Chapter 4 - The Viper in the Classroom
The wealthy parents of Westfield Academy did not like Lily Carter. To them, she was a stain on the school's elite reputation.
Leading the charge was Eleanor Green, Tanner’s mother. Eleanor was the head of the PTA, a woman dripping in diamonds and arrogance. She had petitioned the school board to revoke Lily’s scholarship, claiming she was a "distraction."
"She comes to school without shoes, Richard," Eleanor sneered at a society gala that weekend, sipping her champagne. "She’s practically feral. Tanner says she’s brainwashing your poor, disabled son."
Richard’s jaw tightened. "That 'feral' girl is the only reason my son smiles, Eleanor."
The hostility trickled down to the classroom. The next Monday, the students were tasked with a painting project. Tanner, emboldened by his mother’s hatred, walked past Lily's desk and "accidentally" knocked over a jar of black paint.
The dark liquid splattered all over Lily’s only dress—the faded blue one she wore every single day.
The class went silent. Lily looked down at her ruined dress, her bottom lip quivering. It was the only dress her grandmother had managed to salvage from the fire that had taken her parents' lives.
Tanner laughed. "Oops. Now you match the dirt you walk on."
Maxwell felt something snap inside him. Not sadness. Not fear. Pure, unadulterated anger. He stood up. His titanium legs locked firmly into place. He didn't stumble. He didn't need to look down.
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He walked straight up to Tanner, towering over the boy who had terrorized him for months.
"Apologize to her," Maxwell demanded, his voice echoing with the authority of his father.
