Husband plans to kill me Chapter 404

Brett's mood got a lot better, and he joined me in working on a puzzle before I sent him off to bed.

The good news was that Brett didn't have school for the next two days.

Early the next morning, I got a call from his teacher saying the school was holding a parent-teacher conference.

Honestly, when I heard the news, I felt a bit hesitant. I wasn't sure how to face the other parents and teachers.

After all, Brandon's situation had already spread throughout the school, and I was worried that my presence might embarrass Brett even more.

I hadn't decided who should handle this situation, but would my involvement make things worse?

The teacher on the other end seemed to sense my unease. "Ms. Sharp, do you have any concerns about the parent-teacher conference?"

Her words triggered my frustration. "Brett's grandmother called you yesterday, right? She told me about Brett being bullied at school. Why didn't anyone inform me immediately?"

The teacher stammered, "Ms. Sharp, it was like this... During recess, a few kids were talking and playing together. We thought it was normal... until Brett ran out crying. We found out that the other students had said something hurtful to him."

"But we felt the impact wasn't that significant, and informing the parents might only escalate the hostility among the kids. We were trying to minimize the impact as much as possible."

Her explanation made some sense, but it didn't soothe my emotions. "Handling it so coldly is just too much!"

The teacher said, "We really didn't handle it coldly! We comforted Brett immediately, and he said he was fine and wouldn't mind his classmates' words. I didn't realize how much it affected him. Mrs. Sharp mentioned he's been very down at home these past few days, right?"

The teacher sounded genuinely remorseful for not noticing Brett's feelings sooner. "Ms. Sharp, I need to call other parents about the conference now, so I can't continue this conversation. How about we talk privately when you come to the school tomorrow?"

She was polite and respectful, so I didn't make things difficult for her. I sighed and hung up the phone.

As I had discussed with Royce recently, education was inherently challenging.

It required not just our efforts but cooperation from all sides.

After hanging up, I felt restless.

I called Kathy, my voice tinged with helplessness. "Kathy, Brett's school is having a parent-teacher conference, but I really don't know what to do. Are you busy right now? If you are, I won't bother you with this."

Kathy quickly replied, "Of course I'm not busy. Tell me what's going on."

Feeling overwhelmed, I shared the recent events with Kathy.

"Brett's been bullied at school because of Brandon's situation. If I go, will it make things worse? I feel like this needs to be addressed and clarified, but if the kids have moved on, bringing it up again might..."

Kathy was silent for a moment before cautiously suggesting, "Caroline, if you want my opinion, I think you shouldn't avoid this. Brett needs your support. And I think you should ask Royce to go with you."

I hesitated, "Royce? Would he be willing? And would his presence make things easier to resolve?"

It made sense.

If the kids were mocking Brett's dad being in prison, I could give him a new dad.

Kids were simple-minded; seeing Brett with parents might overshadow the previous issue.

Kathy chuckled lightly, "If you're uncomfortable asking him yourself... wait, I'll go talk to him."

She quickly hung up.

Before I could react, Royce called me.

His voice was gentle yet firm, "Caroline, Kathy told me about Brett. I'll go with you to the parent-teacher conference. Kathy called me out of the blue, and I was worried... Next time, contact me directly, okay?"

I felt a warmth in my heart, though I was still hesitant. "Royce, thank you. But I don't want to put you in a difficult position..."

Royce interrupted, "I have to go with you. Caroline, Brett is my responsibility too. I won't let him face this alone."

He added, "We've spent so much time and effort helping him recover from the kidnapping, and now he's being bullied at school. I can't stand it!"

His words convinced me instantly. "Alright, we'll go together."

After deciding, I quickly informed Kelly.

Kelly was thrilled to hear Royce was coming. "I knew Royce was reliable! When I heard Brett was being bullied, I thought about asking him to help, but it was tricky since you two were just dating, not officially engaged or married. We couldn't just make Royce the dad..."

"But now it's settled. Since he's willing to go, you two should attend the conference together..."

Kelly rambled on, finally saying, "Royce is really good to you. You should consider settling down with him soon. He seems very committed."

I knew this, and I had made up my mind.

Once Brett's issues were resolved, I might really consider getting engaged to Royce.

But for now, it was just a fleeting thought.

I told Kelly not to worry and then shared the news with Brett.

"Tomorrow, Mr. Castillo will go with me to the parent-teacher conference. I'll introduce him as your dad, so you don't need to worry."

Brett blinked, "Mr. Castillo agreed?"

"Brett, remember he said he'd always be there for you? Whether at home or out, hasn't Mr. Castillo been good to you?"

Moved by my words, Brett nodded vigorously. "Yes, Mr. Castillo is very nice to me."

"So don't worry about tomorrow. We'll help you solve the problem. Brett, you need to be happy at school, okay?"