He Cheated. I Rose.
Robert was furious. Jenarth had set him up, plain and simple. He had tried to get a rise out of him, picked a fight, and then spread the lie that Robert had hit him. As if that wasn't bad enough, he'd pulled that insane allergy stunt. He'd gone all the way, just to make Robert look like the bad guy. The whole thing was crazy. Didn't he worry the ambulance would take too long? That he might actually die right there in kindergarten? Robert shot a look at Jennifer. She's shown up awfully fast. Are this mother and son team working together, deliberately setting me up? Seems that I've been way too lenient with them! "Ugh, what a rude kid for his age! No respect for teachers or elders. Whose child on earth is this?" "For real! Look at that attitude—totally blowing off the adults. Having a kid like him here is embarrassing for the whole school!" "Exactly. How are our kids supposed to be safe around someone like that? Mrs. Carter, we need some answers. Why is a child with that kind of behavior still here?" A few parents in the crowd, seeing Jennifer comforting a tearful Jenarth, started speaking up in their defense. Tracy stood there, a strained smile on her face. These were all influential people—she couldn't afford to upset any of them. But Robert's family? She really couldn't afford to cross them either! The Myers family of Capaville, with their billion-dollar business empire, was in a completely different league from the other parents here. However... she recalled that Robert's mother, Chloe, had divorced Arthur. They'd gone their separate ways. And today, the one who was hurt was Jenarth. Plus, Jennifer and Arthur seemed very close. It was probably just as she'd suspected! Arthur had divorced Chloe and apparently cut ties with Robert. Now, the woman and child by his side were Jennifer and Jenarth.Robert was just jealous, so he'd taken it out on Jenarth. And maybe, just like Jenarth said, someone had put pieces of cooked egg in his water cup, causing the allergic reaction. So... was Robert the one who put the egg in the cup too? With this thought, Tracy's expression grew even more stern. "Robert, do you have anything to say for yourself?" she asked, trying to sound authoritative. "Nope." Robert glanced at Tracy and simply brushed her off. Tracy almost choked on his blunt reply. She cleared her throat and turned to Jennifer. "Ms. Williams, the hospital team is here. Perhaps we should get your son to the hospital now?" "No! Mommy, I want my dad! I want Daddy Arthur!" Jenarth clung to Jennifer, shaking his head violently. "I don't wanna go to the hospital! I don't wanna go!"A few watching parents shook their heads, sighing inwardly. They thought Robert had gone too far, bullying Jenarth like this. "It's okay, sweetie, don't be scared. No one's going to hurt you." Jennifer held Jenarth tight, her heart aching. "I already texted Arthur; he's on his way. This is all my fault. I'm so useless, letting you get hurt." "Robert!" Chloe's urgent voice cut through the noise as she slammed on the brakes of the shared bike. She had pedaled over as fast as she could, pushing the bike to its limit. Finally, she'd made it. From a distance, she'd seen the crowd and the ambulance at the school gate. Without a second thought, she rode straight into the kindergarten. "Robert!" she called out again, abandoning the bike without properly parking it, and rushed into the crowd. Robert heard his mother's voice and immediately got to his feet."Mommy, I'm over here." Chloe pushed through the gathered parents, her eyes locked on Robert. She ignored everyone else, ran to him, and pulled him into a tight hug. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Her hands moved over his shoulders and arms, checking for any sign of injury. Only when she was sure he was physically fine did she let herself relax a little. "Chloe! Look what your son did! He bullied my child!" Jennifer's shrill voice rang out. "Can we keep the kids out of adult matters? You've... you've really crossed a line today!" Hearing Jennifer, Chloe finally took in the whole scene. So many people had gathered in such a short time. She saw Jenarth crying in Jennifer's arms and the medical staff waiting quietly nearby. Chloe turned back to Robert, her gaze steady and serious. "Robert, tell me exactly what happened." Robert looked toward Jennifer and Jenarth, his voice calm. "Someone put pieces of cooked egg in Jenarth's water cup. He accused me of doing it. He started a fight with me, and then he told everyone I hit him." Chloe's face darkened instantly. She lifted her head, her eyes turning cold and sharp as she stared directly at Jennifer. "Ms. Lewis," Tracy interjected, her tone grave. "Robert hit Jenarth—and he's also accused of putting egg bits in Jenarth's water cup. It sent Jenarth into shock, and he nearly had a life-threatening incident. We really need to get Jenarth to the hospital now. Perhaps... it would be best if Robert apologized to Jenarth first?"
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