domineering expression softened. After thinking for a moment, she said in a gentler tone, "Mr. Harriman, regardless of your relationship with Danielle, since you claim to be her father, let's talk as parents. Our Tommy was indeed hurt by Danielle. His eye is still swollen and bloodshot. Kids don't always know what they're saying, and arguments are inevitable, but it's wrong to hurt someone."
Danielle suddenly turned to look at Heather. Heather had been fierce earlier, threatening to hit her, but now she was speaking softly. Danielle didn't understand why Heather's attitude had changed so much. She just looked in her direction and said, "Tommy hit me first! I didn't fight back! He pushed me off the little stool! I only fought back because I was hurt! I didn't hit his eye; he hit the table corner when he fell!"
"You hit me!" Tommy cried, struggling in Trevor's arms.
"This..." The principal suddenly looked at the kindergarten teacher.
The teacher stood by the door, lips pressed together, clearly nervous.
"Our Tommy doesn't lie," Heather insisted.
Gabriel spoke, his voice as calm as ever, "I thought such a large-scale kindergarten would immediately check the classroom surveillance when an issue arises, rather than relying on a child's account."
The principal quickly said, "We were gonna check, but the incident happened half an hour before dismissal. Trevor and Heather came straight to the office. We haven't had time to check it yet. We'll do it now!"
Saying this, the principal quickly called the teacher in charge of surveillance, asking for the footage from Danielle's class that afternoon.
Hearing that the surveillance would be checked, Tommy cried even louder, still shouting, "Danielle hit me! She did! Mom."
Heather, hearing Tommy's increasingly angry cries and seeing Danielle standing quietly in front of Gabriel with wide eyes, not panicking or crying, couldn't say anything. She could only comfort Tommy while waiting for the surveillance footage.
The principal opened the surveillance footage on the computer, fast-forwarding through the last half hour before dismissal.
In the footage, Danielle and Tommy were sitting at the same small table. Despite the fast-forward, Tommy's words about not having a dad and being a wild child were clearly audible, matching Danielle's account exactly. Danielle turned angrily and said, "I didn't find a fake dad! Don't talk nonsense!"
"You're lying!" Tommy glared at Danielle, then suddenly pushed her picture book and pencil case off the table, taunting her, "Wild child without a dad! You're a wild child without a dad! And a liar!"
Danielle suddenly stood up and said to the teacher, "I don't want to sit with Tommy anymore!"
But the kindergarten teacher, busy preparing for dismissal, didn't respond. Danielle had to sit back down, but Tommy suddenly kicked her stool away, causing her to fall and hit her face on the pencil case, making her cry out in pain. The teacher, hearing the cry, glanced back but, seeing no major issue, continued her work, ignoring the quarreling kids.
Danielle angrily pushed Tommy hard. Tommy, being stronger, didn't fall but pushed Danielle back. The two kids started fighting, Danielle crying and shouting, "I'm not a wild child!"
Tommy was shouting something, too, but it was unclear. Danielle, unable to win, tried to scratch his face, and Tommy did the same. Both kids were furious, crying and fighting. The teacher, sensing something was wrong, turned and scolded them to sit down. Tommy cried, "Teacher, Danielle hit me!"
Tommy then pushed Danielle away. She staggered back against the wall, and Tommy fell on his butt. He quickly got up to complain to the teacher but hit his eye on the table corner, crying out in pain and shouting that Danielle hit him.
Seeing Tommy hurt, the teacher rushed to pick him up. Though she knew his injury was from the table, her negligence had led to this. Hearing Tommy's cries, she instinctively scolded Danielle.
Then it was almost dismissal time, and the teacher left Danielle and Tommy behind while letting the others go.
Trevor and Heather then went to the principal's office to discuss the matter.
After watching the footage, Trevor and Heather were silent, and the kindergarten teacher stood by the door, looking nervous and embarrassed.
Danielle looked up at Gabriel with red eyes and said, "I didn't lie!"
Gabriel patted her little head. "I know."
