Chapter 519

Hamilton not only played dirty, but he was also ruthless. He had practically driven Natalie into a corner with no way out.
First, he cemented her reputation for bullying a fellow actress on set, completely destroying her public image. Then came a wave of dropped endorsement deals. After using all her savings to pay the termination fees, he blacklisted her.
She tried to speak out, but her voice was completely silenced. Then came the divorce, where she received nothing, not a single cent. She was even kicked out of her home with nowhere to go. Ultimately, she was forced to leave Orenth.
Penelope understood perfectly what Natalie meant about not being able to cross Hamilton. The man showed no mercy and held no regard for their past relationship. He had been truly vicious.
If Theodore had treated her the same way, she would have been just as powerless and would have said the same thing: she couldn’t afford to cross him. But Theodore hadn’t. He had simply acted as if she were dead, never mentioning her again. She wondered if that kind of cold indifference was even worse than Hamilton’s cruelty.
The next morning, following the address Julian had given her, she found herself at his school.
A large bus was parked outside, and parents were lining up with their children to board. While she was still confused, Julian waved to her.
“Mom, over here!”
The word “Mom” startled Penelope. Just as she was wondering when she’d been found out, she saw Julian give her a knowing look.
What was this little trickster up to now?
She walked over apprehensively and met the gaze of a young teacher who was sizing her up.
“You must be Julian’s mother. I’ve always heard you’re very busy, which is why you’ve never been to any of the parent-teacher meetings. We’ve never had the chance to meet.”
“Uh, I’m sorry about that.” What else could she say but apologize?
The teacher smiled. “Since the kids are graduating from kindergarten soon, the school organized a spring field trip. I was worried that neither you nor your husband would be able to make it. I’m so glad you’re here. Julian will be thrilled.”
From the teacher’s words, it seemed Theodore had never attended any of Julian’s school events either.
After the teacher left, Julian told her, “I don’t let my dad come.”
“Why not?” Penelope asked, confused.
“He’s too eye-catching and has a high-profile way of doing things. I, on the other hand, have a low-key, reserved personality. His presence at school would cause a lot of
on
trouble for my academ
“That makes sense. So that’s why you asked me to… ahem, pretend to be your mom?”
“Yes. You’re more ordinary.”
“Well, thank you for the compliment!”
On the bus, Penelope
enthusiastically greeted the mothers of the other students. One of her greatest strengths was her social skills, and she quickly blended in.
Julian, finding her too noisy, put on his headphones to listen to music.
The destination for the field trip was a farm. The kindergarten wanted the city- dwelling children to experience a rural, agricultural atmosphere.
The teacher took attendance, and then the bus departed.
“Hey, I don’t think Queena Scott is here yet,” one parent pointed out.
The teacher explained, “Queena is riding in her mother’s luxury van. It’s following right behind our bus.”
Everyone turned to look back and, sure enough, there was a large van.
“Well, look at that. Special treatment,” someone remarked sarcastically.
“You can’t really blame them. Queena’s mom is a big star. It probably wouldn’t be convenient for her to ride with all of us,” another person said.
A big star?
Penelope turned to the parent next to her. “Which big star?”
Knowing she hadn’t attended meetings before, the parent whispered, “Maria. You
must know her. She’s been really popular lately.”