Chapter 10

The next morning, bright and early.

Julia had already taken Joseph and Stephen to enroll at the prestigious private preschool that Caroline had mentioned was tough to get into.

Not wanting to waste any time and delay her work, she moved quickly.

As soon as they entered the preschool, Julia felt even more confident about her decision to have Joseph and Stephen attend this school. The preschool was not only selective about the children but also about the parents.

Julia, armed with all the required documents, made her way to the principal's office. The principal, efficient and thorough, reviewed all the documents and successfully admitted Joseph and Stephen.

"Ms. Kennedy, you can sign here," the principal said.

Julia signed her name, and a kind-looking teacher came to take Joseph and Stephen away. The teacher seemed to take an immediate liking to them. They were not only good-looking but also well-behaved.

The teacher spoke to them gently, "In a little while, I'll take you to your classroom to meet the other children you'll be spending time with, okay?"

Joe, trying to muster a smile, responded, "Okay."

Joseph and Stephen had grown up in a research institute with their mom, so they were used to meeting new people and adapting quickly.

When they arrived at the classroom, the teacher clapped her hands to get the attention of the scattered children. "Kids, we have two new classmates today. Let's give them a warm welcome!"

The children responded enthusiastically, followed by a round of applause.

Joseph and Stephen confidently introduced themselves. After the introductions, Stephen tugged on Joseph's arm and whispered, "Joseph, guess what? Our half-sister Tiffany is in this class too!"

Joseph looked in the direction Stephen indicated and saw that it was true. Tiffany was also looking at them, her eyes showing a hint of excitement.

Although Tiffany didn't know why Joseph and Stephen were there, she was genuinely happy to see them.

At that moment, the teacher assigned seats to Joseph and Stephen, placing them right next to Tiffany. As they sat down, Tiffany's beautiful eyes remained fixed on them, but Joseph and Stephen didn't acknowledge her.

Tiffany, thinking they hadn't recognized her, lowered her head in disappointment. Joseph and Stephen noticed her sadness.

"She's the child our bad daddy had with another woman. We can't talk to her, or we'll be betraying Mommy," Joseph said.

Stephen nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we can't betray Mommy."

Throughout the class, they didn't say a word to Tiffany. After class, a group of children gathered around Joseph and Stephen, mostly girls. Some invited them to play house, assigning roles of mom and dad.

Joseph and Stephen were polite and kind to their classmates. Seeing them having so much fun, Tiffany wanted to join in. She stood up but was suddenly pushed from behind, causing her to fall.

Tiffany saw who had pushed her.

"You're so annoying! Why are you everywhere? Can you stay away from me? My parents said being mute is contagious!" a girl shouted.

"Really?" another child asked.

"Of course! My parents wouldn't lie to me. Being mute is contagious!" the girl insisted.

Everyone moved away from Tiffany. No one helped her up; instead, they laughed at her. Tiffany tried to get up by grabbing a nearby chair, but someone moved it, causing her to fall again.

Tiffany sat on the floor, her eyes red with tears, feeling utterly miserable. No one offered to help; instead, they continued to mock her.

Tiffany sniffled and slowly got up. She returned to her seat, took out a small notebook from her backpack, and began writing. She usually communicated by writing, but no one paid attention to her now.

Tiffany quickly finished writing, turned to the page that said "Apologize," and showed it to the girl who had tripped her, Chloe Green.

"Why should I apologize? I didn't say anything wrong. You're annoying. I think you need a beating," Chloe said, raising her hand to hit Tiffany.

Tiffany stubbornly held up her notebook, which only made Chloe angrier. Then Chloe slapped Tiffany hard.

Joseph and Stephen couldn't stand it any longer. Why was Chloe always bullying Tiffany? Tiffany was different and deserved more care.

"Why do you keep bullying her? That's so rude!" Joseph said, pulling Tiffany behind him.

Stephen stepped forward. "Yeah, you pushed her earlier and now you hit her! You should apologize!"

Chloe, taken aback by their scolding, looked around for support but found none.

"I... I didn't!" Chloe stammered, her face turning red as if she might cry.

Stephen, seeing this, took a deep breath and approached Chloe. "Apologize to her, and we can keep playing. Otherwise, you'll be a bad kid, and no one will want to play with you. Do you want to play with us?"

Chloe, looking down, mumbled, "Yes."

"Then apologize. We can still be friends," Stephen said gently, making Chloe less afraid.

After a moment of hesitation, Chloe apologized, "I'm sorry for hitting you. I don't want to be a bad kid. Will you forgive me?"

Tiffany nodded.

Stephen placed Tiffany's hand in Chloe's. " Chloe isn't a bad kid anymore. We're all friends."

Children didn't hold grudges for long. Soon, they were all playing together again.

Joseph, however, was concerned about Tiffany. "Did you get hurt?"

Tiffany shook her head, hiding her hands behind her back.

Joseph didn't understand. She was clearly hurt, so why deny it?

"Show me your hand," he said.

Tiffany shook her head again.

Joseph gently took her hand from behind her back. Her skin was delicate, and the scrape was a glaring red mark.

"Doesn't it hurt?" he asked, full of concern.