Maybe it was because she hadn’t seen Marvin in days, but Stella suddenly found herself missing the boy terribly.
She glanced at the clock, hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to pick Marvin up from school herself.
Ever since she’d run into Keen and Rachel Pearce a few times at the preschool gates, Stella had mostly left the pick-up and drop-off duties to the driver. Marvin had never once complained or seemed upset about it—in fact, his quiet understanding only made Stella’s heart ache more.
Without even noticing when it happened, she’d started caring for Marvin as if he were her own child. True, it wasn’t quite the overwhelming love she’d once felt for Keen, but she was done with the kind of self-congratulatory love that made everything about her feelings.
With a bag of homemade cookies in hand, Stella was just about to leave the house when her phone rang.
“Hello, is this Marvin’s guardian? There’s been an incident at school involving Marvin. Could you come right away, please?”
Stella’s expression tightened. “I’ll be there immediately.”
She hung up and rushed to the preschool.
As soon as she reached the office door, she heard a woman’s furious, tearful wailing from inside.
“My poor baby! How could anyone treat you like this? Sheldon, sweetheart, don’t worry—your mother won’t let the bully who hurt you get away with this!
And where is this brat’s mother? Why isn’t she here yet?!
Let me tell you, unless you give us a proper explanation today, I’m not letting this go!”
The woman’s voice was harsh and shrill.
Stella stepped into the office just in time to see a woman in her thirties jabbing a finger at Marvin’s forehead, her face twisted with anger.
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