Chapter 1887
The next morning at six, the principal was already on the phone with her.
"Ms. March, please dress smartly today. The higher-ups are taking this matter very seriously. If our preschool can impress the investors, the government will allocate a substantial budget for us next year. No skirts, wear slacks and a blouse."
Zoey rubbed her temples, feeling a bit weary. "Got it, Principal."
"Ms. March, this is really important. There's a lot of pressure on me too, you know."
"Yeah, I understand."
Zoey couldn't afford to take this lightly. She rummaged through her closet for her business attire, then headed downstairs for a quick bite. She decided not to tell Curtis and Miranda just yet to spare them the worry.
Arriving at school, it was still early. Since the news came through last night, the preschool had been cleaning around the clock. Now, not a speck of dust was in sight.
Entering her classroom, Zoey noticed that colorful balloons had been hung up everywhere.
She approached a staff member nearby.
"Do we really need all this? It's a bit over the top."
"It's what the principal and the powers that be want."
Zoey clammed up; after all, she was just a teacher.
Her colleague Gemma and a few others passed by, looking sour.
Everyone knew a child was transferring to Zoey's class. Despite her announcement in the teachers' group that she had withdrawn her application, here she was, having gone behind everyone's backs. They labeled her a schemer.
Gemma had never liked Zoey, considering her too pretentious. Now she was even more sarcastic.
"Some people claimed they didn't apply, right? But who knows how many calls they've made to the principal behind the scenes."Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.
The others were also miffed. It was a golden opportunity for promotion, and Zoey had played them all.
"Yeah, why all the secrecy, unless you're playing games with us?"
"It's shameless, really. To deceive colleagues just for a leg up, and after I stood up for her in the past."
Gemma felt vindicated hearing the chorus of complaints.
Luckily, her class was right next to Zoey's. If the investor came to pick up the child, she'd have a chance to meet them too.
Zoey didn't have a leg to stand on; the outcome of the situation made her feel guilty, and she didn't even know how things got to this point.
Her gaze fell on Gemma, who was wearing a spaghetti strap dress and had put on elaborate makeup.
The other single teachers had also dressed up.
With everyone looking at her unfriendly, she chose to ignore them.
The principal came over at this point, spotting Zoey immediately, "Ms. March, the child and the investor are about to arrive. Come with me to greet them."
Zoey didn't appreciate the principal's
eager attitude, but sometimes she had to admit that it was the privilege of the wealthy. After all, the whole of Zion City was hoping for a
ovel
turnaround thanks to their investment.
She took a deep breath and put on a professional smile.
"Alright."
The others started to grumble.
"We want to go too. Let us get a glimpse of the world too."
"Yeah, why should Zoey be the only one to go?"
The principal, already dealing with enough headaches, couldn't waste any more time, "Alright, everyone can come, but please, no chit-chat when we're there." Everyone seemed a bit more pleased with that.
The group waited outside the preschool gates for forty minutes, and the car was nowhere in sight.
Many were in high heels, and their legs were starting to hurt.
Zoey, in her flats, was comfortable for now, but standing out in the sun for forty minutes would make anyone restless.
Just as she was about to suggest to the principal that they find some shade, a familiar luxury car appeared in the distance. "Here they come! They're here!"
The principal's voice was filled with excitement, and everyone craned their necks.
As the luxury car approached, Zoey couldn't shake off the memory of the man from yesterday, especially his aggressive use of high beams - it had crossed a line for her.
When she saw the man holding the child step out of the car, her expression soured.
The principal, however, was already making introductions.
"Mr. Haskins, this must be young Nolan, right?"
Fitch didn't look at him but instead glanced at Zoey.
Zoey's forehead was beaded with sweat, obviously from standing out here too long. He spoke up apologetically.
"Sorry, my assistant got lost. Not familiar with the roads here."
The principal was quick to respond, "No worries at all. The streets of Zion City can be quite confusing. Oh, Mr. Haskins, let me introduce you. This is Nolan's teacher, Zoey."
Zoey felt uneasy all over.