Chapter 58: No Need to Apologize to Me

"Hello, I’m Felix Ford’s father." Samuel Ford glanced at his son. Seeing he was completely unharmed, he then noted the indifference in the boy’s eyes, and his own gaze darkened. He turned to the stunned teacher beside them and spoke calmly.

"Mr. Ford, hello." The teacher snapped out of her daze, forcing her eyes away from his face. She cleared her throat and recounted the incident from start to finish. At the end, she sighed, adding with some difficulty, "So that’s the long and short of it. Felix Ford used a snake to scare the other children. Even though it was just a toy snake and couldn’t cause any physical harm, a bad scare can still have serious consequences. Felix Ford’s behavior was, frankly, quite malicious."

She shook her head as she spoke.

’This kid is notoriously mischievous, the biggest troublemaker in all of Sunshine Kindergarten. But he was lucky enough to be born with a powerful father, so none of us dare to say too much.’

’If this continues, the boy is probably a lost cause.’

After listening to her, Samuel Ford glanced at the sobbing child, then turned to Felix Ford. "What happened?" he asked, his tone calm.

’Hearing this, Jean Vance was a little surprised. He’d expected the man to just write a check. It was just a petty squabble between children; did a man as busy as him really have time for such trivial matters?’

He was distracted for a moment by this thought, but he quickly composed himself. He then recounted the incident from start to finish with perfect clarity and impeccable logic.

His version was the complete opposite of the teacher’s.

The teacher froze for a second, then said instinctively, "Felix, children shouldn’t tell lies, you know."

Just as Jean Vance was about to speak, Samuel Ford cut in. "Were you present at the time, Teacher?"

His tone was chilly, and the powerful aura he exuded made the teacher flinch. She shook her head honestly.

She then felt the atmosphere around him turn ice-cold, and her face paled at his next words.

"In that case, why were you so certain that Felix was the one lying? You have no evidence, yet you refuse to believe your own student. Is that what you call professional integrity?"

The teacher’s face was ashen. She stammered, "I... I..." but couldn’t form a complete sentence.

"Let’s check the surveillance footage," Samuel Ford said, unwilling to waste any more time on pointless arguments. It was better to go straight to the quickest, most effective solution.

Sunshine Kindergarten was the best preschool in all of Aethelburg. From its teaching staff to its facilities, everything was top-of-the-line. Every classroom was equipped with high-definition cameras.

Having heard of his arrival, the principal had also rushed over. "President Ford..."

Samuel Ford raised a hand, cutting him off. With a lift of his chin, he said, "Just pull up the footage."

"Yes, of course." The principal didn’t dare say another word. He shot the teacher a glare before quickly pulling up the surveillance feed.

The room fell silent. Jean Vance found himself a seat, looking perfectly confident. In contrast, Paddy, the supposed victim, was acting strangely. His eyes darted about, his expression anxious—a clear sign of a guilty conscience.

’The principal’s heart sank. It seemed they had truly wronged the little prince of the Ford family this time.’

’This was a disaster.’

The teacher realized it too, and her face grew even paler. When the footage showed Paddy himself placing the toy snake in a drawer in the back corner of the room, she closed her eyes in despair.

’It was over.’

The proof was right there, but Samuel Ford didn’t tell them to stop the video. He kept watching.

The video clearly showed Paddy running over to the drawer and then getting scared by the very snake he had just placed inside.

He had, in every sense of the word, brought it on himself.

The office was suddenly deathly quiet. Even Paddy’s parents, who had just been clamoring for justice for their son, fell silent.

Finally, Samuel Ford broke the silence. He turned to Jean Vance and asked, "What do you want to do?"

Jean Vance took a sip of water and set the cup aside. He hopped off the chair, dusted off his hands, and clasped them behind his back. He walked up to Paddy and said a single word: "Apologize."

Paddy’s face went white. At the demand, he jutted out his chin stubbornly. "I won’t!"

The words were barely out of his mouth when he received a smack on the head from his mother. With a dark expression, Paddy’s Mother demanded, "Apologize right now! Is this what I taught you? Is this how you bully other kids?"

’She had actually believed he was being bullied by Felix Ford all this time. That’s why every time the Fords paid compensation, she’d buy him snacks to cheer him up, worried he’d be heartbroken. But now... what a load of crap. It was all fake.’

’She was even starting to suspect that all the previous times he claimed to have been bullied were also lies.’

’Not only had he lied to her, but he’d also turned around and falsely accused someone else.’

At this thought, Paddy’s Mother’s expression grew even more grim. She took a deep breath and bowed to Samuel Ford. "I’m so sorry. We failed to raise our son properly and have caused you so much trouble. We will, of course, compensate you for any damages."

’Good grades were secondary; character was what mattered most. Seeing her son act like this made her feel like a deeply negligent mother.’

’Hearing her words, Jean Vance’s opinion of her improved slightly. Still, it was true that she hadn’t raised her son well. He didn’t feel she deserved any sympathy. From start to finish, the injured party was Felix Ford, and he had no intention of forgiving anyone on his behalf.’

He looked up at Paddy and spoke again. "I don’t need compensation. I only need an apology. In front of the entire class, you will apologize to me, Felix Ford."

Paddy opened his mouth to refuse again, but when he saw his mother’s raised hand, he flinched. His lower lip trembled as if he was about to cry, but his fear of that hand won out. He reluctantly nodded.

Samuel Ford said nothing about this.

He walked with his son to the classroom, the principal and the teacher trailing nervously behind them.

Paddy stood on the teaching platform and mumbled, "I-I’m sorry."

Jean Vance stood to the side. "I can’t hear you."

Panicked, Paddy squeezed his eyes shut and yelled, "I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have tried to scare you! I shouldn’t have put the snake in your drawer..."

Having said his piece, he burst into tears with a loud "WAHHH!"

His sobs filled the entire classroom.

The other children stared at him in surprise, and whispers broke out among them. ’So he really was the one who put the snake there? Felix was telling the truth after all?’

Ignoring their reactions, Jean Vance gave a casual nod, then turned his gaze to Samuel Ford. "I want to go home now."

"Alright." Samuel Ford agreed immediately. He waited for the boy to pack his schoolbag, then led him out.

’The principal followed behind, unsure of what to say. He was terrified that President Ford would hold a grudge over this. President Ford was the school’s biggest benefactor—he couldn’t possibly be offended.’

But the father and son, one tall and one small, both wore stern expressions and showed no intention of speaking, so he had no idea how to break the silence.

After a few steps, Jean Vance suddenly stopped. He turned to face the teacher and said calmly, "Teacher, do you have any idea how much damage you cause a child when you convict them without even listening to their side of the story?"

The teacher, already overwhelmed with self-reproach, felt her spirits sink even lower at his words. She stammered, "I’m sorry, Felix. I was wrong. I apologize. It won’t happen again."

"You don’t need to apologize to me." ’After all, I’m not the real Felix Ford,’ he thought. "I just hope that in the future, you’ll treat every child fairly, Teacher. Don’t make judgments based on your own subjective assumptions. What you see with your own eyes isn’t always the truth."