The next day, Owen found himself unexpectedly sidelined. After getting familiar with Mandy, Amanda had taken to catching rides with Brock to school and only called Owen when she needed a ride back early.
Susan and McCall continued their morning horseback rides as usual. During the day, Susan busied herself arranging flowers and tending the garden. The house's previous owner had set aside a small patch for vegetables, which Susan and McCall kept. They had also opened up a new plot for fruit. Most of the vegetables they ate came from their own backyard.
...
4 PM, at the school.
As a temporary assistant, Amanda was a hit with the kids. Today had been another pleasant day. It was recess time, and Amanda was helping Ms. Tracy supervise the third-graders on the playground. The kids scattered around to play freely, and it wouldn't be long before school was out. Through the iron fence surrounding the playground, cars were already lining up—parents arriving early to pick up their children.
Ms. Tracy and several teachers stood chatting nearby while each class came out in turn. Amanda, instead of joining the group, stayed close to the children, carefully watching to make sure no one got hurt on the equipment.
Mandy was full of energy and clearly very agile, climbing from one piece of equipment to another like a nimble little monkey. In contrast, a chubby boy nearby struggled—many of the playground features were too small or difficult for him.
Likely due to being a new student, Mandy didn't have many kids to play with. Amanda had noticed, but she didn't intervene. It was something Mandy would have to figure out on her own—Owen had raised Amanda to be the same way. If you have a problem, try to solve it yourself first. Only go to adults when you truly need help.
Mandy jumped down from the monkey bars, and her baseball cap fell off. Before she could pick it up, the chubby boy grabbed it.
"Give me back my hat," Mandy said as she tidied her hair.
But instead, the boy gave her a rough shove, knocking her to the ground.
"New kid. I'm not giving it back. What are you gonna do about it?" he sneered.
Amanda, watching from nearby, saw it all. The boy was clearly picking a fight. Schools, after all, were microcosms of society—there was beauty, but also the pettiness and cruelty of the adult world.
From what Amanda had seen, Mandy wasn't the timid type. So she held back, letting the kids handle their small conflicts.
"I said, give it back. That's the second time," Mandy warned again, standing up.
She didn't cry or look afraid, which seemed to irritate the boy. With the other kids watching, he probably felt his pride was on the line.
"Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson, transfer student…" he said, raising a fist.
Amanda's eyes widened, rushing forward—but what happened next stopped her cold.
Just before the boy's punch landed, Mandy delivered a perfect jab to his stomach, doubling him over. Then she followed with a sharp side kick to the face, sending him crashing to the ground.
Amanda's jaw dropped. That punch and kick? Clean, practiced—just like Brock's moves at the gas station.
But now wasn't the time to be impressed. She hurried over and separated the two. Ms. Tracy had also arrived and was tending to the boy, who was now bleeding from the nose.
"You okay?" Amanda asked Mandy.
"I'm fine," Mandy said calmly, then explained, "I asked him twice to give back my hat."
"I saw that," Amanda replied, unsure what to say next. It was obvious this wasn't Mandy's first time dealing with something like this.
...
"You little bitch! You hit my son! I'll rip your mouth off!"
A shrill, angry voice shouted from beyond the fence. A woman stormed in through the school gate, a man close behind her. Both of them wore fierce expressions.
"Casey…"
"You shut up! I saw everything! That little bitch hit my boy with my own eyes!"
Ms. Tracy tried to speak but was immediately cut off by the woman—presumably the chubby boy's mother. Everyone in town seemed to know her. She was notorious for being unreasonable, foul-mouthed, and impossible to deal with.
"Ma'am, please calm down—"
"You shut it! Who the hell are you to defend that little bitch?" she snapped at Amanda.
Amanda tried to explain herself, but the woman kept hurling insults.
"Ma'am, I'm an assistant here. This was just a disagreement between kids. Please let the school handle it—"
"You're a bitch too! Helping that little whore bully my son!"
The verbal abuse was relentless. Amanda had never encountered a parent this vulgar. Cursing like that in front of all the children—it was outrageous.
"Move! I'm going to deal with this myself. Let's see if she dares to touch my son again!"
Casey lunged forward. Amanda stepped back protectively in front of Mandy.
"Ma'am, please, calm down! You can't do this! This is a school! If there's a problem, talk to the principal or call the police—but you can't hurt a child!"
Amanda stood her ground. But Casey didn't care. She rushed forward with her arm raised—clearly intending to strike.
Thud!
In an instant, Amanda threw Casey over her shoulder and slammed her into the ground with a clean judo throw.
Silence.
Every student, teacher, and parent on the playground stared in stunned disbelief. Amanda stood poised, having just brought down one of the most difficult women in town in a single move.
For a moment, some even felt… satisfaction. Casey had caused trouble for years, always making a scene, always getting her way through intimidation. Seeing her taken down like that—it was justice.
"You bitch! What did you do!?" the husband shouted, rushing forward. But he didn't go for Amanda—he knelt beside Casey.
"Jimmy, you coward! Can't you see she just hit me? She and that little bitch hit our son! And you're just standing there?"
Jimmy's face turned red, then pale. He looked between Amanda and Mandy, then clenched his fists.
"You bitch… I'll make you pay!" he growled, lunging toward them.
Amanda stepped back, shielding Mandy, but she braced herself.
Just then—
A figure burst through the school gate. Jeans, flannel, and a baseball cap—Brock. He appeared beside Jimmy in a flash.
Bam!
A single punch knocked Jimmy flat. Brock pinned his head into the grass, his eyes glancing toward Amanda in silent question.
He'd seen someone going after his daughter and Amanda. He didn't need an explanation—he acted.
First, stop the threat. Ask questions later.
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