Chapter 7

My husband, Liam, heard that both my mom and I were hospitalized. He canceled a long-planned project out of town and took an extended leave to be with us.

I was already weak, and worrying about my mom's condition dragged me down for nearly two months before I finally started to recover.

Today, I reported back to school.

The kids in my class saw me from a distance, cheering and running to surround me, asking how I was.

"Teacher, teacher, are you feeling better? We missed you so much!"

"Caleb is so mean! Ms. Sterling sacrificed so much for him, and he still had the nerve to try and report her!"

All the teachers and students at school had donated money for Caleb, and they had seen the posters in the display area.

But those posters were taken down a few days later, and when colleagues returned to school, they all talked about the drama they'd witnessed at the hospital.

Gossip always spreads fastest at school, especially such a bizarre story.

So, everyone knew about the ungrateful student in sophomore year (Class 3).

He'd received a free bone marrow transplant from his teacher, then blackmailed her for "hush money" by threatening to report her.

I patted the students' heads, feeling a warmth in my heart, when suddenly Sarah, the class monitor, rushed over.

"Teacher, you need to go to Principal Harrison’s office, fast!"

"Caleb's mom is causing a scene, saying you're not allowed to teach our class anymore!"

When I arrived at the office, Caleb's mom was yelling.

Several other parents from the class stood beside her.

"Ms. Sterling has been hospitalized for two months; she's already fallen behind the school's schedule. Why should she still teach my child?"

A colleague tried to reason with her:

"Mrs. Hayes, Ms. Sterling is a highly capable teacher. Besides, it's only been two months; Ms. Sterling can easily catch up with the class's progress."

"No way!"

Caleb's mom was aggressive:

"With her body so weak after two months in the hospital, how can she have the energy to manage a whole class?"

"Besides, she even dared to donate bone marrow for an award. Who knows what she'll do next, or what award she'll try to get, forcing kids in the class to do things? If she bullies my child again, I won't even know!"

"You must fire her! At the very least, transfer her! I absolutely won't let Avery Sterling mess with my son again!"

Caleb's mom could twist white into black with just her mouth!

My fists clenched in anger.

And some of the student parents nodded along:

"We're not questioning Ms. Sterling's ability, but she was hospitalized for so long. It did delay our children's studies. Plus, we heard bone marrow donation has many side effects. Who knows if she'll need to be hospitalized again?"

"That's right, Ms. Sterling, please understand us. High school academics are already tough; missing even one day means falling far behind!"

So, this was *my* fault now?

A chill ran through my heart.

Sarah, the class monitor, suddenly ran over and stood by my side, absolutely furious:

"Mom! Are you also ganging up with Caleb's mom to bully Ms. Sterling?"

A whole crowd of students surged in:

"Ms. Sterling is a great teacher! We don't want a new teacher!"

The parents looked embarrassed, unsure how to respond.

Caleb's mom, however, showed no shame at all.

"I knew this Sterling woman wasn't any good! She's only been teaching for so long, and she's already brainwashed you brats into disrespecting your own mothers? If she taught you for three years, what would you even become?"

"If you don't transfer her today, I'll cause trouble until the end! I absolutely will not let my son be corrupted by you black-hearted wretches!"