Love by the Contract

Chapter 142

The drive to Ridgewood Academy felt interminable. Emma’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel, her mind racing through every possible scenario. Lucy and Liam had been through so much in their young lives—the divorce, the adjustment to her marriage to Thomas, and their father Alex’s fluctuating presence. Had they struggled silently with something she had missed?

As Emma parked and rushed toward the main building, she saw Alex arriving from the opposite direction. His long strides carried him quickly across the courtyard, his expression set in a mixture of worry and determination.

“Emma,” he called as they converged near the main entrance.

“Do you know anything more?” she asked, breathless.

He shook his head. “Just that it’s serious enough for the principal to call both of us. I didn’t get many details.”

They exchanged a brief, unspoken agreement to keep their focus on the twins, setting aside any lingering tension from their past conflicts.

Inside the school’s reception area, they were immediately ushered into Principal Carter’s office. He was a tall, composed man with a calm demeanor, but today his eyes reflected concern.

“Thank you both for coming so quickly,” Principal Carter said, gesturing for them to sit.

“Where are Lucy and Liam?” Emma asked, her voice tight.

“They’re in the counseling room with Mrs. Dunham, our school psychologist,” Carter replied. “They’re shaken but safe. Before you see them, I need to explain the situation.”

Emma and Alex exchanged a tense glance before turning their attention back to Carter.

“This morning, there was an altercation during recess involving Lucy and Liam,” he began. “It seems a group of older students had been teasing Lucy, targeting her for what they perceived as favoritism from teachers. Things escalated when Liam stepped in to defend her.”

Emma’s heart clenched. “Teasing? How long has this been going on?”

“We’re still piecing that together,” Carter admitted. “What we do know is that Liam’s intervention led to a physical confrontation. He ended up pushing one of the older boys, which resulted in the boy tripping and falling into a bench.”

Alex leaned forward, his jaw tight. “And what about the kids who started this? Are they being held accountable?”

Carter raised a hand to calm him. “We’re addressing the situation with all parties involved. However, given Liam’s actions, there will need to be consequences for him as well.”

“Consequences?” Emma repeated, incredulous. “You’re saying my son defended his sister from bullies, and he’s the one facing consequences?”

“We understand this is a delicate situation,” Carter said evenly. “But physical altercations, regardless of intent, are against school policy.”

Emma felt her frustration boiling over but bit her tongue. She needed to focus on understanding the full picture before reacting further.

“Can we see them?” Alex asked, his voice steady but strained.

Carter nodded. “Of course. Mrs. Dunham is ready to bring you in.”

A few moments later, Emma and Alex entered the counseling room, where Lucy and Liam sat on a small sofa. Lucy’s face was tear-streaked, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. Liam sat beside her, his expression a mix of anger and guilt.

“Mom! Dad!” Lucy’s voice cracked as she rushed to Emma, wrapping her arms around her waist.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Emma murmured, kneeling to hold her. “We’re here.”

Liam stayed seated, his gaze fixed on the floor. Alex crouched in front of him. “Hey, bud. Talk to me. What happened?”

“They were making fun of Lucy,” Liam muttered, his voice barely audible. “They said mean things. I told them to stop, but they wouldn’t. So… I pushed him.”

Emma exchanged a glance with Alex, her heart breaking for her son.

“You were trying to protect your sister,” Alex said gently. “I get it. But we need to find better ways to handle situations like that, okay?”

Liam looked up, his eyes brimming with tears. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I just… I didn’t know what else to do.”

Emma pulled both children close, wrapping her arms around them. “You’re not in this alone,” she said softly. “We’re going to figure this out together.”

For the next hour, Emma and Alex worked with Mrs. Dunham and Principal Carter to devise a plan to support Lucy and Liam. The school promised increased supervision during recess and counseling sessions to help both twins process their emotions. While the immediate situation was being addressed, Emma couldn’t shake the lingering guilt that she hadn’t noticed their struggles sooner.

As they left the school, Emma turned to Alex. “We need to stay on top of this. They’ve been through so much already.”

“I know,” Alex agreed. “I’ll clear my schedule for the next few days. Let’s make sure they know we’re here for them.”

Emma nodded, grateful for his cooperation. Their ability to co-parent effectively was one of the few constants she could rely on.

Back at the foundation later that afternoon, Emma sat in her office, trying to refocus on work. But her thoughts kept drifting to Lucy and Liam. She opened her laptop, intending to send an update to Thomas, who was still traveling for meetings. Before she could compose the email, Nora appeared in the doorway, looking concerned.

“Emma, I just got off the phone with our finance department,” Nora said.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s about the funding for the pediatric research initiative,” Nora explained. “Apparently, there was a clerical error in the paperwork submitted to our primary donor. They’ve withdrawn their funding.”

Emma’s stomach dropped. “Withdrawn? How much are we talking about?”

“Enough to cover half the project’s budget,” Nora said grimly. “If we don’t resolve this quickly, the entire initiative could be in jeopardy.”

Emma leaned back in her chair, running a hand through her hair. The pediatric research initiative was one of the foundation’s most ambitious projects—an effort to develop affordable treatments for rare genetic disorders in children. Losing funding at this stage could set them back months, if not years.

“Have we spoken to the donor?” Emma asked.

Nora nodded. “I’ve reached out to their office, but they’re requesting a formal meeting to review the issue.”

“Schedule it as soon as possible,” Emma said, her voice firm. “This initiative is too important to let slip through the cracks.”

As Nora left to make arrangements, Emma stared at the proposal documents on her desk. Between the challenges at the foundation and the situation with her twins, the weight of her responsibilities felt heavier than ever.

She opened her journal, something she’d started keeping to organize her thoughts during difficult times. She wrote in bold letters across the page: Priorities: Family, Foundation, Future.

Emma knew she couldn’t let either aspect of her life falter. She had to be there for Lucy and Liam while also safeguarding the work that had become her life’s mission. But how much could one person handle before something had to give?

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