Chapter 1048 | Will Hit You

The teacher glanced at Estella before turning to Sonya, rephrasing her sentence. “It’s not that Essie is ignoring the other children; it’s that she screams when they approach her.”

Sonya noticed several children being picked up, whispering as they looked at Estella. She guessed their whispers echoed the teacher's words.

“Essie takes a while to warm up to strangers. It’s her first day, after all. I hope the teachers will be patient with her,” Sonya said politely. “She’ll be a good girl once she’s settled in.”

Sonya lowered her head to look at Estella. “Right, Essie?” Estella’s lips remained pressed together; her head hung low. She seemed not to hear.

Sonya furrowed her brows, crouching patiently. “I’m talking to you, Essie.” The girl blinked and looked away.

“I think it’s best for Essie to return to her previous school. She’ll feel safer with familiar people,” the teacher suggested.

The mention of Estella’s former school reminded Sonya of Roxanne and her sons. Estella was her granddaughter, yet seemed closer to Roxanne’s family than to her own. Why wasn’t she connecting with me?

Sonya felt a surge of anger. She needed Estella to respond. “Do you want to go back to your old school?” she asked, her voice sharp.

Estella pursed her lips, about to nod, when Sonya continued.

“I put a lot of effort into finding this kindergarten for you. Can you bear to disappoint me? The children here like you. If you accept them, you’ll make friends,” Sonya said, ignoring her own earlier, dashed promises of hope.

Tears welled in Estella’s eyes. Sonya froze, then watched, helplessly, as Estella’s tears flowed uncontrollably.

The teacher instinctively moved to comfort the girl, but Sonya pulled Estella close. “Stop crying!”

Estella cried louder. Sonya, despite knowing of Estella’s sensitivities, had never witnessed such a meltdown. Her temples throbbed; frustration mounted. “Stop crying!” she yelled close to the girl’s ear. Startled, Estella paused briefly, only to resume crying. The teacher hesitated, unable to intervene.

Seeing her threat had some effect, Sonya raised her hand as if to strike. “If you keep crying, I’ll hit you!”

Terrified, Estella hiccuped, her crying becoming silent. Sonya, mistaking fear for compliance, stood up, satisfied.

The teacher’s heart ached at Sonya’s treatment of the child.

“I’ll talk to her at home. She’ll be better tomorrow,” Sonya said, lifting Estella into her arms and leaving.