Chapter 3

A month is more than enough time for everything to unravel.

Leo's monthly exam results came out. His class rank plunged from the top ten all the way down to one hundred and thirty-seventh.

His English essay completely missed the prompt, three major math sections were left entirely blank, and his reading comprehension was a disaster.

Ms. Lee dialed Chloe Hall.

"Ms. Hall, Leo's grades have dropped drastically this month. Could you come in so we can discuss this?"

Chloe arrived that very afternoon.

Word got out that she strutted into the faculty office wearing a tailored designer suit, dark sunglasses, and stilettos.

She told Ms. Lee, "Leo has been under immense pressure at home. His mother's emotional instability has taken a real toll on him. I'm stepping in to take proper care of him."

Later that day, Ms. Lee sent me a private message on Snapchat.

"Mrs. Hayes, Ms. Hall mentioned you haven't been feeling well and that she's managing his school life. I know it's not my place to pry, but Leo's academic standing is crashing. The study guides and mistake trackers you used to compile were incredible. Without someone keeping him on track, he's completely out of control."

I sent back two words: "Thank you."

In the past, I spent two hours every evening reviewing his mistakes and mapping out study schedules. On weekends, I took him to the public library; during breaks, I curated reading lists.

He complained that I nagged, that I suffocated him, that I wasn't as sweet and accommodating as "Auntie Chloe."

Now nobody restricted him. He was free.

Chloe couldn't guide him through advanced calculus.

Chloe wasn't going to spend her nights compiling customized study packets.

All Chloe knew how to do was buy him expensive steak dinners, splurge on collector sneakers, and take him to amusement parks.

None of that could fill in the blank answers on his exam sheets.

Inside the school's official parent portal, automated notifications began rolling in one after another:

"Guardian of Leo Hayes, please note that Leo has failed to submit his math assignments for three consecutive days."

"Guardian of Leo Hayes, please contact the homeroom teacher immediately."

"Guardian of Leo Hayes, your student was involved in an altercation during recess today. Please report to the administration office."

I didn't reply. Neither did Chloe.

Because the system alerts were addressed strictly to "Guardian of Leo Hayes," not "Ms. Chloe Hall."

In the official registry, the only legal guardians were Nathan and myself.

Chloe was nobody.

Nathan was knee-deep in corporate negotiations, his phone set to Do Not Disturb.

The unread alerts piled up on his lock screen, unattended.

Finally, the dean of students placed a personal call directly to Nathan's private line.

"Mr. Hayes, your son threw a punch at another student today. The other family is demanding an immediate conference. We have reached out for three straight days without a response from you or Mrs. Hayes. If neither guardian appears, we will have to escalate this to the district board."

Nathan finally snapped out of his bubble.

He stormed through the front door that night, slamming his leather briefcase onto the floor.

"Diana! The school called me a dozen times! Are you completely neglecting him?"

I sat on the couch reading a book, not even bothering to look up.

"Didn't you change the contact? Go call Chloe."

"Chloe isn't his mother! The administration won't even recognize her!"

"Oh. So now you realize that."

He froze.

The living room fell dead silent for what felt like an eternity.

"You did this on purpose," he muttered under his breath.

"You ignored the calls, refused to go to the school—you deliberately let Leo spiral just to humiliate me."

I finally raised my head and looked straight into his eyes.

"Nathan, your son told me to my face, 'Don't come here and embarrass me.' Your precious flame sat in your passenger seat, smiling down at me like I was dirt. You handed my role as a mother over to another woman. I stepped aside, and now you blame me for not stepping in? What on earth do you actually want from me?"

His mouth opened, but no words came out.

"It's your turn to worry, Mr. Hayes. Chloe is supposedly so wonderful with kids, and Leo adores her so much—so why is his report card covered in red ink?"

He slammed his fist onto the coffee table with a loud crash.

"Are you done?!"

"I'm done," I said, rising smoothly to my feet. "Handle the school yourself. I'm going to bed."

That night, Nathan sat alone in the dark living room, chain-smoking half a pack of cigarettes.

The following morning, he went to the school in person and apologized profusely to the other boy's parents.

After walking out of the building, screenshots of him were already circulating in the school's private parent chat group.

Someone posted: "Why hasn't Leo Hayes's mom been around lately? There's been this glamorous woman showing up instead. At the last conference, everyone thought she was his stepmom."

Another replied: "Heard she's not a stepmom, just the dad's 'close friend.' Well, you know how these things go."

Nathan saw the chatter, his face turning an ash-gray color.

He immediately dialed Chloe.

"Chloe, don't come by the campus for a while. Parents are gossiping in the group chats."

I didn't hear Chloe's response on the other end.

But I knew she wouldn't back down so easily.

That Wednesday afternoon was the school's spring track meet.

In the front row of the parent bleachers, Chloe sat proudly. She had brought branded sports drinks and artisanal energy bars for Leo.

When Leo finished the four-hundred-meter dash, he sprinted straight past everyone and threw his arms around her. "Auntie Chloe! I took third place!"

A parent snapped a photo and posted it straight to Twitter and the parent portal.

The caption read: "The Hayes family sure is interesting. The biological mother is nowhere in sight, but a pretty young lady is playing the part."

Someone commented below: "Maybe the mom is just busy."

Another sniped back: "Busy doing what? Last time, she was seen kneeling on the curb wiping up spilled drinks."

I saw the post.

I didn't feel a flicker of anger.

Because very soon, every single one of them would learn who that woman cleaning the pavement really was.

Another week passed.

The school's official website quietly published a new press release:

"Notice Regarding the Naming of the New Academic Facility."

"Following approval by the Board of Trustees, the newly constructed academic building, previously titled the 'Founders Hall,' has been officially designated as 'The Diana Vance Hall.' The facility is fully funded by Ms. Diana Vance, Founder of the Vance Education Foundation."

The second the announcement hit, the entire parent network erupted.

"Diana Vance? Isn't that Nathan Hayes's wife?"

"Wait, what?? She funded the entire building?!"

"I just looked up the Vance Education Foundation—good grief, she's donated over twenty million to our district over the past six years!"

"You mean the woman kneeling on the curb that day was HER???"

The feeds were flooded with frantic notifications.

Parents began unearthing donation logs from previous years.

The four-million-dollar library overhaul: an anonymous gift from the foundation. The prestigious annual two-million-dollar merit scholarship, the athletic complex upgrades, the financial aid endowments, the faculty development grants.

All Vance Education Foundation.

All funded by me.

The news swept through the community like wildfire.

That afternoon, when Chloe arrived to pick up Leo from the gates, a mother confronted her right there on the sidewalk.

"Ms. Hall, did you know that 'The Diana Vance Hall' is named after Nathan's wife?"

Witnesses said Chloe's face was an absolute spectacle.

Her hand froze mid-air. Her polite smile stayed plastered on her lips, but sheer panic flashed across her eyes.

For the very first time, in front of a crowd of onlookers, her flawless, elegant mask shattered completely.