Husband With Benefits
Chapter 669: Hannah’s Moves

Chapter 669: Hannah’s Moves

"Mr. Frost, you need to come to the school. It’s about Caius."

Erasmi frowned as he listened to the principal. The last time he had needed to visit the school principal was when he’d first come here. Once he’d set things straight, the man had never dared to do anything against his Cai or anyone else for that matter. But now, hearing the slightly gloating tone in the man’s voice, Erasmi knew something was up.

He just hoped that the principal was not looking to find trouble. Because if he was, he would not be so lenient like the last time.

When he arrived, the principal’s secretary greeted him with a tense smile. "Mr. Frost, please follow me."

Once inside, he noticed the principal, sitting behind his desk with an expression that he could only describe as smug... Across from him sat Cai, looking uncharacteristically subdued.

"Mr. Frost, please have a seat," the principal began, gesturing to the chair next to Cai. "We have a serious matter to discuss."

Erasmi sat down, his eyes flicking to his son. Cai avoided his gaze, staring intently at a spot on the floor.

"What’s this about?"

"Cai was involved in an incident earlier today. He and another student got into a physical altercation."

Erasmi’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Cai? Fighting?"

The principal nodded. "Yes, and the other student is currently in the nurse’s office with a broken nose. According to witnesses, Cai threw the first punch."

"Mr. Frost, violence of any kind is strictly prohibited. Regardless of the circumstances, we cannot condone such behavior. Our school prides itself on maintaining a safe and respectful environment. This incident is particularly troubling, given Caius’... anyway, as you know, we require strict action in situations like this. However, Caius’ class teacher has requested to handle this matter personally. She believes she can address the underlying issues more effectively. You’ll need to take Caius to her classroom."

"Thank you, Mr. Thompson," Erasmi said curtly, turning on his heel and heading towards the door. Cai trailed behind him, still looking downcast.

As they walked down the hallway, Erasmi kept his voice low. "Cai, what happened?"

Cai shrugged, his shoulders slumping further. "It doesn’t matter," he mumbled, barely audible.

Erasmi stopped, placing a gentle but firm hand on his son’s shoulder until he looked up into his eyes. "It matters to me. Please, Cai, talk to me."

Cai hesitated, glancing up at his father for a brief moment before looking away again. "He..."

Before Cai could continue, a familiar voice interrupted. "Erasmi?"

Erasmi turned to see Hannah standing in the doorway, a look of surprise on her face. "Hannah? You’re Cai’s teacher?"

Hannah nodded, recovering from her initial shock. "Yes, I am. I had no idea you would be here. It is usually the moms who come rushing. Where is Caius’ mom? I thought she would be here as well."

"She’s busy. Can you tell me what this is about?"

Hannah seemed to understand and nodded. "Of course. Let’s talk in my office." She gestured towards the open door behind her. "Cai, can you wait outside for a moment? I need to speak with your father."

Once inside, Hannah closed the door gently and motioned for Erasmi to take a seat on the opposite side as she moved to her desk.

"Erasmi, Caius is a good kid. He’s respectful, kind, and usually very composed. But today was different."

"What happened, Hannah? Why did Caius get into a fight?"

Hannah took a deep breath, her expression serious. "Apparently, another student said something incredibly hurtful to Caius. He told him that his mother stole him from his biological mother just so she could marry you, his rich father. Those words made Caius lose his temper and he lashed out."

Erasmi’s face hardened. "He said that?"

Hannah nodded. "Yes. It was a deeply personal and cruel thing to say. I’ve already issued a warning to the child. I just don’t understand how some people can gossip relentlessly in front of an impressionable child, when there is so much in the world to.... I can understand why Caius reacted the way he did, but we still need to teach him that violence is not the answer."

Hannah reached out, placing a comforting hand on Erasmi’s arm that was placed on the table. "It’s a difficult situation, but we need to address it constructively. I suggest we have Caius participate in a conflict resolution program after school. It’s designed to teach students how to handle goading situations like this without resorting to violence. Additionally, a one-on-one conversation with the school counselor might help him process his feelings."

Erasmi took his hand off the table and nodded," Dont worry, I will talk to him. Thank you for your concern."

Hannah pulled her hand back and nodded," Its alright. The fact is that I did what I did just because it was Caius. He is a wonderful kid. I didn’t want him to be punished just because he had been provoked."

Erasmi stood up with a smile and nodded," I will take care of this. Thank you once again."

"Cai, let’s go."

Once in the car, before Erasmi could say anything, Caius spoke up,"I know, Dad.I know I should not have reacted like that. I’m sorry. I just... I didn’t expect him to say something like that. He was my friend."

People can surprise you, Cai. Sometimes in good ways, and sometimes in bad. It’s important to stay calm and think before you act, especially when you’re angry."

Cai looked up at his father, his eyes pleading. "Dad, please don’t tell Mom about this. She’ll be so disappointed in me."

Erasmi raised an eyebrow then," You know the rule about keeping secrets, Cai." Cai slumped. Okay okay. I’ll tell mom myself. But you can’t say anything!"

"I won’t tell her until you do, but you need to promise me that you’ll handle things differently next time. Can you do that?"

Cai nodded and looked out of the window as he wondered about what Miss Hannah had told him. He needed to lie to his mother or else she would be hurt...

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