The room fell silent, the air thick with tension. Mrs. Aldridge straightened up, her face flushed with shock and defiance. She opened her mouth to speak, but Leonard didn’t give her the chance.
“No child should be treated like this,” Leonard said, his voice steady but full of fury. “Especially not my daughter. I demand an explanation.”
Mrs. Aldridge stammered, her confidence faltering. “Mr. Hayes, I—she was misbehaving. She didn’t finish her assignments, and I’ve warned her before.”
