The morning was a whirlwind of activity. Danielle poured all her energy into her project, trying to numb herself with work.
When Lorie walked into the office, a bright smile on her face, she began telling her colleagues about her dress fitting, her voice filled with happiness.
Danielle, sitting at her desk, pretended not to hear, her eyes fixed on the data on her computer screen.
Finally, afternoon arrived. Danielle left the Aerospace Institute early and rushed to the school.
When she entered the classroom, most of the other parents had already arrived. As soon as Niki saw her, she ran over with a smile, pulling her by the hand to a seat in the very front row.
After the conference began, the teacher started talking about the children’s progress. When she got to Niki, she smiled and said, “Niki is a very thoughtful child, and she’s especially good at drawing.”
“She just sometimes asks when her dad is coming to the school. You can tell she really misses him.”
Danielle’s heart clenched. She glanced at her daughter beside her and saw Niki looking down, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.
She reached out and took her daughter’s hand, whispering softly, “Niki, even though Daddy isn't here, he cares about you very much. Mommy will tell him everything the teacher said.”
-
Danielle had just settled into the seat next to Niki.
Just as she sat down, she heard a stir at the classroom door.
Turning her head, she saw Harold walking in, dressed in a well-tailored light gray suit. He was carrying a canvas bag with the school's logo, filled with art supplies and small stickers.
He walked straight to Danielle and leaned in with a smile.
“What a coincidence. I’m a shareholder in the school. I just came by to check on operations and happened to walk into the parent-teacher conference.”
Danielle was taken aback and was about to politely decline—
She didn’t want Harold to insert himself into her and her daughter’s lives like this.
But before she could speak, Harold had already turned and approached the teacher by the podium, naturally taking over the task of handing out materials as if he had rehearsed it.


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