Chapter 52: Punishment

The headteacher, nearly driven mad by a group of people, greeted Myrna upon her arrival: “You’re here? Come in quickly.”

Myrna closed the door behind her, seeing Leann and Stephanie. Stephanie held the arm of a well-dressed woman, looking up at her and speaking as if she were more than a mother; Leann, Myrna’s own mother, stood aside. The three of them looked at her simultaneously as she entered, their gazes piercing her like three little awls.

“Hmm,” Myrna raised her eyebrows, her delicate face calm and composed, a hint of wildness in the corners of her eyes. She acted as if she saw nothing, walked to the front of the office desk, and asked, “Director, you were looking for me?”

The headteacher, having taught for so many years, finally encountered a genius. He had a soft spot for Myrna, unwilling to let a student with potential be ruined by trivial matters. But with so many teachers and students’ parents present, he couldn’t really play favorites.

He coughed dryly to alleviate the awkwardness, his sharp eyes turning to Myrna. He asked seriously, “Did you skip class yesterday?”

As soon as Myrna arrived at school, Rachel informed her that she had been caught leaving early the previous day. The evidence was irrefutable; she had no intention of denying it, nor had she ever considered doing so.

“Um, I had an emergency and had to leave early.”

This attitude—so casual, as if it were a provocation!—suddenly offended everyone in the office. Hattie sneered first, her face not looking good: “What do you think the school is, come and go as you please?”

The headteacher, mediating, eased the conflict: “Ms. Benson, don’t get angry yet. Listen to Myrna’s explanation first; maybe there really is an emergency?”

The headteacher sternly criticized her, “Myrna, no matter how urgent your matters are, you should not leave without informing your class teacher. You left the school privately during school hours. If something happens to you outside, who can bear this responsibility? Your teacher, the school, cannot bear this responsibility! Neither can I. Do you understand?”

Myrna lowered her eyelids, covering her dark and mischievous eyes, and responded in a fairly good manner, “Understood.”

The headteacher knew she was smart and understood his meaning. His face relaxed immediately, and he turned to Hattie, saying, “Ms. Benson, you see, she knows she was wrong. Considering she just transferred to the school and doesn’t understand the school rules and regulations yet, let’s let it go this time.”

Hattie furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to speak. He raised his hand, preemptively stopping the conversation: “If she leaves early without reason again and doesn’t ask for leave from the teacher, I will deal with her seriously, even without Ms. Benson’s intervention!”

Hattie had a lot to say, but it was stuck in her throat. Seeing the headteacher’s protection of Myrna, she didn’t like it and was upset, but she couldn’t say anything more. After all, the school leaders had said that if Myrna was late or left early again, she would be severely punished. She couldn’t possibly ignore this warning.

She stopped talking, but that didn’t mean others were planning to let it go! At that moment, Elaine, the class advisor of Class B, glanced leisurely towards Myrna and raised a question, “Director, you haven’t asked her what the urgent matter is that she didn’t even have time to attend the opening ceremony.”

The Dean of Instruction frowned again. He had intended to handle things gently, but for some reason, Elaine insisted on picking on the new transfer student.