CHAPTER 41: TWO UNEXPECTED WITNESSES

Alfonso and Alpheus exchanged quiet glances as they stood near the school gates, having only planned to catch a glimpse of the twins from a distance. They never intended to be seen—much less interact with the children.

But Amie, the twins’ teacher, had already seen them. Before they could turn and disappear, she was already walking toward them with a warm smile.

"You’re here anyway," she said kindly. "Why not come in and say hi to the twins?"

The two men reluctantly followed her into the school. Still, they didn’t expect what they would walk into next.

As they stepped into the hallway just outside the kids’ classroom, they were met with a typical schoolyard commotion.

The twins were standing near Amie, who had rushed over the moment she saw what was happening to break up the fight. One boy stood off to the side, crying—his face red and full of tears.

Paris, on the other hand, wasn’t crying. She didn’t even look flustered. She stood there, unnervingly calm. Egypt, however, was now in tears.

"Paris, is what Egypt said true?" Amie asked gently, crouching down to meet her eyes.

Paris gave a firm nod before glancing at the crying boy with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, Teacher. He insulted our mom. That’s why Egypt and I taught him a lesson. It’s not right to say bad things about grown-ups—especially not about our mother."

"That’s not true!" the boy wailed, pointing angrily at the twins. "They’re lying! I didn’t say anything bad! I just wanted to be friends! That’s all! Right?" He turned frantically to his classmates, looking for backup.

But none of the other children came to his defense. In fact, most of them quickly looked away.

Amie straightened up, crossing her arms as she turned to the other kids.

"Is that true, kids?" she asked calmly.

Still, no one spoke.

Amie sighed.

"Remember, kids—lying isn’t just wrong, it has consequences," she added with a gentle warning. "If you lie, you might wake up with a big, painful boil on your butt. So... if your bottoms start hurting later, don’t say I didn’t warn you."

A few of the kids blinked and shifted nervously. Then their gazes shifted to Ben.

"A-Actually... it was James and B-Ben who started it, Teacher," one of the children spoke up, immediately looking away when Ben shot him a death glare.

"Is that true, Ben?"

"N-No! Don’t believe him, Teacher!" Ben protested. "He’s lying! James and I didn’t do anything!"

"Why would we lie?" another child chimed in. "Ben, you shouldn’t lie either. You might wake up with a giant boil on your butt!"

"Pfft—" Alfonso couldn’t help but snort out a laugh, drawing the attention of a few kids—and also of Teacher Amie.

"Ahem... I’m sorry, Teacher," Alfonso said, trying to compose himself. "But I think it’s best if you have a more serious talk with the kids—"

"What is going on here, Teacher Amie?!"

Before Alfonso could finish his sentence, a deep, irritated voice cut through the hallway.

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice.

There, standing near the doorway, was the chubby school principal. Amie immediately turned to him and gave a slight bow of respect.

"D-Dad! It was them!" James cried, quickly stepping beside the principal with a pointed finger aimed at the twins. "It was them who attacked us—and they always bully me and Ben! They even insulted you as the principal of this school! They don’t care about the rules at all!"

The principal’s expression darkened further. His eyes landed sharply on Paris and Egypt, his glare growing colder.

He turned to Amie with displeasure.

"Teacher Amie, did you hear what my son just said?" he asked. "He claims those twins have been bullying him and Ben regularly. And judging from what I’m seeing now, they’ve clearly ganged up on Ben—who, as we all know, is a quiet and well-behaved student."

"So tell me, Teacher Amie," he continued, his voice sharper now. "Are you aware of any of this?"

"Uh..." Amie’s eyes darted back and forth between the twins, Ben, and Principal Thomas. She felt her heart pounding—she wasn’t sure how to even begin explaining.

The principal had a reputation for being strict and notoriously biased toward the children of his close friends, so she had already expected him to side with Ben without question.

"It’s not what you think, Principal Thomas," she said carefully. "Actually... according to their classmates, it was Ben and James who started bullying the twins."

"Bullying the twins?" Principal Thomas’s brows furrowed deeply as he glanced from the crying Ben to the stoic twins. His eyes narrowed.

"Are you blind, Teacher Amie? Can’t you see? Ben’s the one crying, his hair is a mess—and you’re telling me he’s the one who started it?"

His voice rose with anger. "Maybe my son is right... maybe you do show favoritism toward those twins!"

Amie couldn’t help but clench her fists. She didn’t know what to say.

"Dad, I also heard that Teacher Amie is the godmother of Paris and Egypt," James chimed in smugly. "That’s probably why she always takes their side."

The moment those words left his mouth, Principal Thomas’s expression turned thunderous. He shot a piercing glare at the twins. Egypt quickly scurried behind Paris, clutching her sister’s hand, while Paris stood her ground, meeting the principal’s furious eyes without flinching.

That only irritated him more.

"So what my son is saying is true?" he snapped. "You’re their godmother? That’s why you’re defending them like this?"

He turned to Amie with an accusing stare.

"This is unacceptable! Such favoritism has no place in my school. We have hundreds of students—do you realize what kind of message that sends? That our teachers play favorites?"

"B-but Principal..." Amie stammered. "Yes, I’m their godmother—but I’ve never treated them differently. I treat all my students equally—"

"Don’t try to reason with me, Ms. Amie!" the principal snapped, cutting her off. "Even if you’re just a kindergarten teacher, I won’t tolerate this kind of unprofessional behavior!"

"Dad... I also heard the twins don’t have a father. Maybe that’s why they act out and behave so rudely."

Principal Thomas’s brows lifted sharply, eyes narrowing toward the twins once more.

"They don’t have a father?" he echoed, scoffing before turning back to Amie. "Well, that explains it. No proper male figure at home to teach them discipline. They’re still just kids—but they already act like street rats. What a disgrace."

Alfonso and Alpheus—still unnoticed by Principal Thomas—were growing angrier by the second.

The moment they heard the principal’s demeaning remarks toward the twins, their expressions darkened. Their jaws clenched.

The principal’s voice had grown loud—too loud. Loud enough to draw the attention of nearby parents dropping off their children, fellow teachers passing by, and even students lingering nearby. Whispers started circulating as people began to gather around.

"I think it’s time, Ms. Amie," Principal Thomas said coldly, his tone full of judgment. "Pack your things. I don’t want someone who plays favorites working in my school. You are hereby suspended for one month for showing bias and improper behavior toward the children—"

"Excuse me," Alfonso suddenly cut in. "But we think you’re wrong, Mr. Principal."

The hallway fell silent for a moment. All eyes turned to Alfonso.

"What?!" the principal barked, spinning toward him, fury flashing in his eyes.

His glare sharpened. "And just who are you to interrupt me while I’m handling a disciplinary issue?"

But Alfonso didn’t flinch. Neither did Alpheus, who stepped forward beside him.