Chapter 3

The surrounding chatter grew louder.

"So, it's a showdown between the wife and the mistress."

"Look at how the man is defending his mistress! The wife is just too pitiful!"

Arnold's expression turned sour. He lowered his voice and gritted, "Let's keep our family business private, Whitney. Must you really embarrass everyone here?"

I replied, "Don't worry, Arnold. You'll soon learn what it truly means to be embarrassed, especially in front of someone you least expect.

"We're not leaving until this is cleared up. I want to see the records!"

Arnold lost his temper at my insistence. Suddenly, he yelled, "Please don't misunderstand, guys! She's my ex-wife. We're divorced, but she refuses to accept it.

"Now, she's unstable and delusional, insisting that we're still together. Clearly, she's having another episode now, and that's why she's causing a scene here!"

The admissions office fell silent, and everyone looked at me as if I was a madwoman.

Ex-wife? Unstable and delusional?

I couldn't believe my ears.

We were still a family when we walked out of the house that same morning. Now, in front of Arnold's mistress and everyone else, I was his crazy ex-wife who was unstable and delusional?

Elaine promptly looked up from his embrace. Although tears were still streaming down her face, there was a hint of smugness in her gaze. "Please calm down, Whitney… I mean, Ms. Steward. You're making things hard for Arnold like this."

Arnold pulled her closer, his expression soft and protective. Then, he turned to me with a look of rage. "I've tried to be civil with you out of respect for what we used to have, Whitney. I've been holding myself back, so don't push it!"

He then turned to Joanna and the security guards who were hurrying over. "I sincerely apologize to all of you. My ex-wife… She's unwell. She keeps thinking Natalie is still her daughter when custody has already been awarded to me.

"What happened today is all just a misunderstanding. Can you please escort her out? I'll come back and apologize properly!"

The way he was twisting the truth sounded almost convincing.

The security guards exchanged glances before they started closing in on me. "We'll need you to step outside, ma'am. You're disrupting school business."

One of the younger security guards even reached out to try and grab me by the arm.

Around me, the other parents started whispering, "So, she's just crazy. It's better get her out before she scares the kids."

At their advances, I stumbled backward until my back hit the wall, and I was left with no room to escape.

I looked at them before turning to glance at Arnold and Elaine, who were smiling smugly.

Instead of panicking, a soft chuckle escaped my lips.

It cut through the jarring silence, and Arnold's smugness froze on his face. "What are you laughing at?"

I looked up, my gaze calm as I swept past him like I was observing an unimportant object. "Really, Arnold? 'Ex-wife' and 'unstable and delusional?' That's all you came prepared to say today?"

I leisurely pulled my phone out of my pocket and held it up for him and everyone else to see. "Since you like putting on a show that much, I'll help you put up one that's really worth watching."

Arnold only grew even more smug upon seeing how calm I was. Thinking that I was merely bluffing, he scoffed, "It's too late to be scared now. You brought on yourself!"

At that moment, the phone in my hand started vibrating.

It was Lynn, my friend who was working with the State Department of Education.

I took a deep breath before answering the call on speaker.

"I found it, Whit!" Lynn's voice came sharp and urgent as it echoed through the hushed office.

She continued, "The child who took Natalie's guaranteed spot is Linda Lewiston.

"I've also pulled her birth certificate out. Her mother is Elaine Marshall, and her father is—as expected—Arnold! That scumbag was actually hiding an illegitimate daughter this whole time!"