Although Billy was clearly unhinged and needed to go, many of the teachers suspected his uncle would ensure he remained.
Bernard Wilde had been a member of the council for ten years, and he would have a lot of influence over Billy's fate.
Billy noticed the crowd's thoughtful expressions and regained some of his confidence. "My uncle won't stand for this," he said, facing off against the director. "He won't let you fire me, so I won't be leaving here, and there's nothing you can do about it. If you try to fight him on this, you'll regret it. You'll be the one who ends up out of a job once I sue you."
"Go ahead and sue," the director said, clearly unconcerned.
"Aren't you afraid of my uncle's revenge?" Billy asked.
"I am the director of the bureau," the director said. "I will never give in to threats."
Ronald cleared his throat. "Mr. Wilde," he said. "There's something you should know."
"What?" Billy asked, frowning at him.
"Your uncle is currently being investigated for serious misconduct," Ronald said. "He's busy being interviewed by the police, so I doubt he has time to worry about you."
Billy couldn't believe what he was hearing. Could it possibly be true? he thought. Surely it must be a rumor.
His legs gave out, sending him falling to the ground. His powerful uncle was no longer able to help him, and he would have to deal with this mess by himself.
No one pitied him. Even Leonard, who had always taken his side, now looked down on him.
I only went along with everything because you were the teaching director and had a powerful uncle, Leonard thought. Now you're just like everyone else, so why should I help you?
"Without your uncle, your threats mean nothing," the principal said.
Everyone began to yell.
"Go away! No one wants you here."
"Get lost!"
"Leave now!"
Even the teachers were joining in.
Billy dragged himself to his feet, and then he fled, desperate to escape the jeers of the crowd. Sensing the mood of the other teachers and students, Leonard followed him out of the school.
As he passed the gates, Billy scowled. "I won't forget this, Alex," he said through clenched teeth.
Alex had been at the school for little more than a week, and now Billy had lost his position and had been thrown off campus. He had nothing left, but thankfully, his father still ran a small company, so he wasn't completely on his own. He still had money, and he could use that to settle things.
He took out his mobile phone and made a call.
"How soon can you get here?" he asked when the call was answered.
"What is wrong?" a man answered in a husky voice. "I can be there in two days if you need me."
"Then hurry up and come," Billy said.
"I'll be there soon," the man said. "Wait for me."
Billy ended the call. He looked at the school gate, reluctant to leave. He was nowhere near ready to give up.
"Alex," he muttered. "Let's see how long you last against the Mitchell family."
**
Mr. Cartwright and the director of the district education bureau asked some questions about the school, and then they left.
Alex had completely won everyone over, and the students treated him like some sort of celebrity, but he wasn't really interested in their adulation.
Defeating Billy had been nothing, and Alex was ready to move on.
Alex's phone rang with a call from his brother Justin.
Since Alex's family had disowned him, almost none of his relatives had contacted him. The Ambrose family had strict rules about that, and he was supposed to have been completely cut off. Even his parents were keeping their distance from him.
So it was strange that Justin was calling him now. Alex took a deep breath and answered the phone.
"Alex, this is Justin," his brother said.
"Justin, how are you doing?" Alex asked, wondering why he had called.
"Everything is okay… It's fine… I just wanted…" Justin was clearly searching for the right words, so it must be something important.
"Spit it out," Alex said impatiently. "Or I will hang up."
"Alex, the family is in trouble," Justin said. "Someone is plotting against us, and we need every family member we can get. You're my brother, and I trust you more than anyone, so I'm hoping you'll help."
"Oh?" Alex asked, surprised. "We are one of the most powerful families in the world. Who would dare to move against us?"
Although he had been disowned, he still felt protective of his family.
"I'm not sure," Justin said. "They're lurking in the shadows." He paused as someone spoke in the background. "I have to go. But remember that this is highly confidential. You didn't hear it from me."
"I understand, and I'll take care of it," Alex said. "Call me later, and we can meet up for a chat."
"Absolutely," Justin agreed. He hung up.
Justin knew that the Ambrose family was being targeted, but he did not know the details. No one in the family was sure what was happening, but they had already been impacted by the stealthy attack. Recently, their companies' share prices had fallen sharply, several staff members had left to work for competitors, and some of their family secrets had been disclosed to the public.
As a result, the whole Ambrose family was preparing for war.
Alex paced, thinking of his parents and about his old family home. Even though he had been kicked out of the family, he still cared about them and wanted to help.
He began to pay more attention to his family's dealings, hoping to find a clue that would lead him to their enemy.
**
In the evening, Celia called Alex to invite him to a celebration dinner, and Alex agreed, hoping to use the occasion to hear any rumors about the Ambrose family.