Page 98 of Off Limits Daddies
But I have to teach. Have to face my students and pretend everything is fine, even though my world is crumbling around me.
I cut the engine and grab my bag, then get out of my car. The morning air is crisp, carrying the scent of autumn leaves.
Jack, Blake, and Noah stand outside my classroom door like sentries guarding a crime scene, instantly setting me on alert. Jack's broad shoulders are rigid beneath his charcoal suit. Blake leans against the wall with his arms crossed over his muscular chest, his coaching polo stretched tight across his shoulders. Noah stands slightly apart, his hands shoved in his pockets, his green eyes worried behind his glasses.
"What's going on?" My voice comes out steadier than I feel.
Jack moves toward me, his expression grim. "Mia, there's been an incident. Someone vandalized your classroom last night."
The words don't make sense at first. Vandalized? My classroom? "What do you mean vandalized?"
"It's bad." Blake's voice is tight. "Really bad."
Jack pulls out his phone and starts showing me photos. Each image hits me like a physical blow. Overturned desks. Books scattered everywhere. Red spray paint covering every surface. The words make my vision blur. WHORE. SLUT. LIAR. Crude drawings that make my stomach turn.
"Oh God." My legs go weak and Blake catches my elbow, steadying me. His hand is warm and solid against my skin, grounding me when everything else is spinning out of control.
"There's more." Jack's jaw tightens as he swipes to the next photo.
The drawing on the back wall steals my breath. A woman with long dark hair stands between three men, their features just recognizable enough. Below it, in careful block letters: EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR SECRET.
"Someone knows." My voice sounds hollow, distant. "Someone knows about us."
Noah moves closer, his hand finding the small of my back. "We reviewed the security footage. A hooded figure entered your classroom around midnight, but the face is completely obscured."
"Who would do this?" Someone who wants to destroy me, I answer myself silently.
Jack's phone buzzes and he glances at the screen, his expression darkening. "The school board is ready. I called an emergency meeting to address this and the emails I received earlier asking for you to be fired."
My professional reputation, everything I've worked for, is being destroyed in real time. "What do I do?"
"We fight." Blake's brown eyes are fierce as they meet mine. "We stand together and we fight."
The emergency board meeting takes place in the main conference room, a space I've only been in once during my initial interview. Five board members sit behind a long table, their expressions ranging from concerned to openly hostile.
I sit at a smaller table facing them with Jack on my right, Blake on my left, and Noah behind me. Their presence should comfort me, but I'm hyperaware of how this looks. Three men flanking me like bodyguards. Three men who are more than colleagues.
A woman, the board president, leans forward, her sharp eyes studying me over her reading glasses. "Miss Wilson, we've received numerous complaints from parents regarding your conduct and suitability as a teacher. Combined with this morning's vandalism, we need to address some serious concerns."
"I understand." My voice is steady, even though my hands shake in my lap.
"Let's start with the vandalism." Her gaze doesn't waver. "Do you have any idea who might have done this? Any students or parents you've had conflicts with?"
I think about Kyle's obsessive attention, Marcus's threats, the mysterious notes and photographs. "There have been some incidents. A student who became inappropriately attached. An ex-boyfriend who's been making unwanted advances."
"Have you reported these incidents?" Another board member, a man in his sixties with silver hair, asks.
"Some of them, yes."
"But not all?" His tone carries accusation.
Jack leans forward, his voice carrying that authoritative principal tone. "Miss Wilson has been dealing with a complex situation. She's reported what she felt was necessary while trying to maintain professional boundaries."
The president's eyes shift to Jack, and something in her expression sharpens. "Principal Lewis, your defense of Miss Wilson is noted. However, we need to address the elephant in the room." She pulls out a folder and opens it. "We've received reports that you and Miss Wilson have an inappropriate relationship."
The room goes silent. I feel Blake tense beside me, Noah's hand finding my shoulder in silent support.
"That's absurd." Jack's voice is firm, but I hear the slight edge beneath it. "Miss Wilson is a valued member of my staff. I defend all my teachers when they're being unfairly attacked."
