Chapter 168

In a cozy corner of a private kindergarten in the bustling Capital, Dahlia stood quietly in a spot unnoticed by the security cameras. Her eyes were fixed on three notorious troublemakers who had a history of picking on Sandy. With Dahlia’s subtle coaxing, they strutted towards Sandy proud and cocky. Sandy, meanwhile, was trudging towards her classroom. Her head was hung low and her spirits even lower. When she passed by a small flowerbed, she was suddenly shoved from behind, hard. She stumbled, landing awkwardly on the ground, scraping her palms. Tears welled up immediately from the sting, but she didn’t let out a cry like most kids might.
Sandy knew her mom couldn’t stand her tears. Crying was something her mom only tolerated when her dad was around. With her dad present, her tears would melt his heart, making him kinder to her mom, who would then tenderly pat Sandy’s head. But when her dad was away, tears meant Dahlia’s cold silence, a frown, and a look of disdain. Sandy didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that.
Over time, she taught herself to hold back the tears unless she was with Charles. If she couldn’t contain them, she’d bite her lip and let the tears quietly fall, then quickly wipe them away before her mom could notice.
With tears brimming in her eyes, Sandy picked herself up off the ground. But before she could steady herself, one of the bullies shoved her again, sending her back down with a thud. Her eyes blazing with anger, she shouted, “What are you doing?”
“Sandy, you liar! You don’t have a dad. You’re just a bastard!” one of them taunted, striking a nerve deep within her. She scrambled to her feet, fueled by anger. “I do have a dad, and I’m not a bastard!”
“You’re a bastard! If you have a dad, why doesn’t he ever drop you off at school? All our dads came to the sports day. Where was yours?” they sneered.
“You’re just a liar!
“Yeah, Sandy, you don’t have a dad!
“Sandy is a bastard!
“Bastard!
“Bastard!”
The ringleader, a popular kid, started the chant, and soon others joined in, some not even knowing what “bastard” meant but joining the chorus anyway. Sandy was livid. She lunged at them with all her might. “You’re lying! I’m not a bastard! I
have a dad, and he loves my mom
and me!”
But despite her determination, she was still a girl trying to take on the boys. One of them yanked her hair, dragging her down, while his sidekicks piled on, pinning her to the ground. “You’re just a bastard!” they declared triumphantly. A woman had told them Sandy was lying, that she didn’t have a dad, that he was just a man her mom pretended was her dad to fool them.
“I’m not a nobody!” Sandy insisted, refusing to admit defeat. Dahlia had promised that her dad would soon marry her, and they’d all live together happily. Sandy wasn’t a nobody.
“Do your mom and dad sleep together at night? Do you live with them both?” one bully pressed on, repeating a question a woman had fed him. He was certain it would stump Sandy and prove her a liar.
Sandy was momentarily stunned.
Her parents didn’t sleep together.
The one time her mom asked her to make her dad stay, he left after she fell asleep. That night, her mom had been furious and even hit her calling her useless.
Her hesitation only fueled the bullies’ confidence. One kid, recalling his mom’s arguments with his dad, chimed in, “Your mom’s a shameless mistress! Mistresses are bad women, and their kids are bad, too!”
“My mom’s not a mistress! And I’m
not a bastard!” Sandy cried out, a
fierce protectiveness rising within. her. Somehow, she found the strength to kick off the boys, pinning her down and fought back with everything she had.