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Chapter 7 Rigorous Father

I feel so embarrassed when I hear everyone laughing at me. However, while I lay on the ground, an unfamiliar anger gets the lead on my body. I make a fist, and I push myself up. As I look around, I see the same guy sitting there who humiliated me in the morning. I don't know what is happening to me, but I walk over to him and I hold his neck. He struggles, but his thin figure can't do anything against me. I punch him and push him down on the floor. I want to kick him as well, but I can't as two teachers appear and hold me back.

"You two, get into the school principal's office immediately." One says, and both of us get dragged out of the room.

The way isn't too long, and we are getting seated separately. We need to wait.

"You are going to regret this." The boy says. I only look in another direction and say nothing.

"Can you hear me? Do not ignore me." He says. He talks funny as I hit him hard, and he must hold a tissue to his mouth, which is bleeding.

We wait there for about a half an hour when finally his mother arrives. She covers her mouth, seeing his son, and I feel nauseous to see the scene when the boy hugs her like a small child would hug his mother after a falling.

However, after kissing her son, she makes him sit down again, and turns to me.

"How dare you touch my son?" She asks me in anger.

I turn my head away, and I ignore her.

"How rude!" she says, and she walks toward me. "What have you been thinking?" she asked me again.

"Stop it!" I look up as I hear my mum's voice. She turns to her.

"Is this how you raise your daughter? Hurting my innocent boy?"

Mum walks over to me and caresses my face.

"I know my daughter, and I am sure there is a reason behind her behavior."

The woman still wants to continue, but she remains quiet when the secretary invites all of us into the principal's office.

We sit down, and the principal asks what happened. He wants me to talk first.

"I have been bullied this morning. He wanted to get close to me, and he asked me to undress, but I told him off. Later when we were in the dining room he made me fall as a revenge in the front of everyone, and I got angry."

I say, and mum holds my hand, telling me quietly that she supports me, but I'm just getting more frustrated when the boy says that I was the one who wanted to seduce him by offering him to touch my naked breasts. He doesn't like me at all, so he refused me, therefore I took my revenge by acting to fall in the dining room, putting him into this situation.

Finally, the principal states that on these premises he isn't tolerating any aggressive behavior, and he says to both of us, we will be dismissed from this school if that is happening again in the future.

The day is about to finish, so my mum takes me back home. She tries to make me speak, but I don't want to. I feel like this is my problem, and she can't be with me there, therefore she won't be able to help me.

It is the evening when my dad comes back home, and we all sit down at the dining table. I'm staring at Spencer's place, which is empty this time. However, I move my gaze when my dad makes me listen to him.

"How was school today, Cora?" He asks me with obvious frustration in his voice, and I catch the moment when mum puts her palm on his hand under the table. I know he asks me for a reason, so there is no point in hiding anything from him.

"One of my schoolmates bullied me, and I got into trouble because of that." I answer shortly. Certainly, my mum told him everything anyway. They were the perfect couple, they never argued in front of us, and even when there was some misunderstanding around them, they solved the problem quietly. They always told each other everything, especially if that was about their children.

"To my knowledge, you ended up in the principal's office, as you hit the boy badly."

I lowered my gaze in embarrassment.

"I am sorry. I have lost my mind a little."

Dad put his cutleries down, and he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Cora, you know our family's influence in the state. You know that we have businesses even in Europe. The Astor family's reputation is perfect. You can't behave like that."

My mum had a meaningful look at him, but dad ignored her this time.

"Dad, I am sorry. It is just that he hurt me first."

"I don't care who was first. I never ever want to hear again about your fight. You are an Astor. You're supposed to be a lady with excellent manners. A lady, an Astor, never does such a thing. Do you understand me?"

Even if he didn't shout, the tone of his voice was dominant and scolding. I wanted to argue with him. I wanted to be told that wasn't my fault, but I knew what his answer would be. Even if I was bullied, even if I was harmed, I should have found a way to get out of the situation as a lady. Certainly, he expected me to let the boy hit me and waiting for help to arrive.

"Now, get into your room and think about what you have done." He says. My mum want to stop him, as I didn't have an opportunity to taste my supper, but dad makes it clear with a glance, she won't be able to make him change his decision.

I slowly stand up, and I leave the room, but as soon as I left, I hea dad talking.

"Find her a psychologist." He says.

"No, I don't think she would need one, Ray. You know that she gets bullied at school all the time. Spencer and Ethan always defended her. Now the boys are gone. You can't expect her to let others bully her."

"Caroline, this is not normal. She can't fight at school. Find her a psychologist, otherwise I will find her a school where they will teach her manners."

He says which make me scare, as I don't want to be locked up. My mum tries to calm him. I want to hear their conversation, but I don't want the servants to see me standing there, so I go to my room.

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