NovelNext Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The next evening, the director of Angie's preschool called me, clearly frustrated.
"Ms. Carter, after we spoke with Miss Taylor today, it seems something's gone wrong between her and your daughter. Now Angie's refusing to let Miss Taylor leave and has even managed to rally other kids to get their parents involved."
"We've had a few calls from concerned parents," the director continued, his tone cautious but firm. "They're worried about replacing Miss Taylor so suddenly. She's been with the class for a while, and they're afraid the kids will have trouble adjusting."
He paused before adding, "And, to be honest, firing a teacher without offering any explanation could stir up some negative fallout."
After a brief hesitation, he offered a suggestion: "Would you consider releasing that video we recorded at the café? It might help clarify things for the parents."
I understood his concerns, but I wasn't about to drag my daughter into the drama. She was too young for this kind of mess.
After a moment of thought, I replied, "Isn't there security footage from the classroom? Share the video of Miss Taylor coaching Angie to turn against me. Let's see if the parents are still so eager to defend a teacher who manipulates children and undermines families."
The director quickly agreed, his relief palpable.
It didn't take long for the parent group chat to blow up once the footage was shared.
At first, a few voices defended Miss Taylor, but the mood shifted dramatically as the truth came out.
"I knew something was off about her! She was always asking my husband about his business. Then she told my son I didn't care about him! I thought confronting her would be enough, but clearly, she hasn't changed."
"This woman is dangerous. You spend years raising your child with love, and someone like her comes along and poisons their mind. That's beyond cruel."
"If she tried that with my kid, I'd go down there myself and make sure she never set foot in a classroom again!"
"It's obvious she's not just targeting the kids. She's messing with the parents too. Let's be real—she's after Angie's dad because of his fancy car."
By the time the parents finished venting, no one was left defending Miss Taylor.
But Angie wasn't ready to let it go.
The next day, Angie and Mason showed up at my office. Angie threw herself onto the floor, kicking and screaming like I'd never seen before. Her tantrum was so intense that, for a moment, I didn't even recognize my own daughter.
"Miss Taylor already told me everything!" she screamed. "You're just jealous because she's younger and prettier than you! That's why you got her fired! You're just an old, bitter woman, and firing her doesn't make you any younger!"
I ignored the tantrum and turned to Mason, my voice icy.
"Why did you bring her here? Angie doesn't know any better, but what's your excuse?"
Instead of taking responsibility, Mason deflected, shifting the blame onto me.
"Jenna, how could it come to this? Just because Angie likes her teacher, you had to ruin her career? Can't you just let it go?"
His words made me laugh—cold, bitter laughter.