Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
Tags: Stolen School Spot, Secret Family, Cheating Husband, Divorce Revenge
Getting into a top school district was brutal. That was why I shelled out 1.2 million dollars for a house in the best school zone in town.
Today, I took my six-year-old daughter to register for first grade.
The clerk looked at her computer screen, frowning in confusion.
"Ma'am, the school district enrollment spot tied to this address has already been claimed."
I stood there in complete shock.
"What?"
This was a brand-new home. The official property registry and residency papers only had three names on them: mine, my husband's, and our daughter's.
How could it already be used?!
Fuming, I rushed back home to dig out our family residency documents and deed to demand an explanation from the school board.
When I flipped open the registry booklet, my jaw dropped.
Two completely random names had been added right onto our family record.
A woman and a young boy.
The woman was named Sarah Hall, thirty years old. The boy was Leo Hall, six years old—the exact same age as my daughter.
For some reason, those names sounded vaguely familiar.
Just as I was racking my brain, the front door clicked open. My husband, Mark Miller, walked inside.
"Babe, I can't drive you to work tomorrow," he said casually.
"I promised my coworker, Sarah, that I'd help her out. I'm taking her son, Leo, to his elementary school orientation."
My mind went blank for a second before the realization hit me like a bucket of ice water.
Mark was the head of household on our home's title and legal residency file.
Without his explicit signature and consent, how could this mother and son ever be registered under our roof?!
I shoved the paperwork in his face, pointing directly at the last two lines.
"Mark, what the hell is this?" I demanded.
"Why are Sarah Hall and Leo Hall registered as residents of our house?"
Mark put on a totally blank look.
He took the documents from my hand, pretending to be utterly shocked.
"Wait... what? There are other people on our file? I had no idea!"
He frowned at me. "Why were you suddenly going through our family papers anyway?"
Hearing him play dumb only fueled the rage boiling inside my chest.
"Cut the crap, Mark!"
"You're the primary holder on the title. If you didn't personally sign off on this, how could they possibly transfer their residency here?"
Seeing that he couldn't play innocent, a flash of guilt flickered across his face.
Then, pretending to have just remembered, he gave me an apologetic smile.
"Oh! Now that you mention it, I remember!"
"Sarah has been going through a nasty divorce lately. Her ex kicked her off their home lease, along with the kid's papers. She was in a bind, so I let her temporarily park their residency under our address. She's moving it out soon anyway."
He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, it's really not a big deal."
Looking at his smug, grinning face, my knuckles turned white.
"Not a big deal?" I snapped.
"I went to register Mia for elementary school today. The administration told me our address's spot was already taken! Was it taken by that little boy, Leo? We spent 1.2 million dollars on this house specifically so Mia could attend the best school in the district!"
"Now all that money is down the drain, and our daughter has nowhere to go. And you're telling me it's not a big deal?!"
Seeing how furious I was, the smile melted off Mark's face.
He fumbled through his briefcase, pulled out a few glossy brochures, and shoved them into my hands.
"Honey, calm down. It's bad for your health to get this worked up," he said soothingly.
"Mia is my daughter too. Do you really think I wouldn't plan ahead for her? Look, I've already taken care of everything."
Mark tapped his finger on one of the brochures.
"See? She doesn't have to go to Oakridge Elementary. This private academy is great too. Amazing teachers, beautiful campus, and top college acceptance rates!"
"Since Leo already used our district spot, let's just let it go. It's just elementary school, there's really no need to—"
Before he could even finish his excuse, I saw right through his pathetic scheme.
Enraged, I slapped the brochures right across his face.
"Let it go? Like hell I will!"
"Oakridge Elementary is one of the top three public schools in the entire state! Parents kill to get their kids in there! Instead of giving that elite spot to your own daughter, you gave it to a coworker's kid? Do you even hear yourself?!"
I was sick and tired of arguing in circles with him.
I gave him a direct, cold ultimatum:
"Let me tell you something, Mark. I don't care what kind of relationship you have with this Sarah woman—whether you're just 'helpful coworkers' or sleeping behind my back. That school spot belongs to my daughter, Mia!"
"I don't care how you do it. Get that spot back."
I took a deep breath, leaving no room for negotiation.
"If you don't fix this, we're getting a divorce!"Hearing the word "divorce," Mark finally realized I wasn't bluffing.
He muttered an insincere surrender:
"Fine, fine! I'll go talk to Sarah right now, happy?"
"It's just an elementary school spot. Do you really have to blow this out of proportion..."
With that, he slammed the front door and stormed out.
His dismissive attitude made me want to drag him back by his collar and scream.
But I forced myself to swallow the rage.
Losing my temper wouldn't solve anything right now. My daughter's education was on the line.
Given Mark's attitude, I couldn't count on him. If we couldn't get our spot back, I needed a backup plan. But this mess was too big for me to handle alone.
