Nolan's eyes had sparkled with excitement, but as he listened to her words, the light in them slowly dimmed.

Zoey didn't linger any longer; she headed straight for the small classroom.

Meanwhile, in the principal's office, Fitch held his son tight and gently rubbed the top of his head.

"Does it hurt much?"

"Daddy, no, it doesn't hurt."

"Silly boy, he pushed you on purpose."

It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

Nolan didn't reply, just slowly bowed his head.

Fitch had seen the details on the surveillance video and had read the lips of the child who had pushed his son, whispering three words in Nolan's ear: "Freak show." It was clearly a deliberate push.

It was Nolan's first day in class, and he was already very popular among the other kids.

Fitch himself was skilled in lip-reading and knew exactly what the child had said just by watching the surveillance footage.

Affection among children is pure, as is their jealousy. Before the shove, the kid probably hadn't thought it would lead to Nolan getting hurt.

But now, Nolan wanted to be liked by Zoey, so he swallowed his hurt in silence.

However, Fitch couldn't stand to see his son mistreated.

Nolan had been in his care for four years and had never suffered such an indignity. Especially not at the hands of Zoey.

Fitch looked at the principal, who was sweating bullets.

If it was a deliberate push, the consequences would be serious.

"Mr. Haskins, we will give you an explanation for this," the principal said.

Barely had he finished speaking when Nolan grabbed Fitch's wrist.

"Daddy, let's... let it go."

He didn't want to be disliked by Mommy.

Besides, he had promised her that he would make friends with everyone.

Fitch instantly understood.

"You promised Zoey?"

Seeing Nolan nod, a wave of sadness washed over Fitch.

He wished he could drag Zoey over to see Nolan, to let her spend quality time with him and fill the void of a mother's love.

But who was to blame for all this? It was his fault.

He blamed himself for not recognizing his feelings back then, for not seeing clearly, and for being too heartless. Now, all the consequences were piercing him and his child.

Fitch wanted to apologize to his son, but his throat felt blocked, as if he couldn't utter a single word.

His eyes quickly reddened, and though he opened his mouth to speak, in the end, he could only hold Nolan tightly. Nolan didn't say a word; his mind was filled with thoughts of the three Ozzy dolls Zoey had promised to make.

As Fitch was about to leave the school with Nolan in his arms, he happened to see Henry arriving to pick up Zoey. Zoey, with her bag slung over her shoulder, knocked on the car window before sliding into the passenger seat.

Fitch stood not far off, watching for a long time as the two of them laughed and talked, feeling both cold and fierce inside.

Henry leaned over to fasten Zoey's seatbelt, and from a distance, it looked as if they were kissing.

Fitch almost instinctively moved to cover Nolan's eyes, but his son was already asleep in his arms, his forehead bandaged. A sudden sourness tinged the tip of his nose.

Once he got into his own car, his gaze still followed the other vehicle.

After a while, he picked up his phone from the side and made a call.

Zoey sensed that Henry had something important to share with her that evening.

As they sat down in the restaurant, Henry's expression turned serious.

"Zoey, I got an email from the music academy abroad. They want me to come over and teach," he said.

This was the opportunity Henry had applied for several times before without any response.

Now, out of the blue, they had contacted him, and naturally, he was overjoyed.

Going abroad?

Zoey felt a twinge of unease; their relationship had only just become official a few days ago, and they were still in the process of getting to know each other.

If Henry left for another country now, they would have to contend with a long-distance relationship.

Many loving couples had parted ways due to the strains of distance, and their bond was not yet deep enough to withstand such a test.

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