Trapped in a Fire, My Son and I Are Reborn

Chapter 6

The crowd was instantly enraged. An irate father lunged at me, attempting to slap me, but another person stopped him. I turned to see it was the parent who had joined me in battling the blaze. He stood firmly in front of me. "Sir, you just arrived and don't know the full story. During the fire, Jake's mom led us in the firefighting efforts. If not for her, the children would have been blown to pieces."

I nodded at him in gratitude. However, someone else was still upset, "But the principal said she tried to interfere with the firefighting!"

Sophia's mom, who had been in the control room with me earlier, stood by my side. "Listen, everyone, Jake's mom didn't obstruct anything. We parents were all together."

The parents began to calm down. I looked at Jason Carter, "Accusing me of interference? Then let the fire chief tell everyone which fire I supposedly obstructed."

Jason Carter retorted quickly, "Firefighting is firefighting. Does it matter where?"

"You only went to the fourth floor, right?"

"What do you mean, 'only the fourth floor'? We put out the fire on the third floor too."

I chuckled. After all these years, I never expected Jason Carter to be so brazen in an argument. "That was after the explosion. Before the explosion, where did you go to fight the fire?"

"We went to the fourth floor. So what? People needed rescuing there too."

"But there was no fire on the fourth floor!"

Jason Carter's explanations only made things clearer. Parents began to see the truth. "It was the fire department's mishandling from the start, ignoring the burning floors! Otherwise, the third floor wouldn't have exploded."

Principal Taylor chimed in to help, "Everyone, don't blame the firefighters. They acted in urgency. There were people on the fourth-floor windowsill. Shouldn't they be rescued?"

Everyone always thought Principal Taylor was the backbone of the kindergarten. It was assumed she was more anxious than anyone when the fire happened. Plus, given her age, people remained rational and didn't blame her much from the beginning until now.

I glared at her, "Urgency? Did you inform the firefighters that the kitchen was on the third floor? Don't you know that not telling the truth in such circumstances can lead to wrong decisions?"

Principal Taylor's face showed embarrassment as she stammered, "I... I just got confused... But everyone's safe now, right?"

Parents became uneasy, "Principal! How could you do that? The kids were almost blown up!"

"The information was wrong, so maybe the firefighters can be forgiven."

I interrupted, pointing at Jason Carter, "The fire chief later learned the truth and still didn't go to the third floor, right?"

Parents began to push Principal Taylor and Jason Carter, "You acted recklessly! We entrust our kids to the kindergarten, and the principal jeopardizes their lives like this?"

"I heard the ones trapped on the fourth floor were the principal's daughter, Ms. Anderson, and her granddaughter. No wonder the principal insisted on rescuing the fourth floor!"

"Fire department, you're so irresponsible. We will definitely report you!"

"This isn't over!"

They played with lives, one not telling the truth, the other not saving them, Principal Taylor for her daughter, Jason Carter for his secret love. They abandoned the lives of so many children in the face of the fire.

Jason Carter stood in front of the principal, "I'm the on-site commander! I determine who is in greater danger!"

So now even Emily Anderson's mother is defending her, huh? Everyone was angrily pulling at the two of them, while my son and I stood silently aside, hearts breaking. In Jake's mind, his father abandoned him for others, and it happened twice.

The fire department's secretary, having arranged the site inspection, also approached: "Jason Carter, you disappoint me!"

"Since when do you decide who gets rescued first at a fire scene?"