Maya walked into the infirmary. A young woman immediately stood up and said respectfully, "Professor Rice! I heard you were coming to work here as an assistant doctor. I couldn't believe it at first. I didn't expect you'd show up!" Maya smiled faintly. She said softly, "I love kids. Seeing them so full of energy just makes me feel happy, so I volunteered to come." They chatted for a bit before the woman told Maya to wait until the event started. Maya sat down on the couch and checked her phone. She frowned. She'd been trying to find a way to get close to Zaden. When she heard that his secret daughter's school was having a parent-child activity, she figured Zaden would definitely show up. Events like this always need a doctor around, just in case someone gets hurt during the games. Luckily, her assistant happened to take the job here, so Maya told her to switch places with her. Otherwise, with her background, she'd never show up at a school like this! But what she didn't expect was that the person who came with Teri wasn't Zaden, but Athena! Did Athena think she was Teri's mom now? What annoyed Maya even more was how much Teri trusted Athena. They didn't look related, but their bond seemed even closer than that of a real mother and daughter. A flash of irritation crossed Maya's eyes. Since she was already here, it didn't matter if Zaden showed up or not. She wasn't about to let Athena have an easy day; she'd make sure of that. Maya's lips curved into an indifferent smile. She walked over to the window and spotted a familiar figure down on the playground. A hint of mischieve flashed in her eyes as she pulled out her phone and called a number. "It's been a while, Mrs. Lawrence." When the call ended, Maya slipped her phone back into her pocket. She couldn't wait to watch Athena get embarrassed. It was going to be fun. Meanwhile, Athena had no idea that trouble was on its way. She and Teri walked into the schoolyard. There were already plenty of parents with their children, gathered in small groups and chatting. Athena didn't know any of the other parents; she had never interacted with them before. As she hesitated, Teri grabbed her hand excitedly. "Mommy, that's Sisca! She's my best friend! Yesterday, she asked if I'd bring my mom. Can we go say hi?" Athena smiled and nodded. "Sure, let's go say hi." They walked over to a mother and daughter. Teri waved and said, "Sisca, you came with your mom too?" "Yeah!" Sisca Lawrence replied with a smile. She looked curiously at Athena and asked, "Teri, is this your mom?" Teri glanced up at Athena, her eyes lighting up. She nodded firmly and said, "Yeah! She's my mom!" Seeing Teri's happy little face, Athena couldn't help but smile. She realized that Teri was proud and happy to introduce her as her mom and was not shy about it. Athena smiled at the little girl. "Hi, I'm Teri's mom."Before the girl could say anything back, her mother suddenly walked over and said sharply, "Sisca, what are you doing here? We're leaving!" "But ... Mom, I want to talk to Teri ... " Before she could finish, her mother grabbed her hand and pulled her away, leaving Teri and Athena standing there. Teri watched them go, confused, and asked, "Mommy, why did Sisca's mom take her away? We weren't done talking." Kids couldn't pick up on adult emotions, but Athena could. Athena could tell right away that Sisca's mom was very wary of her. The way she pulled Sisca away made it clear—she didn't want Athena anywhere near Sisca. Maybe it was because of those recent news stories. People probably got the wrong idea about her. Athena comforted her, "Maybe they have something else to do." Even with Athena's reassurance, Teri was still upset. It was her first time bringing her mom to school and introducing her to her best friend, yet her friend just walked away. She felt like Sisca didn't care about her at all and didn't want to meet her mom. Suddenly, she didn't like her best friend as much anymore. The event hadn't started yet, so Athena and Teri strolled around the playground. But something started to feel off. Every time they passed by a group of parents, those parents would quickly pull their kids aside, like they all knew who Athena was and didn't want to be near her.