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"Dad?" Her voice cracked, tremulous. "You're divorcing Mom for this mistress?"
A cold, contemptuous smile touched my lips.
"Having daughter this old?" I sneered, my voice cut through the intense silence. "Marrying me must've been such a sacrifice for you, James."
"James!" Melissa's shriek was shrill, vibrating with rage. She swept Chloe protectively behind her, glaring daggers at her... my husband. "How dare you raise your hand against our daughter for this mistress!"
Silence thickened in the room. Teachers and administrators averted their eyes, uncomfortable witnesses to this raw, domestic explosion. Their gazes skittered nervously between me and Melissa who spat fury like a cornered cat.
"ENOUGH!" James roared, taking a threatening step towards Melissa, seemingly forgetting the stunned audience entirely. "You crazy woman!"
Then, his tone dropped instantly, transforming into something soft, almost tender, as he turned to me. "Sarah... Let's get you to the hospital. We'll figure everything out later. I promise. I'll explain."
"No." I pushed away his reaching hand.
"I'll go myself. But you," I leveled a stare at him, then flicked my eyes towards Melissa and Chloe, "explain yourself to them. Right now."
James seemed to finally register the crowd.
His face went slack, then rigid, a mask of horrified awareness. His furious gaze snapped back to Melissa, darkening with undisguised loathing.
The tense standoff was broken by a soft knock. A young man in a perfectly tailored blazer stood at the open doorway, calm and professional.
"Ms. Mitchell?" he addressed me directly.
"The car is ready. I'll escort you to the hospital."
His presence was instantly noted. A murmur ran through the officials.
A district official leaned closer to the principal, awe in his voice. "Isn't that... the private aide to Party Secretary Mitchell?"
"Mitchell..." the principal whispered back, eyes widening as they darted to me. Realization dawned.
"Sarah Mitchell? Good God... Secretary Mitchell's daughter? She's not the mistress!"
