CHAPTER 4
Everyone in the room glared at the man, but he didn't flinch. He simply wore a smile as though nothing had happened.
"I'm Dimas, the new teacher here. Principal, I've come to report in," the man said.
"Oh, Mr. Dimas, so you're the one. Welcome to our school. I'd love to show you around, but unfortunately, I still have a few things to take care of."
"No problem, Principal. You seem busy. I can tour the school and find the classroom myself," Dimas replied.
"Ms. Andini, come here for a moment," the principal called to one of the teachers. "Please accompany Mr. Dimas around the school and show him the classroom where he'll be teaching."
"Of course, sir. Come on, Mr. Dimas. I'll show you around." Ms. Andini and Dimas then left the room.
What was he doing? He clearly knew what was going on. I was certain he'd been listening outside all this time, yet he acted as if he had no idea what was happening.
"Principal, why did you call me here? I'm a very busy man. I had to cancel a meeting with a client because you summoned me," one of the fathers said curtly.
"Exactly! I can't attend my socialite moms' gathering today because of this," a woman added disdainfully.
"I'm sorry for taking up your time, sir, ma'am. But I called you here because this is a very serious matter. Your children were involved in assaulting a female student. I summoned all of you to resolve this issue."
"Hmph. Principal, you're blowing this out of proportion. My child already told me what really happened. They were only joking. How is that assault?"
"Exactly! My child is a good kid. That was probably just some poor student trying to get compensation money!"
Those words seemed to ignite the fire I'd been holding back for a long time. I rose slowly and looked at them one by one, my gaze silencing them instantly.
"Joking?" My voice was low but trembling, striking all the way to the marrow. "Do you call the dark bruises spreading across my daughter's arms and back a joke? Do you call threatening her, slapping her, and locking her in a dark storage room a joke?"
I took a step forward and fixed my stare on the man who had mentioned compensation money. "And you dare accuse my daughter of trying to make a profit? Let me make one thing clear: I have enough wealth to last even if I gave it all away for the rest of my life. I didn't come here to ask for money. I came here for justice. And if you continue to be this blind and deaf... don't blame me when I make all this evidence public, report it to the authorities, and make sure your reputations and businesses are destroyed overnight."
The room fell completely silent. Those arrogant faces slowly turned pale. They realized I wasn't just an ordinary mother who could be silenced with money or brushed aside.
"Bring your children here right now," I ordered firmly. "I want to hear it directly from them. And believe me, if even one lie slips out... I'll make sure their futures at this school end today."
Before long, the three students involved were called into the room. Their usually arrogant faces were now filled with fear. Under my sharp gaze and the pressure from the principal, they finally lowered their heads in resignation.
"Tell me... who told you to do all that to Maya?" I asked softly, each word heavy with emphasis.
One of them swallowed hard. "We... we don't dare..."
"Tell me now!" I shouted, making them flinch and tremble.
"Okay! Okay, ma'am! We... we were told by Milana!" one of the students cried, unable to contain his fear. "It was all her idea. She told us to harass, hurt, and ostracize Maya!"
Before the tension had even settled, the door opened again. A girl walked in with graceful steps, her expression flat and utterly fearless. It was Milana.
The instant my eyes met hers, it felt as though lightning had struck me directly in the pit of my stomach. My entire body suddenly went rigid, followed by excruciating pain spreading from the nape of my neck to my fingertips—an incomprehensible ache, as if thousands of needles were piercing every inch of my skin.
My hands clenched tightly at my sides, my knuckles turning white before flushing red from the pressure. Cold sweat began to bead at my temples, but I didn't dare make the slightest sound. I bit my lower lip, doing everything I could to hide the strange turmoil surging through me.
There was something... something utterly unfamiliar yet strangely familiar about that girl. The aura she gave off made my breath catch, as if an invisible rope were pulling my memories toward a place I'd never visited.
Milana gazed at me calmly. There was even the faintest smile on her lips—a smile that, for some inexplicable reason, made my chest feel even tighter.
"So... you're Maya's mother?" Her voice was soft, but to me it sounded like a whisper carrying an unseen threat.
I swallowed hard, struggling to gather what little awareness I had left. "You were the one who told them to hurt my daughter?" I asked. My voice trembled slightly, but I tried to keep it as firm as possible.
Milana shrugged casually. "They wanted to do it themselves. I only said... Maya doesn't belong here. She's a poor girl, but she talks like the daughter of a wealthy family."
The pain grew worse with every word that left her mouth. My head felt as though it might split open, bringing forth hazy images I couldn't piece together. But one thing I knew for certain: this meeting was no coincidence. And this pain... was a sign of something yet to be revealed.