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Chapter_299
Ludwik didn’t stop walking as Elaine rushed after him, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor. His pace was steady, unwavering, each step filled with a quiet finality. The earlier exchange in the office, the accusations, the silent accusations from their son, Danny—it all seemed to weigh heavily on him.
Ludwik’s back was straight, his demeanor cold, as if every word spoken by Elaine had been discarded without a second thought. His voice was calm, but there was an undeniable chill in the air. “Danny, you don’t need to apologize anymore. Let’s go home and take care of that bruise,” he said, his tone soft but firm, as though this was the only thing left to say. He didn’t look back.
Sammy, walking beside his father, remained completely composed, his face unreadable. Inside, however, a small smirk played at the corners of his lips. He knew—he knew that his plan had worked, that his subtle manipulation had finally cracked the veneer of Elaine’s control over their lives. The balance of power was shifting, and he could feel it.
Elaine, however, wasn’t ready to let go. She quickened her pace, the desperation creeping into her voice. “Ludwik! Please, just listen to me!” She called, but he didn’t slow down. His pace remained as unyielding as ever, his eyes ahead. He wasn’t listening to her anymore.
“Danny, let’s just go home,” Ludwik repeated, his voice calm, but there was something hard underneath. “It’s time to leave.” He wasn’t interested in hearing any more explanations or excuses.
Elaine’s frustration boiled over. Her voice broke slightly as she called out again, her heart hammering in her chest. “Ludwik! Please! You don’t understand!”
But Ludwik’s response was icy, his words sharp, and each one seemed to cut through the thick tension in the air. “Elaine, you had one job—just one. And you couldn’t even do that.”
The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She tried to catch her breath, the realization sinking in. She had failed him. More than that, she had failed their son. She had allowed her own interests, her own need for control, to cloud her judgment. And now, she stood before him, defenseless.
“But Ludwik…” Elaine stammered, the weight of his words crushing her. “You don’t understand… I did it for him. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Ludwik didn’t even spare her a glance. His eyes were locked on the door ahead, his focus entirely on leaving. “No more excuses, Elaine. You’ve already made your choices. And I’ve made mine,” he said quietly, but there was no mistaking the finality in his voice. “You don’t need to worry about Danny anymore. I’ll take care of everything from here on out.”
His words echoed in the silence between them, louder than any argument could have been. It wasn’t anger that lingered in his voice, but something colder. Disappointment. And that was the worst of it.
Elaine stood frozen in place, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts. She could feel the sharp sting of humiliation burning in her chest. Ludwik had just made it clear—he was done. The choices she had made, the games she had played, were no longer enough to keep the family together.
She wanted to say something, anything, to justify her actions. To explain that she had only tried to protect their son in the way she thought was best. But she couldn’t.
“Danny,” Ludwik’s voice broke through her thoughts, his tone gentler now, as he bent slightly to look at their son. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize what was happening here. I should have paid more attention to what was going on at school.” He turned to Sammy, his gaze softening as he reached out to touch the bruise on Sammy’s forehead. “I thought you were being taken care of. This is my fault. I should’ve been there.”
Elaine opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She wanted to say something, to defend herself. She had to defend herself, didn’t she? But she could already see it—Ludwik’s face had turned from frustration to something else entirely: disappointment. And that was the worst thing she could have imagined.
She tried to explain herself, to offer an apology, but Ludwik wasn’t listening. He simply turned to the teacher, his cold gaze enough to make her shrink back in fear.
“Fire the principal and the teacher,” Ludwik said, his voice low but laced with a chilling authority. “And make sure those parents who hurt my son face consequences. I want them to understand what it feels like.”
The teacher and the other parents, including Jemima, were quickly escorted out of the room, their pleas falling on deaf ears.
Ludwik didn’t spare them a second thought.
Elaine was left standing in the midst of the chaos, her world crumbling around her. She hadn’t expected it to end like this. She hadn’t expected Ludwik to see through her. She hadn’t thought that Danny would suddenly turn the tables, exposing the truth in front of them all.
And now, as Ludwik turned away, his words as cold as ice, Elaine felt the weight of her own failure crushing her.
“I’ll handle everything from now on, Elaine,” Ludwik said, his voice devoid of emotion. “You don’t need to worry about Danny’s schooling, or anything else. It’s over.”
Elaine stood rooted to the spot, unable to move, as Ludwik and Sammy made their way toward the door. She wanted to call out, to beg him to listen, but her voice was lost in the silence.
“Danny, let’s go home,” Ludwik said one last time, as he led their son out of the office.
Elaine watched them leave, her face flushed with a mix of frustration and guilt. She had lost. And she knew, deep down, that there was no coming back from this.
“Danny, wait for me!” Elaine called, her voice wavering. “Let me explain. Please, Ludwik, don’t leave like this.”
But Ludwik didn’t look back. The door closed behind him with a finality that left Elaine standing alone in the office, her thoughts swirling in confusion and disbelief.
She had never imagined things would end this way.
