"Director Lin, the school just called. Miss Zuri is in trouble and needs a parent to go over."
Aaron frowned. He was so busy; how could he handle such trivial matters?
"Ask my wife to go."
Upon leaving the office, the secretary immediately called the house and learned that Madam Lin was out for a beauty treatment. She then dialed Madam Lin's phone, which went unanswered for a long time.
After three attempts, the call finally connected.
"What is it?"
"Madam, Miss Zuri is in trouble at school and needs you to go over and handle it," the secretary said concisely.
"Alright, I understand," Dalia replied.
The beautician, who was attending to her, considerately asked, "Madam Lin, should I speed up?"
"No need, proceed at your normal pace," Dalia said, placing her phone aside.
The beautician, seeing she was not in a hurry, continued her work at the usual pace.
In the school office, the parents of Nyla and the others rushed over upon hearing that their children had been beaten at school. Shaina's parents were the first to arrive. Seeing her daughter's bruised arm, Mrs. Tan's face darkened.
"Who? Who hit my child?" Mrs. Tan angrily confronted Jason.
Shaina pointed at Zuri. "It was her. She hit me."
Mrs. Tan charged forward, raising her hand, but Jason stepped in front of Zuri.
"Smack"...
A slap landed heavily on Jason's face.
Everyone present was stunned.
Mrs. Tan was taken aback but quickly regained her composure. "You're shielding her? As a teacher, you don't uphold justice but protect such an unruly student? Is this the education of Windsor School?"
Jason was about to explain when a clear, cold voice came from behind him, "Mrs. Tan, such good manners you have, hitting people upon meeting. What excellent upbringing. One might think the Tan family runs a gang, collecting protection fees, rather than a legitimate business."
"You little girl, you have a sharp tongue. Let me tell you, the Tan family won't let this go. My daughter has been pampered all her life, and I wouldn't let anyone lay a finger on her. But here, she's been bullied. If you and the school don't give me an explanation today, I will not let this rest."
"If the Tan family has money, just hire a lawyer to sue. No need to threaten people here."
Mrs. Tan pointed a finger at her, eyes fierce. "Who are your parents? Why haven't they come yet? I want to see how they raised such a child."
"15888..."
"What?" Mrs. Tan and the others were puzzled.
Zuri seemed to read their confusion. "Aren't you asking for my parents? This is my father's number. You can call and ask him directly."
"Kyle's father, stay calm. We'll discuss this once her parents arrive."
Soon, Nyla and the others' parents arrived, but Zuri's parents were nowhere to be seen.
"Where are her parents? Have they been called?"
Seeing his son injured, Kyle's father was angry but, noticing Zuri's attire, he remained calm, unlike Shaina's mother. "Where are your parents?"
"This lady is contacting my father. He should be here soon," Zuri said calmly.
Kyle's father relaxed, and the other parents, being prominent figures, also waited patiently.
Mrs. Tan kept dialing Aaron's number, which went unanswered, until she was about to explode. Finally, the call connected.
As soon as it did, Mrs. Tan couldn't hold back, shouting, "Your daughter hit my daughter. How are you going to handle this? If you don't solve this, it won't end here."
Aaron, who hadn't been shouted at for years, was momentarily stunned. Then he frowned. "Madam, please calm down. My wife is already on her way to the school."
"Like hell she is! We're all here except for your family. How long do you expect us to wait? We're busy too, you know!" Mrs. Tan continued her outburst.
"I'll come over right now."
Without giving her a chance to reply, Aaron hung up and pressed the intercom. "Prepare the car, we're going to the school."
In the office, seeing Mrs. Tan's crude behavior, the other parents instinctively distanced themselves. The Tan family wasn't prominent in Oceanic City, considered upstarts at best. They had heard that Mrs. Tan was from the countryside and hadn't even graduated from elementary school. Usually, Mr. Tan attended parent meetings, being polite and well-mannered. Seeing Mrs. Tan today, the parents understood why.
Half an hour later, Aaron hurriedly arrived. Seeing him, the impatience on the parents' faces vanished, replaced with eager smiles.
"Chairman Lin," Kyle's father greeted warmly.
The other parents followed suit, being equally enthusiastic.
Zuri watched this scene coldly, having anticipated this outcome. Bullying was not uncommon at Windsor Academy. As long as you didn't seriously injure anyone and had strong backing, you could continue unscathed.
In her past life, Dalia had 'educated' her to be overly cautious, leading these people to take advantage.
Seeing the parents who should have sided with her being so warm to Aaron, Shaina's mother realized his background was stronger than theirs.
After greeting the parents, Aaron turned to Jason. "Mr. Dou, sorry for the trouble. What's the conflict between my daughter and her classmates?"
Mrs. Tan interjected, "What conflict? Your daughter beat up our children. You need to give us an explanation."
Aaron finally examined Nyla and the others, noting their minor injuries. He glanced at Zuri, who seemed unaffected, and said sternly, "Zuri, apologize to your classmates."
"Aren't you going to ask what they did before making me apologize? Even judges need evidence before sentencing."
"Regardless of the reason, hitting people is wrong." Aaron's eyes darkened as she talked back.
Zuri sneered, eyes full of mockery. "When I had no parents, I didn't let myself be wronged. Now that I have parents, I should endure it?"