Chapter 2

Gregory's POV

Giselle let out a mocking laugh. “Don’t try to use school rules to oppress us. Your so-called rules are nothing but unequal terms. Why do they only restrict female teachers while male teachers can come and go freely? You call yourself an educator, yet you're still preaching that outdated ‘men above women’ nonsense?”

Mildred immediately backed her up. “Exactly. How come I’ve never seen male teachers sign a liability waiver? You’re clearly targeting the two of us. This is straight-up discrimination against women!”

The moment those words left their mouths, the looks from the villagers gathered outside the school gate changed. Suspicion and contempt settled in their eyes as they stared at me.

“Mr. Miles talks about gender equality at every parent meeting. He even stopped my useless daughter from dropping out. So why does he look down on women himself? Why can male teachers go out, but female teachers can’t?” one villager scoffed.

“He sounds so righteous when he talks,” another chimed in. “I bet he’s just scared fewer students will ruin his reputation. Why do you think he got that ‘Top Ten Principal’ title? Because none of our villages have dropouts. Deep down, he’s just another man who favors boys over girls.”

“And he says our village is ‘rough,’ like we’re all wild animals. Who is he trying to insult?” someone added angrily.

Those harsh voices felt like icy needles stabbing straight into my chest. For a moment, I could barely breathe.

For ten years, I had sponsored hundreds of children who had dropped out of school. Nearly every voice condemning me now belonged to the parents of those very children. How could they speak with such ingratitude?

As I looked at those familiar faces that had once thanked me with tears in their eyes, a deep, indescribable bitterness rose in my heart.

I took a slow breath and stood my ground.

“I’ve said it before, as long as I am principal, no one is allowed to break school rules,” I declared.

But Mildred immediately exploded. “What bullshit rules! I demand equality! Same treatment for everyone! I’m leaving right now!”

As she spoke, she and Giselle tried to push past me toward the gate.

But I stopped them with a sharp shout. “Enough! If you keep causing trouble, I’ll call the Department of Education, and you can end your internship early!”

When I pulled out the authority of my position, they finally hesitated, clearly wary.

We stood locked in a tense standoff.

But just when I thought they might back down, Giselle snorted, “Who are you trying to scare? If the Department of Education finds out about your ridiculous rules, you’ll be the one out of a job. Go ahead, call them right now. Don't be all bark and no bite.”

I froze for a second.

They didn’t know that these rules had already been approved and issued by the Department of Education. They weren’t my personal decision.

If I made that call, their teaching careers would be over before they even began. No matter how angry I was, I couldn’t destroy two young people’s futures on impulse.

Seeing that I stayed silent, Mildred seemed emboldened. She lifted her chin and stared at me provocatively. “What? Scared now? I knew it! You’re just a hypocrite pretending to be virtuous. You claim all those cameras are for the safety of teachers and students, but really, you installed them so you could spy on people. You’re a sick pervert!”

That accusation hit like a bolt from the blue.

The crowd outside the gate erupted. So did the livestream.

Within minutes, tens of thousands of viewers flooded Giselle’s stream. The screen was filled with nonstop accusations and abuse.

[Holy shit, what kind of monster is this? Looks decent, but does disgusting things. This is really what a wolf in sheep’s clothing looks like in real life.]

[And he’s a “Top Ten Principal”? Suit and tie on the outside, but drooling over footage of female teachers and students in the surveillance room. How haven’t you choked on your own saliva yet?]

[Why hasn’t anyone reported him yet? This trash still gets to teach? Go learn how to be human in prison first.]

[I’m ashamed to be in the same profession as him. People like this are what pollute the teaching community.]