Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 357

Chapter 357

When they tried calling back, no one picked up.

Panic spread fast. The teachers and the principal glanced toward Carter, like drowning people reaching for the nearest lifeline.

“Mr. Biggs… you can’t just leave us like this,” the principal stammered. “We-we were just following your instructions!”

Carter’s face was still shadowed from that slap. His expression was dark, sharp-edged, barely controlled. “When,” he asked coldly, “did I ever tell you to do this?”

The principal was close to tears. “But the order did come from you-or at least that’s what we were told…”

Off to the side, Kelly’s heart sank.

The principal pressed on. “It was… Nate Hendricks. He said it himself-told us directly. He’s been your friend for years. We… we’re just ordinary people. How could we possibly afford to offend someone like him… or you?”

Carter’s face turned stormy. He pulled out his phone and dialed. “Get over here. Now.”

No explanation. No room for questions. He hung up. 1

Kelly’s fingers itched toward her phone, instinct screaming to tip Nate off. But with so many eyes in the room, pulling out her phone now would be suicide. Worse, it might expose her own part in all of this.

again… maybe it didn’t matter anymore. If

idea from the start. She only… fine-tuned it a little. Made it less obvious. Stretched it out

first, Nate had simply approached a few parents, dropping careful hints to get their kids

him. Physical fights left marks-too

Isolation, though…?

was cleaner. Sharper. Sometimes, the wounds it left went

to complain? Useless. What was he going to say? No one wants to be

wasn’t something anyone could be

the perfect kind

would blow up this

The video kept rolling.

Sharon finally understood why both Theo and Matty had kept their mouths

by a bunch of six-year-olds, Sharon suddenly felt… small and

You never told us what was happening. Is it because… you didn’t

Matty didn’t pretend. Didn’t fake

lowered, eyes avoiding hers entirely. “I was scared… scared if you found out, you’d worry all this

1/2

Mr. Malcolm… it’s the happiest I’ve ever been. I don’t care if this stuff happens

her once talking to