The sun felt warm, yet I shivered. As I stepped onto the school sidewalk, my hands trembled. The air smelled fresh and hopeful—but I felt anything but.
I spotted Jacob near the front doors, hunched and small beside Ms. Emily. She was young, in a crisp blue blouse, clipboard in hand, smiling that rehearsed teacher smile. Jacob spotted me and trudged over, eyes cast down. I waved, hoping to cheer him—but he didn’t wave back.
He climbed into the car without meeting my gaze. Ms. Emily leaned in, sweetly asking how his first day went. He murmured, “Fine, I guess.” Then she pulled me aside. “He had some challenges,” she said. “Struggled with lessons, had conflicts—refused to share, got pushy.” I insisted that wasn’t like him—he was shy, not aggressive. She sighed and warned that he might not be a good fit.
I held my breath. “Please,” I pleaded, “just give him time.” She nodded, “We’ll see.”
As we drove home, I asked gently, “How was it, really?” He sighed, “It was scary. No one talked to me… I just miss my old friends.” My heart clenched.
That evening, I dropped him off at school and headed to a showing when the principal called: “There’s been a serious incident—come in immediately.”
At the school, my ex, Mark, appeared. He questioned why I hadn’t told him where we’d moved. Tension grew until the janitor quietly warned me: “She set him up.” Inside the principal’s office, they accused Jacob of forging his test. Before I could object, Jacob cried, “She told me to do it!” pointing to Ms. Emily.
Then it clicked: Ms. Emily was dating Mark. She’d tried to sabotage Jacob to spite me. Furious and stunned, I spoke up. Mark confronted her. The principal dismissed Ms. Emily immediately.
Relief washed over me. The principal promised to support Jacob. I hugged him, whispering apologies and a vow to always believe him. He squeezed back, relieved I’d found the truth. Hand in hand, we left—Mark beside us, quietly offering reassurance.