The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Just as Serena stepped out of the break room, she bumped right into Erika.
Erika was holding a coffee cup. Though she wore a smile, it looked stiff and forced. She said, "Hey, Serena. What a coincidence."
Serena didn't even glance at Erika but simply walked around, choosing silence over engagement. But that very silence pierced straight through Erika's fragile pride.
Suddenly, Erika stumbled—perhaps by accident, perhaps not. Her hand jolted forward, and with a sharp smack, the coffee cup hit Serena's shoulder.
Scalding liquid splashed out, soaking Serena's shirt and leaving her a dripping mess.
"Oops, I'm so sorry. That was an accident. I just slipped. You won't hold it against me, will you?" Erika's voice feigned concern, but her eyes shimmered with smug satisfaction.
Serena looked down at her soaked blouse and then put on a cool smile. "Is that so? What an unfortunate 'accident', huh?"
Erika's expression froze for a second, but she quickly recovered and said, "It's just a shirt. No need to overreact. Besides, I already said sorry."
There was a flicker of gloating in her voice, as if she was certain Serena wouldn't cause a scene in front of everyone.
Serena smiled faintly and dabbed the coffee from her shoulder. Then, without a word, she raised the cup in her own hand.
Steam still curled from the surface. Before Erika could react, she heard a sudden splash. A wave of warm coffee poured down Erika's face, soaking her hair and collar. The smugness vanished from her face in an instant, replaced by blank shock.
Serena set her empty cup calmly on the table and looked up, her fingers brushing back a few damp strands of hair that clung to her cheek.
She said, "My hand slipped just now. Sorry about that."
Erika was angry. "Y-You actually..."
Serena interrupted with a calm, lilting tone. "I really didn't mean it. You won't hold it against me, right?" She looked at Erika's stiff expression and repeated the words Erika had said earlier.
Serena suggested, "How about this? Since we both had 'accidents', we can just review the security footage. Let's see whether you slipped first, or I did."
Erika bit her lip hard, her fists clenched tightly. "No need," she muttered through gritted teeth, then turned and walked away, her back stiff with humiliation.
Almost at that exact moment, Serena's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen—it was a call from Leon's teacher.
She answered. On the other end, the teacher's voice sounded weary. "Mrs. Powell, I'm calling to inform you that your son was involved in a physical altercation today. We need you to come to school as soon as possible."
Serena's fingers tightened around the phone, yet she said, "Madam, please contact his father directly regarding anything to do with Leon."
After hanging up, Serena thought of Leon again, her heart twisting with a mix of concern and helplessness.
'Ever since Eliza showed up, that boy has felt further and further away from me,' thought Serena, and a wave of bitterness rose in her chest.
Meanwhile, in Victor's office, he was reviewing documents at his desk when a soft knock came at the door. It was pushed open a second later.
Eliza stepped in with her usual composed smile. "Vic, are you busy?"
Victor replied, "Yeah, there's something I need to handle today."
"Alright. Once you're done, we can head home together."
"Okay."
Just then, his phone rang. Victor glanced at the screen, his brows drawing together. He answered the call, "Hello, Victor speaking."
A voice came from the other end. "Good afternoon, Mr. Powell. I'm Leon's teacher. I'm calling because there was an incident at school today. Leon was involved in a fight with a classmate."
"A fight?" Victor's brows furrowed deeply. "Is he hurt?"
The teacher replied, "No, he's alright. But..."
Victor felt relieved when he heard Leon was alright. Before the teacher could finish speaking, Victor cut her off. "I'm sorry, I have an important meeting right now. I really can't come now."
Just as he was about to explain the situation, Eliza gestured beside him and suggested, "Vic, if you're not available, I can make the trip for you."
Victor hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Alright. Thank you."
He said to the teacher, "Ma'am, a friend of mine will be there shortly."
After hanging up, Victor turned to Eliza and said, "Thanks, Ellie. I appreciate it."
The smile on Eliza's face faltered slightly when she heard him call her a "friend", but she soon put on her usual smile and replied, "Vic, don't mention it. I'm not busy anyway. I'll head over now."
Inside the office, Eliza sat with an apologetic expression on her face as she spoke to the teacher, "I'm so sorry. It's our failure for not disciplining him properly. We'll make sure to correct his behavior at home. I hope you can give him another chance."
Leon stood in a corner of the room, his face flushed a deep red, his large eyes swimming with resentment.
Suddenly, he stepped forward with a sharp glare at Eliza. "I DIDN'T do anything wrong. Why are you apologizing for me?"
Eliza was stunned. The soft smile on her face froze a bit. "Leon, don't be rude."
"But I didn't do anything wrong." Leon's cheeks puffed out, his tiny fists clenched tightly. He looked like a little bull ready to charge.
"He insulted me first and stole my workbook. I only pushed him a little, and he started crying. You're all taking his side. This is not fair," Leon protested.
A sudden silence fell over the room. Even the teacher looked a bit embarrassed.
Just then, soft sobs came from the hallway. A chubby little boy, still sniffing and red-faced, was led in by a middle-aged woman who looked furious.
The boy's face was a mess of tears and snot. His mother's expression was stern and full of accusation.
The woman snapped, "Madam, it's him. Look at what he did to my poor son." Her voice rang with disapproval as she fixed her gaze on Leon. "What kind of child hits someone over nothing? How do you teach him at home?"
Leon's face turned scarlet upon hearing the woman's accusations. His fists tightened further, and his voice shook slightly as he spoke, "I didn't hit him. I just... pushed him a little, and he started to cry."
The chubby boy wailed even louder at Leon's defense.
The woman crossed her arms and raised her voice. "I don't care what happened. If you don't apologize, this won't end here. Your parents need to discipline you properly, or I'll take this all the way."
Eliza immediately stood and said, "I'm so sorry, ma'am. Leon is still young. He doesn't understand what he did. We'll make sure he learns his lessons. I'll have him apologize to your son."
Her words struck directly at Leon's pride. His little face burned red with anger and humiliation. He looked up and shouted, "Ellie, I told you I DIDN'T do anything wrong. Why do you keep making me apologize?"
Eliza was at a loss for words. Her hand, half-raised, lingered awkwardly in the air. The smile on her face grew strained.
The boy's mother saw Eliza's hesitation and seized the moment. "Did you hear what he said? Saying he's not wrong doesn't make it true. Parents like you are the reason kids act out. You're at school, not in your living room."
Leon still looked stubborn. His lips pressed tightly together, but his eyes shimmered with unshed tears. He bit down hard on his lower lip, whispering under his breath, "He did insult me first..."