Chapter 3 A Bow for My Future

"Shawn, did you take it?" Victoria looked down at me with undisguised contempt.

Daisy, who was standing beside her, immediately started screeching, "It had to be him! His father delivers takeout, and his mother runs a food stand. They've never seen a nice pen in their lives!"

The classroom erupted in mocking laughter.

I bit my lip hard and retorted hotly, "I didn't steal it! I don't need your stupid pen!"

"How dare you show me attitude! I'm calling your parents."

My father rushed into the office 30 minutes later. He was still wearing his delivery uniform, and it was drenched in sweat.

My mother had rushed over without even taking her apron off. It was still stained with grease from the food stand.

Daisy's father was already there by the time they arrived. He was dressed in an expensive designer suit, standing with his arms crossed and a sneer on his face. "So, you're the parents of the little thief?"

Then, he covered his nose in disgust and deliberately took two steps back from my parents.

"Like father, like son. The only thing a trash can raise is another trash. You brought a little piece of garbage into this world just to make everyone else's life miserable. Pay for the pen and get your kid out of this school."

My mother's eyes turned red as she hurried in front of me, shielding me with her body. "My son didn't steal anything! We may be poor, but we don't take what's not ours."

"Oh, really? Yours is the poorest family in the class. If it wasn't him, then who else could it be?" Victoria mocked from the side.

I looked up at my father.

Back when we lived in the old neighborhood, he would've grabbed the nearest beer bottle and smashed it if someone looked at him the wrong way.

But now, his fists were clenched so tightly at his sides that the veins stood out across the backs of his hands, his fingernails digging into his palms.

He glanced at me and noticed how I was trembling with fear. Then, he bent at the waist. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ward. I'm sorry, Ms. Leigh."

My father gave them a deep bow, his voice shaking. "How much was the pen? We'll pay for it. Please don't expel my son."

My mother bowed too, tears splashing onto her oil-stained shoes.

My vision was instantly filled with floating comments.

"This is making me cry. Frankie used to take on seven guys all by himself. He was the epitome of 'I'd rather die than lower my pride.' Now, he's bowing for his son."

"Frankie worked three straight all-night delivery shifts just to scrape together this semester's tuition. Tanya scraped up her knee running from officers clearing out night market vendors, but she didn't once complain about the pain."

"These two dummies are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. Yet, all they care about is protecting their son's future."

I looked at the comments across my vision. I looked at my parents, bowing so humbly before people who did not deserve it. Right then, it felt like someone was driving a knife through my heart.

Just then, one comment streaked across my vision.

"The stupid pen was never missing! It's in the hidden compartment at the bottom of Daisy's backpack. She stuffed it in there herself this morning and forgot about it."

I froze for a split second. Then, I jerked free from my mother's hand and charged at Daisy like a cannonball.

"What are you doing?" Her father jumped in surprise.

I grabbed Daisy's backpack off the chair. Then, I yanked open the hidden zipper at the bottom and turned the bag upside down. Sure enough, a fountain pen clattered onto the marble floor.

The contempt on Victoria's face instantly froze, while Daisy's father looked like he had just swallowed a fly.

My eyes were glistening with angry tears as I pointed at the pen on the floor. "I told you I didn't steal it! You were the ones accusing an innocent person!"

My mother immediately straightened her spine.

She pulled me tightly into her arms, glared at the two of them with reddened eyes, and held her head high. "You've found your pen. Now, you owe my son an apology."

Daisy's father turned livid with humiliation as he sneered. "Apologize? Just because he didn't steal it this time doesn't mean he won't steal something in the future. Gutter rats like you belong in the gutters."

Then, he grabbed Daisy by the arm and stormed out in his polished shoes without sparing us another glance.

That day, my parents held my hands as we sauntered out of the school with our heads held high.