Chapter 82

Tom watched Maisie, standing tall with one arm crossed and the other in her pocket, unbothered by her actions. She looked at Betty and the others with a smug, disdainful expression: Just looking at her made Tom’s head ache.

“Stand properly, Maisie,” Tom said sharply.

“Seriously, Mr. Hardy? You’re even nitpicking how I stand now?” Maisie said. Tom’s brows furrowed deeply, his stern gaze cutting through her attitude. With a reluctant huff, Maisie dropped her arms and pulled her hand out of her pocket.

“And you, young lady,” Tom’s gaze shifted to Zinnia, who stood there looking small and pitiful. His tone softened unconsciously as he continued, “If there’s a conflict, we can talk it out properly. Why let things escalate to violence so quickly?”

Zinnia’s face was covered in dirt, probably from brushing against some dust. Her messy bun hung loosely, with strands of hair falling across her forehead, looking pitiful. Tom thought, ‘She seemed so well-behaved, yet how did she end up slapping someone so suddenly?’

“Sorry, Mr. Hardy.” Zinnia nodded obediently, her voice soft and compliant.

Seeing her being so cooperative, Tom’s stern expression softened a bit. In contrast to the two girls who were clearly reveling in their victory, Betty and Anne looked wretched on the other side.

Zinnia’s slap landed with great force, as her pent-up frustration spilled over. Betty had spent her time at the Shaw residence trying to frame Zinnia for everything, and now she was targeting Zinnia’s friends. Old grudges and fresh anger merged, making this a personal matter.

Betty’s hair was a mess, and she had been crying, her eyes red and glaring at them with fury. It was as if she wanted to tear them apart. She looked like trouble, and it was clear she’d stir up more conflict.

Tom looked at Betty and sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

Tom thought, ‘Betty Shaw, usually well-mannered, revealed her true nature when trouble arose.’ He couldn’t hide his displeasure. Here they were, already in trouble, yet she was still throwing a tantrum, acting as if everyone owed her something.

Anne wasn’t in much better condition. There were several scratches on her face, and her hair was messy. Nevertheless, she still spoke softly, attempting to comfort Betty.

“Mr. Hardy, sorry for the trouble, but I trust my students. They wouldn’t start a fight for no reason,” William’s voice rang out before he even stepped into the room.

He rushed into the office, explaining that he had been resting in the dorm when he received the call. His students had gotten into a fight with students from Class 2, and he had dashed over without even finishing his meal.

On the way, he met some of his students who had been sent back to the classroom. After hearing their side of the story, he clearly realized that students from Class 2 were wrong. William couldn’t help but feel protective of his students.

“Mr. Baker, I know the kids are all good. But it’s senior year, a critical time. Fighting at school – this kind of immature behavior – is something we should try to avoid,” Tom said, his tone calm but firm.

William’s words were smooth and reassuring, and they seemed to put Tom at ease.

“You two okay?” William asked as he stepped into the office, his concern evident as he looked at the girls.

“It’s fine, Mr. Baker. Everything’s good,” Maisie said, flipping her hair with a carefree smile.

“Yeah, don’t worry, Mr. Baker,” Zinnia echoed, shaking her head lightly.

Suddenly, a woman said, “Mr. Hardy, you’ve got to help us out here. It was just a little argument; how did it escalate to this? Students from Class 19 are way out of line.”

Just as William finished speaking, the woman entered the office. She looked to be in her thirties, dressed in a sharp work uniform and glasses, exuding an air of strict professionalism.

“Mr. Baker, you’re here just in time. Look at what your students did to mine,” Ms. Sharp said, her gaze sweeping over the disheveled Betty and Anne before landing on the unharmed Zinnia and Maisie.

“Ms. Sharp, I understand you want to stand up for your students, but twisting the facts won’t help. It was your students who started this mess," William replied calmly.

He continued, “Zinnia only acted out of frustration and lost control for a moment. She’s usually the most easygoing student in our class and would never resort to violence unless truly provoked.”

William glanced at the disheveled Betty, and thought to himself, ‘Wow, my students really pack a punch.’ Keeping his expression neutral, he continued reasoning with Lia.

William said, “If Betty hadn’t been so rude, Zinnia wouldn’t have been pushed to react. For someone as mild-mannered as Zinnia to lose her temper, it’s clear your students crossed a line. Zinnia was just standing up for her classmates.”

“Just a couple of harsh words, and your students start throwing punches? Isn’t that a bit much?” Lia said, clearly displeased as she instinctively defended her own students.

“Ms. Sharp, your student humiliated mine with 'son of a bitch'. Is that something you’d let slide?” Mr. Baker’s usually calm demeanor cracked, his voice tinged with restrained anger.

“Who said that?” Lia’s brows furrowed as she turned to the two students behind her, her gaze sharp and questioning.

She had assumed it was just a minor spat, but hearing such offensive language caught her off guard. This was far worse than the simple exchange of words she’d imagined.

Betty pressed her lips together, refusing to speak under Lia’s piercing stare. She thought, ‘Everyone already hates me, and now even Ms. Sharp is against me. How am I supposed to survive here?’

Lia was known for her fairness. If her students were truly at fault, she wouldn’t hesitate to hold them accountable. Anne glanced at Betty and sighed inwardly, knowing this wouldn’t end well. She was just about to step in.

“It was Betty,” Maisie said firmly, her gaze locked on Betty. “She humiliated me with 'son of a bitch'.”

Betty shot her a look that could freeze fire. “Shut up, Maisie. No one’s going to mistake you for a mute,” she snapped coldly. Anne frowned, clearly displeased with the escalating tension.

“Betty, apologize,” Lia said, clearly surprised. She had always seen Betty as a model student and had a good impression of her.

Even after the online incident, she had chalked it up to family matters and refrained from judging her. But in the end, it truly had all been stirred up because of her.

Betty said nothing. Betty pressed her lips together tightly. ‘Why should I apologize to them?’ she thought.

“Betty, when you make a mistake, you need to apologize,” Lia said, her brows furrowing. She couldn’t believe this was the same student she had once admired. Betty’s stubbornness and refusal to admit fault were shocking.

“Ms. Sharp, I share some of the blame here. Let me apologize,” Anne stepped forward, her tone calm and conciliatory. “I’m sorry, Zinnia, and you too, Maisie,” Anne said, turning to them with a sincere expression.

“Alright, it’s clear Betty has no intention of apologizing. Let’s call her parents; they can deal with her,” Tom said, his tone sharp as he looked at Betty, who sat there with her lips pressed tightly together, refusing to say a word.

Initially, the plan was for both sides to apologize and move on. But Betty refused to take the easy way out. Tom couldn’t help but feel irritated. She had started the trouble, disrupted everyone’s rest, and now had the audacity to act like the victim.

Chapter 83