Chapter 575 The Humiliation Came Too Fast
"She ain't my family's maid, she's my mom!" Christopher yelled, stomping on Alina's foot. Alina kicked him away, and Christopher plopped down on the ground, looking all hurt and stuff.
The whole thing happened so fast that by the time Pearl realized what was going on, Christopher was already down. She scooped him up and, after getting to her feet, shot a cold glare at Alina.
Alina took a couple of steps back, looking scared. "What do you want? I didn't even kick him that hard, okay? He fell on his own, not my fault."
"Alina, right? I'll remember you. If Christopher feels any worse, my lawyer's gonna be in touch. Oh, and isn't your hubby some big-shot manager? He better be ready to cough up for medical bills. No excuses." Pearl didn't want to start a fight, but Alina was asking for it. Kicking Christopher was crossing the line.
Pearl's tone must've been pretty scary because not only did Alina look freaked out, but even the other parents nearby backed off.
Pearl didn't care and carried Christopher back to the rest area.
The competition was still going strong, with everyone hyped up. The kids who won were cheering, and the ones who lost were throwing fits and crying. Around noon, Oscar texted her.
He said something came up at work, and he had to head back to the office.
Pearl didn't bother calling to complain; she just hit up a restaurant to sort out lunch. No need for her to cook herself.
Given that the teacher left lunch to Alina, it was evident that he didn't care about the truth or simply wanted to enjoy himself.So, she figured she might as well spread some cheer with a nice meal for everyone.
The announcement came that the morning competition was over, and everyone headed back to their rest areas. Parents from other classes were busy cooking, while the parents from Christopher's class were snapping pics and chatting on video calls, just waiting for lunch.
"Are you really Christopher's mom?" a parent, nudged by the others, came over to ask Pearl.
Pearl nodded. "Do I not look like his mom?"
"Not really, it's just that we've never seen you pick up or drop off Christopher since school started, and you're not in our mom's group. So, seeing you here, we thought you were the maid. No offense."
"It's cool, I don't mind. Is there something you need?" Pearl asked, sensing that the other parent's excessive politeness might indicate they had a request in mind.
After Pearl finished talking, the other parent looked awkward. After a bit, she asked softly, "I didn't want to impose, but everyone seems restless, and I'm feeling a bit anxious myself. It's about the kids, right? They must be starving by now. So, I was wondering when you plan to start cooking. It doesn't have to be anything fancy."
They were mainly just hungry. Checking the time, it was definitely time to serve the food.
Pearl made a call, and the other side picked up right away. "Mrs. Brown, we're almost there. I can see the school gate. Please wait a moment, we won't delay your lunch."
"Alright, be careful when entering the school, don't bump into the kids." Pearl hung up and smiled at the parent. "Hang tight, lunch will be ready soon."
The parent glanced puzzledly at the makeshift kitchen in the distance and gave an awkward smile.
A few minutes later, a catering truck rolled into the school and parked by the playground. A bunch of chefs hopped out, each carrying a dish.
This whole scene grabbed everyone's attention. The sharp-eyed folks recognized the uniforms from the swankiest hotel in Willow Creek, and soon enough, people were buzzing about the school's fancy spending.
The principal gave a wry smile; he definitely couldn't afford such top-notch chefs. He wondered which parent had pulled off this surprise.
"Mrs. Brown, as you requested, lunch is ready. Where should we set up the tables?" The hotel manager approached Pearl, his respectful tone shocking everyone.
Alina's face darkened, feeling super uncomfortable.
"The food from that hotel ain't cheap. She doesn't look loaded. Is she just pretending to be rich?"
"Yeah, I saw her arguing with Alina earlier. Bet she's just trying to show off."
Alina's lips curled into a sneer as she walked towards Pearl.
Before she got to Pearl, she snarked, "Is this really the hotel manager? Or is it some poor relative of yours pretending?"
As she reached Pearl, a chef walked by. She grabbed him, saying, "Let me see if this is really a royal banquet dish. If it's just any old dish, I won't acknowledge it."
The dish was uncovered, and the aroma wafted out, making everyone gasp.
Pearl chuckled, "Alina, is this a royal banquet standard dish?"
Alina was clueless, but as she saw everyone content, a faint smile tugged at her lips. "It smells good, but who knows how it tastes."
"You'll know once you taste it. By the way, are you intentionally blocking the path like this to prevent us from eating?" Pearl had been waiting for this moment. She wanted to wait until Alina was at her peak and then bring her down hard.
Alina quickly stepped aside, watching the dishes being set on the table, feeling anxious that Pearl might have really splurged on this lunch.
The hotel's reputation alone was enough to win everyone's approval.
a thought struck her. Alina's smile turned icy as she remarked, "Pearl, this event is all about personal cooking efforts. Your actions amount to cheating, and it's not a good example for Christopher."
Pearl shot back, "Is that so? But I think the point of this event is to make everyone happy. If my cooking can't do that, why not use another way to make everyone happy?"
She then addressed the group, "Everyone, let's dig in! Honestly, I've never had their food before. It's because of Alina that I have this chance. I should thank her, don't you think?"
The parents stayed quiet, looking at Pearl.
They knew it was a showdown between the two, and they didn't want to get caught in the crossfire, but they had to pick a side.
Someone stepped forward, pulling Pearl towards the table. "I think we should thank you. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't get to eat such good food. Regardless of the taste, it smells amazing."
With someone leading, others followed, and soon all the parents were by Pearl's side, leaving Alina fuming.
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