Semua Bab Revenge Is a Mother's Gift: Bab 1 - Bab 9

Instead of feeling relieved, my suspicion grew heavier after ending the call with Arnold.Surprise? Natalie had been top of her class her entire life, racking up competition awards like they were nothing.The principal of the best high school in the city, Dream High School, had personally called me to guarantee her enrollment.With grades like Natalie's, did she really need Arnold to pull strings for her to get into the accelerated track? Not to mention, him even asking me to make him look good was just asking for too much.I recalled how Arnold had questioned me a few days back. He'd said, "Why do you waste time reading all those random psychology reports?"He didn't know I had been building the psychological evaluation model for the city's "Gifted Scholars Program."The more I thought about it, the less it added up. I spun the wheel and stepped on the gas, driving straight to the admissions office of Dream High School.…Half an hour later, I was standing in the crowded a

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 c

Arnold pushed all the blame onto me, trying to make himself look like an innocent victim.Elaine chimed in with tears streaming down her face, "That's right, Whitney. You never understood how much Arnold was suffering. "We truly love each other, and all we want is to give Linda a complete family. What did we do wrong?""You've done nothing wrong?" As I held Natalie close, I slowly made my way over to them. "You stole the future my daughter earned through years of studying hard. You slandered me in public and tried to paint me as a madwoman. And now, you're asking me what you did wrong?"My voice was cold. "Arnold, Elaine, your biggest mistake was messing with me."I couldn't be bothered to waste my time talking to such clowns anymore. So, I calmly made a call in front of everyone."Hello, Mr. Grant. This is Whitney Steward. There's been a serious problem with the admissions process in Dream High School. "Someone forged a student's record, and I'm concerned it might jeopardize

I greeted them with a smile and headed straight to my office.My office was spacious. Other than a desk and a bookshelf, it even had a small lounge tucked into a corner.I set Natalie down on the couch in the lounge and poured her some water. "This is where I work, Natalie."She curiously looked around. On the wall, there were countless photographs of me with well-known scholars from both within the country and abroad, as well as various trophies and certificates.Arnold had never seen any of these. To him, I was nothing more than an ordinary employee working in an ordinary company.It wasn't that I had deliberately hidden the truth, but he simply hadn't cared enough to ask. All he'd cared about was whether my paycheck was enough to cover his credit card bills, and whether it was enough for him to buy the latest gadgets."You're amazing, Mommy!" Natalie's eyes lit up as she looked at the photographs on the wall.I ruffled her hair. "You'll be amazing too, Natalie."At that mo

The court handed down its ruling a month later. Arnold and Elaine were sentenced to a year in prison for forging official documents. On top of that, they were ordered by the court to pay 20 thousand dollars as damages for the emotional trauma they'd caused Natalie and me.I was unexpectedly calm on the day the judgment was out, and I declined Lynn's offer to go out for a celebration.To me, this was not a victory, it was just a long-overdue reckoning.Soon, Natalie and I moved out of the house that carried our many bitter memories. With my savings, I bought a place near her new school. While it wasn't large, it was filled with sunlight. We decorated it together too, filling every corner with things that we liked.On weekends, I made a point to set work aside. I would accompany Natalie to the library, the science museum, or simply sit on the balcony with our books and a cup of tea, enjoying a quiet afternoon.I began to slow down and enjoy life, doing things more than just to s