Chapter 5
Wesley said, “Stella is missing. She didn’t come to class and didn’t call in sick. Her close friends sent her WhatsApp messages and called her, but no one could reach her.”
Bennett remained silent in the office for a few seconds, then sneered, “Is this really worth calling me in for? If I remember correctly, her mother Valentina was also your student years ago. Didn’t Valentina pull this kind of stunt all the time back then? Whenever she was upset, she’d pretend to disappear. Everyone would frantically search for her, only to find out she’d skipped school to see her idol.”
Bennett stood up. “Mr. Baker, next time something like this happens, you don’t need to tell me. I’m completely disappointed
in Stella.”
He walked toward the door and heard a stern voice behind him:
“Bennett.”
Bennett turned around and met Wesley’s authoritative gaze.
Wesley was the most experienced teacher at the school. He had been vice principal for many years but insisted on continuing to teach students. Both Bennett and Valentina had been his
students.
“Valentina is Valentina, but Stella is Stella,” Wesley said seriously.
Wesley had always been a gentle person, educating and guiding4 students with a mild approach. never raising his voice. But
Bennett had an instinctive respect for Wesley, so he explained,
don’t see “Stella is Valentina’s daughter. You can’t tell me you
how much she’s like Valentina.”
Wesley asked, “Bennett, do you remember when your mother was imprisoned for economic crimes years ago and your classmates mocked you?”
Bennett suddenly froze.
Too much time had passed, so those painful memories from his youth had long been sealed away in the corners of his mind. But now, Wesley had reopened that wound. Those raw, painful memories were being dragged back into the light.
He said, “I specifically held a class meeting to warn and punish those students who mocked and bullied you. I told them that parents and children are separate individuals. Children shouldn’t bear the consequences of their parents‘ mistakes. At that time, you cried and thanked me, saying those words saved you. Now, over thirty years have passed, and you’ve become a father yourself. Have you forgotten all those words?”
Bennett stood there stunned, unable to speak for a long time.
Wesley continued, “Stella is different from Valentina. They’re completely different people. Stella is one of my best students. She’s hardworking, disciplined, motivated, and never complains when she’s wronged. If a classmate has trouble, she immediately helps.”
Then, he emphasized, “I guarantee with my nearly forty years of Reaching experience that she is a very, very good child!” 11:24
*****
If souls could cry, I probably would have wept standing there.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t.
Only the wind swept through my body, making me feel half cold, half burning.
I saw Bennett’s hands hanging at his sides begin to tremble slightly.
He rarely showed such vulnerability.
“Bennett.” Wesley’s tone softened. “Stella has never missed class without calling in sick. This situation is very unusual. She might have encountered something she can’t handle. At times like this, help from outsiders is limited. I hope you, as her only family member, can be there for her.”
Chapter 6
The car was already pushing the speed limit, but Bennet
