Chapter 3
After the weekend, Nancy dropped Liam off at preschool.
With a rare chunk of quiet time, I sat down to review the state of our company.
Logan and I had co-founded it years ago—he handled the tech side, I did PR and marketing.
Logan was a classic introvert. Brilliant, but allergic to people.
Still, somehow, five years later, the company was thriving. Our stock value had skyrocketed. My own dividends had tripled.
It was a relief. Even if Logan and I fell apart, at least I’d have something solid to fall back on.
I dove into the internet, trying to catch up on the last five years of trends and data. I was even eyeing a few solid investment leads when my phone buzzed.
“Is this Liam Carter’s parent?”
“Liam was involved in an altercation at school. The other child’s parent is already here. Please come immediately.”
[Oh snap. Here it comes—the classic “just when you thought things were fine” plot twist.]
[Maybe it’s a misunderstanding? Liam just got disciplined, he wouldn’t act out again… right?]
[Nope. I saw the whole thing. Kid’s just mean. Born bad.]
[Ugh, this whole family’s a disaster. But hey, if he picked on Mia Scott, he’s about to learn what karma looks like.]
[That chubby little menace thinks money solves everything. Wait till he finds out Mia’s dad is Ethan freaking Scott. One call and the Carter family’s done.]
I raised an eyebrow. Noted the name: Mia Scott.
When I arrived, Liam was standing in the corner, head down, silent.
Across the room, a graceful woman sat with a little girl on her lap, whispering soothing words.
The teacher wasted no time. She pulled up the surveillance footage.
Apparently it wasn’t a full-blown fight, but Liam had definitely shoved the girl.
I knelt beside him.
“Did she say something mean to you?”
Liam shook his head.
“Did she hurt you when no one was looking? Or do something to make you feel bad?”
He thought about it, then shook his head again.
[Girl, stop. Mia was just minding her business playing with blocks. Liam stormed over, started talking to her, and when she ignored him, he shoved her.]
[I feel so helpless. Like I wanna reach through the screen and smack him myself.]
[This is why parenting matters. If that were my kid, I’d have already dragged him out by the ear.]
Even though the peanut gallery had explained it all, I still asked gently, “Why did you do it, then?”
Liam wouldn’t meet my eyes.
I patted his head and let it go.
I walked over to Mia’s mom and apologized sincerely, letting her know we’d cover all the medical bills, any missed work, and even snacks if needed.
The woman looked startled, then visibly relaxed. She probably expected me to be a nightmare mom.
Instead, I was calm, cooperative.
Later that afternoon, I signed Liam out early. Just as we were about to leave, the teacher pulled me aside.
“Ms. Carter, this isn’t the first time Liam’s been aggressive. Usually, it’s boys—typical roughhousing—but now he’s turning on the girls too. Look, I know you’ve been sending the nanny, and I get it. Life’s busy. But when you have a kid, that’s a responsibility you can’t outsource.”
…
Outside the classroom, Liam was waiting, lips pressed tight, eyes darting up at me nervously.
He probably expected a scolding.
But I didn’t say a word.
Back home, everything was normal. Dinner, chores, bedtime.
Except Liam kept checking on me. Every few minutes, he’d peek in, like I might explode at any second.
At dinner, he didn’t challenge me. Ate his vegetables. His protein. Even the quinoa.
During our walk, he offered to pull the car again.
I waved him off. “You didn’t overeat today. No need for extra cardio.”
He lowered his head and whispered, “Okay.”
Seeing him like that? It gave me hope.
At least my kid wasn’t beyond saving.
