Chapter 3

The next day on the way to school, Brian cheerfully linked arms with Rodolfo and announced that there was a family event at school, and both mom and dad needed to come in the afternoon

Rodolfo smiled gently and agreed, but Brian pouted, "Dad, you must not lie to me. You promised to come to my parent-teacher meeting before, but instead, you were Neymar's dad. Everyone said I'm a child without a father."

The smile on Rodolfo's face froze, and his eyes showed concern and sympathy

"Brian, this time I will definitely be with you."

Brian finally went to school with a happy heart.

After dropping off the child, Rodolfo surprisingly became considerate and caring.

He took the initiative to help with housework, went out in the afternoon, and returned with a strawberry cake.

In that moment, I felt as if we were back in the wonderful days of newlywed romance.

Rodolfo hugged me from behind and said, "I know you love strawberries the most, and our son's taste is just like yours.

"Hollie, I'm sorry. I've been neglecting you and Brian lately..."

Before he could finish, a ringtone interrupted him. When Rodolfo returned, his expression had darkened.

"Hollie, Evelyn said her leg hurts a lot. I'll go check on her."

I looked down and asked, "Rodolfo, are you a doctor?"

"What?" He looked stunned for a moment.

"If I tell you to go, will her leg stop hurting? We'll be leaving for school soon to attend the sports day.

"What if you can't make it back?"

Rodolfo fell silent. I knew he was feeling conflicted, but today I had to push him to make a decision.

In the end, Rodolfo pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Hollie, I'll be back soon. If I'm late in the afternoon, please explain it to Brian for me."

After speaking, he grabbed his coat from the wardrobe and rushed out the door.

As I watched the door slowly close, the last trace of softness in my heart faded away.

Expressionless, I tossed the strawberry cake into the trash and unlocked my phone.

Fortunately, the lawyer had relayed some good news. They had gathered strong evidence. As long as we went to court, Rodolfo would be the passive party.

This afternoon, just as I was about to leave for kindergarten, I got an early call from the teacher.

"Mrs. Stuart, you need to come to the school. Your child hit someone!"

There was no time to change; in nothing but my worn slippers, I hurried into a taxi and sped toward the school.

Brian stood stubbornly beside the office, while Neymar stood next to him, crying.

Only after asking around did I learn the truth: to enter the sports day, the kids had to write their father's name on the registration card. And both Neymar and Brian had written down the same name.

The other children often saw Rodolfo come to parent-teacher meetings for Neymar and naturally assumed Rodolfo was his father.

Brian was surrounded by a group of kids.

"You're lying. When children lie, their noses grow longer."

"Why did you say Neymar's father is your father? Do you actually not have a dad?"

"Poor thing with no dad, and you even want to steal someone else's dad."

It wasn't until Neymar said, "You don't have a father at all, and your mom is the mistress who broke up someone else's relationship,"

Brian couldn't hold back anymore and immediately argued, "Your mom is the mistress!"

Neymar was angry and reached out to push Brian, but Brian dodged by stepping back and accidentally bumped into the corner of a table. Fortunately, it was nothing serious—just a bump on his forehead, which had already been treated at the infirmary, and he was back now.

At this moment, he kept crying and shouting, claiming that Brian hit him.

The homeroom teacher looked troubled. "It's normal for children to play around, but this time they really crossed the line."

While comforting Brian, I told the homeroom teacher, "I don't believe my son would hit anyone. Isn't there a surveillance camera in the classroom? Let's check it..."

Before I finished speaking, Rodolfo burst into the office anxiously, followed by Evelyn, who looked pale.

She rushed in and hugged Neymar. "Hollie, I know you don't like Rodolfo always being with us, but regardless of everything, the children are innocent.

"You can't encourage Brian to hit Neymar."

Evelyn cried so hard that she looked heartbroken, and for a moment the homeroom teacher didn't know how to stop the conflict among the three of us.

I glanced at Rodolfo, who was full of anger, and spoke slowly, "My son wouldn't hit anyone so easily. I trust him."

Rodolfo stormed forward angrily. "You're still defending him? The child is spoiled by you. He resorts to violence whenever there's a disagreement."

Brian tugged at his father's sleeve, feeling wronged. "Dad, I really didn't do it."