Chapter 307
The Dean coughed a few times. “Yes, Principal.”
The Dean looked at Alarieka, raised his chin, his gaze unfriendly and icy with scrutiny.
“Alarieka, you should know this situation was caused by you. We called you here to resolve it. Do you have a problem with that?”
Alarieka said, “I’ll do my best to cooperate with your request.”
Though the school’s attitude toward her was indeed poor, and though other students here had previously isolated and insulted her, those past messy incidents had nothing to do with this matter.
This situation was truly caused by her, and the malice that should’ve been entirely directed at her had also spread to innocent people through Roschelle’s extreme fans.
She really should take responsibility.
The Dean’s eyes finally showed some satisfaction as he nodded lightly. “Good, as long as you admit it.”
“As you know, our school has connections with Mr. Argent. He donated buildings and scholarships to our school and students,” the Dean said. “So after this incident, we swallowed our pride and asked Mr. Argent for his opinion.”
The Dean recalled the call he’d made to Kieran’s assistant that morning.
He’d carefully chosen the call timing–not too early or late, exactly 10 AM. When he dialed, the phone rang a few times before connecting, Kieran’s assistant answering steadily: “May I ask who’s calling?”
His attitude remained humble. Though the person answering was merely Kieran’s assistant, they could directly influence Kieran–a position requiring significant competence.
“Hello, I’m the Dean from Alarieka’s school. I wonder if Mr. Argent might be available? I have some questions about Alarieka that require his input.”
The assistant replied, “Mr. Argent is currently in a meeting and unavailable. Explain the specific issue to me, and I’ll relay it.”
The Dean responded, “Alright, alright, I’ll explain.”
He sounded nervous: “You’re aware of the online uproar about Alarieka–many netizens are furious. Our school’s position is that Alarieka has deeply wronged Ms. Whitaker. How dare she bully such a wonderful person, even driving Ms. Whitaker into depression? We’re heartbroken too. The school shares responsibility for failing to properly educate Alarieka, allowing her to commit such harm against Ms. Whitaker.”
“I called mainly to ask: How is Ms. Whitaker doing now?”
“Not just me, everyone at school cares about her, supports her, and stands by her side. We all hope she gets better soon.”
The assistant listened quietly to his words. He had expected his sincere speech to touch the assistant, but it didn’t. The assistant’s voice remained calm throughout.
“Thank you for your concern, but there’s no need to worry excessively. Mr. Argent is currently comforting Ms. Whitaker, so you needn’t be troubled.”
He pressed further: “Regarding the Alarieka situation, should the school consult with Mr. Argent? You may not realize this, but the school’s reputation has suffered greatly because of Alarieka. Many netizens accuse us of failing to educate students properly, and numerous parents have voiced strong objections. They demand we take disciplinary action against Alarieka. If we ignore this, how can we possibly recruit new students next semester? Both current and prospective families will undoubtedly refuse to enroll here. Don’t you agree?”
“Moreover, due to the scandal Alarieka caused, netizens have doxxed not only her personal information but also many others'. Our faculty and students have had their private details exposed–even the principal has been targeted. Since last night, unknown callers have been harassing us with abusive calls, leaving us sleep-deprived. Several parents have already filed complaints with the education bureau.”
“Given these circumstances, we must address this seriously. Yet our hands are tied. While we wish to discipline Alarieka, she’s the Argent family’s adopted daughter. We… we find it hard to gauge the appropriate approach. That’s why we seek Mr. Argent’s guidance. May we know his thoughts…”