The sun was warm, but I felt cold as I stepped out of the car, my hands trembling slightly. The air smelled of fresh-cut grass, but my mind was heavy. I spotted Jacob standing near the school doors, looking small and distant, with his teacher, Ms. Emily, standing beside him.
She gave me a polite smile, but it felt forced. Jacob didn’t wave back when I tried to cheer him up. When he climbed into the car, Ms. Emily approached, mentioning Jacob’s struggles with the lesson and conflicts with other kids, including accusations of not sharing and pushing during recess. I couldn’t believe it. He had never acted this way before.
Ms. Emily suggested he might not be a good fit for the school. I tried to explain, but she didn’t seem convinced. Jacob was quiet, his face pale, and as we drove, he finally whispered that it was scary and no one talked to him. He missed his old friends and wanted to go back.
The next day, as I was showing a home to clients, Ms. Emily called urgently. When I arrived at the school, I was met by the principal, who accused Jacob of forging his test answers. Jacob immediately defended himself, claiming Ms. Emily had told him to do it.
The situation took a turn when Mark, my ex-husband, appeared—he was dating Ms. Emily. Suddenly, it all made sense. Ms. Emily had been trying to sabotage Jacob’s time at the school.
After a tense confrontation, Ms. Emily admitted it and was dismissed from her position. The principal assured me Jacob would stay at the school and receive the support he needed.
I apologized to Jacob, promising I would always believe him first. As we left, Mark apologized too, and we walked to the car together, stronger and more certain that we could handle whatever came next.
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