Chapter 73
Chapter 73
Besides, he never knew about the pregnancy, did he? There’s no reason to worry. No reason at all…
Later that morning
“Wait for me to pick you up after school, okay?” Althea straightened Josh’s collar after they got out of the car. His teacher, Miss Spencer, was already waiting at the lobby entrance, waving cheerfully.
“Alright! I’m going to class now. Be careful on your way, Mommy. I’ll be waiting for you!” Josh leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Mommy p>
Oh, Joshua Grayson. How gentle and full of love he was. To Althea, her son was everything-a bright spirit raised in the warmth of her care. She had done it all alone, yes, but she had promised herself never to miss a single moment in his life.
Having Josh was a choice she made. No matter how shameful the means she’d used to keep him.
“Have fun in class, sweetheart,” Althea said, waving as he ran toward Miss Spencer. In no time, they both disappeared inside.
Taking a deep breath, Althea turned and headed toward her own school. Her duties as a teacher were waiting.
Unfortunately… just a few hours later, inside her classroom, Althea completely lost focus. The sentences she wrote on the board looked more like meaningless symbols than math problems. She even fumbled a few explanations.
That morning, the classroom appeared as orderly as ever-quiet, tidy, and structured. The school where Althea taught was known for its cutting-edge facilities. A large digital board glowed at the front of the room, displaying interactive practice questions. Students sat in ergonomic chairs; their eyes fixed on their tablets.
But one thing felt distinctly off today-Miss Althea herself.
She stood at the front of the room with her control tablet in hand. Normally, her teaching was filled with bright energy and animated gestures. But this morning, her voice lacked its usual spark, her delivery halting-repeating things she had already said without even realizing it.
“Miss Althea?” a student in the front row raised a hand hesitantly. “Earlier you said twelve minus five was seven… but just now you said five p>
Althea flinched slightly, blinking as guilt swept over her.
“Oh… I’m sorry, I lost focus for a moment,” she admitted with a tight smile. “You’re right. What I said earlier was correct-seven. That last one was a mistake. I apologize p>
A few students giggled softly. One or two leaned toward each other, whispering in mild surprise. It wasn’t like Miss Althea to slip up. She was always sharp-always precise,
Drawing a deep breath, Althea tried to regain composure. “Okay, let’s take a short break from the interactive
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board. Please turn to pages eight through ten and complete problems one to five. Use your stylus p>
The room fell back into quiet. Only the gentle scratch of digital pens on screens filled the space as the students got
to work.
Althea closed her tablet slowly and stepped away from the front. Her footsteps were heavy, her usual vitality drained. Something in her felt… unmoored.
As she walked down the hallway, the hallway monitors at the far end furrowed his brow. It wasn’t like Althea leaving her classroom in the middle of a lesson.
“Is everything alright?” he asked.
“Yes, Mr. Frans. I just need a moment in the break room. There’s something I need to take care of,” she replied softly.
Frans blinked in confusion, then nodded, allowing her to pass. Still, his concern lingered. For Althea to walk out mid-class like that… something must be seriously wrong.
Once she reached the teachers’ lounge, Althea sank onto the couch, her posture collapsing as she bowed her head. A sharp headache throbbed behind her eyes, and anxiety gnawed at her chest.
It would be a lie to say she hadn’t been thinking about it all morning.
If that man really was Daven Callister… then what?
The question clawed at her, over and over.
What if Daven found out Josh was his son?
No. She couldn’t let that happen.
She wouldn’t let him barge into their lives-wouldn’t let him ruin the peaceful, joyful world she’d built for Josh. But what if he did force his way in?
Knowing Daven-how controlling he could be, how he never took no for an answer-it wasn’t impossible. That man didn’t like losing. He didn’t know how to back down.
Her thoughts spiraled faster, louder, until the quiet vibration in her pocket startled her back to the present.
It was her phone.
A message lit up the screen.
[Mrs. Yoshida: Althea, if you don’t mind, may we meet before I return to Migathan this afternoon p>
Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.