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Chapter_60
When Arabella returned home that evening, she made a beeline for her room without so much as a glance at dinner. She wasn’t hungry. In fact, she felt drained—drained by the thought of Vivienne’s sudden intrusion into the teaching world.
The idea of Vivienne worming her way into a teaching position at Class Eighteen gnawed at Arabella, stirring up a mix of anger and frustration. Who did she think she was, becoming a teacher?
Arabella had the same intelligence, the same potential. If she wanted to, she could be a teacher too. But that wasn’t her path. She was focused on getting into Elite University based on her own merits, climbing to the top on her own terms.
The knock on her door interrupted her thoughts, followed by the nanny’s voice. “Ms. Arabella, Doreen’s here. Your grandma wants you downstairs.”
Arabella winced at the mention of “Ms. Arabella.” Ever since Vivienne’s return, people had started calling her that—like a subtle reminder that she was adopted. Before Vivienne came back, Arabella had been the true lady of the Hawthorn family.
With a sigh, she brushed off her thoughts. She wasn’t going to let those petty details get to her. She opened the door and made her way downstairs.
When she entered the living room, she froze.
Sitting on the couch was Doreen.
Arabella’s eyes narrowed. Doreen had married into the powerful Churchill family, and last time at the party, she had asked Arabella for help with her daughter’s illness. But instead of returning for the treatment, Doreen had gone to Vivienne, probably thinking she could gain favor with her.
The thought of it made Arabella seethe. Vivienne had already wormed her way into the Hawthorn family, and now she was taking clients from under her nose?
Arabella’s anger boiled over, remembering how Joseph’s affair had torn their family apart. Octavia had been pushing for a divorce, but Joseph refused. It was a constant point of contention, and of course, Joseph had taken his anger out on her. He blamed her behavior for putting him in a difficult spot.
“Ms. Hawthorn!”
Doreen’s voice snapped Arabella back to the present. The woman stood up quickly, her face full of apology. “I’m sorry, I promised I’d bring my daughter for treatment, but she’s been deeply traumatized after the car accident. I’ve tried everything to get her to leave the house, but she refuses.” Doreen’s voice wavered with helplessness. “Could you come to my place to see her instead?”
Arabella raised an eyebrow. Wasn’t it Vivienne who had cured Isolde’s illness? Why was Doreen still turning to her for help?
“I’ll go with you to check on Ms. Faye,” Arabella said, forcing a polite smile. “Don’t worry, Ms. Doreen. I’ll make time.”
Doreen visibly relaxed. “Thank you so much!”
She paused before adding, “When would be a good time?”
Arabella thought for a moment, trying to juggle her responsibilities. Exams are coming up, and I need to focus. But Doreen’s desperation was hard to ignore.
“How about the weekend? The students will be under a lot of pressure with exams coming up, so it might be better to do this then.”
Doreen nodded eagerly. “That sounds perfect! I’ll arrange everything.”
After setting the time, Doreen left in a hurry, and Arabella was left standing in the quiet living room.
Beatrice, who had been watching from the corner, gave Arabella a skeptical look. “Arabella, are you sure you can cure Ms. Faye’s illness?”
The Baker family held significant power in Havenwood, and Doreen’s marriage into the Churchill family in Rivenwood made things even more delicate. Beatrice was understandably cautious.
“I’ll need to examine Ms. Faye in person before I can say for certain,” Arabella replied, biting her lip as she thought. “But it should be fine. Ms. Faye’s condition is due to the car accident, and Dr. William has treated similar cases before. He taught me everything I know.”
The truth was, Arabella had never been officially trained by Dr. William. She had only observed his treatments and learned the basics. She hadn’t received the same level of education as his actual students, but she wasn’t about to admit that.
“Just be careful,” Beatrice said, her voice laced with concern. “We can’t afford any mistakes, especially with the Churchill family involved.”
“I know, Grandma,” Arabella replied, her tone firm but calm.
The next morning, Vivienne arrived at Cloudcrest High by 7:30 a.m., heading straight to her office. It was separate from the other teachers’ offices, offering her a little peace before the day began.
Classes started at 8:00, but the students had reading time beginning at 7:30, so she always arrived early.
As she passed the principal’s office, she heard raised voices from within. She considered walking past, but then she caught her name.
“Lysander, you have to fire Vivienne today. No matter what,” one voice insisted.
“If you don’t fire her, we’ll pull our kids out of this school. Make a decision, principal!” another added.
Vivienne stopped dead in her tracks, listening closely.
“What on earth were you thinking?” a parent raged. “Vivienne’s only just come from the sticks, with no formal schooling, and now she’s a teacher? She’s messing around with Mr. Ellington, and you want her teaching our kids? That’s unacceptable!”
“Not only is she involved with Mr. Ellington, but I heard she’s a thief! The Hawthorn family just swept it under the rug. A person like her has no business teaching at this school.”
Vivienne’s heart sank as she heard these vicious rumors, her frustration growing. These parents had no idea what they were talking about, and yet they were so quick to pass judgment.
In the office, Lysander was trying to maintain control, his voice tight with anger. “Ms. Vivienne was hired properly to teach Class Eighteen. She won’t be teaching any other classes. I’ve discussed this with the parents of Class Eighteen, and they haven’t raised any concerns. So I’d appreciate it if you stopped causing trouble.”
The tirade didn’t stop. One parent shot back, “If she’s not teaching anything, what’s the point of having her here at all? We donate so much money every year. You can’t just let anyone walk in through the back door.”
Lysander’s patience wore thin. “Ms. Vivienne did not come in through any back door. Her hiring process was completely above board.”
But the parents were relentless. “If she’s not fired today, we won’t let this go!”
Vivienne’s grip on the doorframe tightened, her mind racing. She could feel the tension rising, the weight of these unfounded accusations pressing down on her.
I didn’t ask for this, she thought bitterly, but she knew she had no choice but to stay strong. She couldn’t let these people tear her down.