All Chapters of A Minor Surgery: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I instinctively assumed that Claire was making this up, since it all sounded so absurd and unnecessary.No decent person would ever say something so cruel to a fifteen-year-old. After comforting Claire, I called her homeroom teacher, Lydia Lawson.I tried calling three times in a row, but every call went unanswered.This clearly was not a minor issue, so I drove straight to the school and headed for Lydia’s office. Before I even reached the door, I heard her voice coming from inside, dripping with sarcasm.“Ugh, having a difficult parent like this is impossible to deal with. They are always demanding special treatment. As I’ve said before, this is an advanced track class designed for top-performing students. If you’re not prepared for the pressure, you should leave early rather than waste good teachers’ time and take up limited places. But what do we get? They fight their way in, then take leave over every little thing, effectively challenging the teacher’s authority. You can’t dea

“That’s not what I meant, Mrs. Stephens. Miss Lawson was just too stressed. She’s in charge of our school’s advanced track class, the one expected to produce this year’s top scorer on the high school entrance exams. The pressure is intense, so she’s been overly strict with the students and said things she shouldn’t have. She has acknowledged her mistake. I’ve already spoken to her about it. I promise she’ll never repeat this behavior, whether that means targeting Claire or saying anything inappropriate.”Herbert paused and leaned in, lowering his voice further.“Mrs. Stephens, the exams are less than two months away. Claire’s great performance is consistent in the advanced track class. If things escalate and make it so that she has to switch teachers or classes, it could seriously disrupt her preparation. That would do more harm than good. As parents, we just want what’s best for our children, don’t we?”That final line struck my weak spot, and the anger within me slowly subsided.

“Judging from the extent of the wound rupture, she must have engaged in strenuous physical activity recently. Didn’t we tell you she needed strict rest? This is practically risking her life!”I felt a mix of shock and distress.Why was Claire still participating in intense physical training when she did not even need to take the physical portion of the high school entrance exams?While confusion still lingered in my mind, my phone buzzed twice. Several anonymous text messages came through.The sender claimed to be one of Claire’s classmates and said that Lydia had been targeting and bullying Claire ever since she returned to school after surgery. They also said that Lydia had repeatedly brought up the surgery and insinuated that Claire was using it as an excuse to evade the entrance exams and slack off.Desperate to prove otherwise, Claire went against medical advice and continued participating in running drills and physical training behind my back.My hands shook uncontrollably

In the school office, Herbert had just finished an accountability call from the local education authority. A signed supervisory notice sat on his desk as he paced around it, completely on edge.When he heard the door open, he looked up and saw Lydia rushing in. His anger flared instantly. “You still have the nerve to show up here?”Lydia’s hair was disheveled, and her makeup was ruined by tears. She stumbled in, collapsed in front of the desk, and broke down completely.“Mr. Walsh, please help me! Only you can help me!”Herbert gritted his teeth in fury and snapped, “So now you know how to come begging? Weren’t you full of confidence when you were spreading rumors online and dragging the school’s reputation through the mud?”Lydia’s panic deepened as she scrambled forward.“I didn’t mean it. I just wasn’t thinking clearly! “Mr. Walsh, you handled the mediation. You told me to apologize to her mother so that everything would be over! You also said that the advanced track class h

“The damage you caused isn’t something you can erase by kneeling here and crying.”Lydia lifted her head. Her face was streaked with tears, and her eyes were hollow with despair.“I can compensate you. I can kneel before your daughter and apologize. I’ll agree to anything. Please, just withdraw the lawsuit. I can’t go to prison. I can’t have a criminal record. Please, I’m begging you.”I stood up and spoke with an icy tone.“I won’t withdraw the lawsuit, nor will I forgive you. This matter must be resolved through the law. My daughter deserves justice. Leave this room immediately. Don’t appear in front of us again and cause her further distress.”Lydia tried to speak, but I pressed the call button at the bedside. Two security guards quickly entered the room.“Remove her. She is not to be allowed back in here without my permission.”The security guards stepped forward and, ignoring Lydia’s cries and resistance, forcibly dragged her out of the room.She had barely regained her fo