I let out a heavy sigh and dialed my parents.
"Hey, Mom, Dad... I need to tell you something."
For the next three days, there was zero progress on the school spot.
Whenever I brought it up, Mark brushed me off over the phone.
"I'm working on it, okay?"
"You think it's that easy? You can't just revoke a school transfer with a snap of your fingers. The kid's education is important too. We have to give them time to find another school! Stop nagging me!"
Then, before I could push further, he rushed to hang up:
"Anyway, I gotta go, I'm swamped at work. Working late tonight, don't wait up for dinner."
He claimed to be working overtime, but he came home later every single night.
The first night was eleven. The second night was near midnight. By the third night, I sat on the couch until 2:00 AM, only to receive a text:
[Project deadline is crazy. Crashing at the office.]
I wasn't stupid. It was painfully obvious Mark was dodging me.
Finally, on Friday night, I caught him sneaking through the front door.
"You're back?" I asked from the dark living room.
Mark kicked off his shoes, barely glancing up at me.
"Yeah, I'm back."
"If there's nothing urgent, I'm taking a shower and going to bed. I'm dead tired."
I stood up and blocked his path.
"What about our school district spot?"
"It's been a whole week. Nothing has changed. Registration closes next month."
Mark rolled his eyes, pushing past me toward the hallway.
"This again? Can you just let me breathe for one second? I work overtime every damn day for this family!"
"Asking me two or three times a day—aren't you tired of hearing yourself?"
"Sarah needs time to find another school for her kid too. That takes networking, paperwork, and meetings. Can't you just wait a little longer? Have some empathy for someone in a tough spot!"
I let out a cold laugh.
I had anticipated this exact reaction.
Crossing my arms, I said slowly, "Oh, I have plenty of empathy."
"And I know you two are close colleagues. It must be so awkward for you to ask her to give it up."
Hearing that, Mark froze.
He turned back to look at me, a gleam of relief in his eyes.
"Babe, I knew you were reasonable!"
"Honestly, sending Mia to private school really isn't a bad idea—"
Before he could finish, I cut him off sharply.
"That's why I already found a school for her son."
"Since you're too embarrassed to bring it up, I'll go to your company on Monday and talk to her myself. And if she refuses to give our spot back, I'll just have a chat with your senior executives. I'd love to ask them if breaking up an employee's marriage and stealing their child's future goes against company ethics."
### 小说标题
He Stole My Daughter's Future for His Mistress### 全文翻译
"Didn't you mention your company is currently downsizing?"
The smile vanished from Mark's face instantly.
He glared at me viciously and barked, "Chloe, what the hell does that mean?"
"Are you threatening me?!"
Then, as if remembering something, he lowered his voice and hissed a warning:
"Mia is right in her room! I don't want to start a screaming match in front of her."
"I told you, I'll take care of it! Do not come to my office on Monday, do you hear me? Don't make this a total disaster!"
I shook my head, amused.
I saw right through his little game.
He was stalling. He wanted to drag this out until public school enrollment closed so the spot couldn't be reclaimed. That way, I'd have no choice but to drop it and put Mia in private school.
I pointed toward Mia's room.
"Don't worry. I already sent Mia to my mother's place. She won't be staying here for a while."
"She's my daughter. I care about her far more than you do."
I picked up the manila folder from the coffee table and thrust it into his hands.
"And another thing: I'm staying with my parents starting tonight. These are divorce papers. I've already signed them."
"I gave you an entire week. Since you can't get that spot back, forget it. I'm done arguing with you. I'll see you in court."
"I've officially filed a lawsuit against you and Sarah."Mark froze in disbelief.
He stared at the divorce papers in his hands, terrified to even open the folder.
I didn't care.
I pushed the papers into his chest, grabbed my suitcase from the hallway corner, and walked out.
By the next morning, legal summons were formally served to both Mark and Sarah.
*Re: Defendants' fraudulent residency transfer, unlawful seizure of school district enrollment, and the resulting severe financial damages and violation of minor's educational rights.*
I also made sure to let Mark's parents know what had happened.
I wasn't a doormat. If Mark had the audacity to steal our daughter's school spot today, who knew what lines he would cross tomorrow?
Cutting ties with a man like that was pure liberation.
Yet, the moment I showed my teeth, their bravado collapsed.
That very afternoon, Mark called me in a panic, claiming he had arranged a meeting with Sarah.
They supposedly had a solution.
When I arrived at the café and sat down, Sarah immediately greeted me with sickening sweetness:
"Chloe, thank goodness you came."
"I already ordered a coffee for you. Please sit. I am so, so sorry for causing such a mess for your family. I feel absolutely terrible about all of this."
I had only crossed paths with Sarah twice before and barely remembered her.
This time, I took a closer look.
She dressed simply and acted timid—the exact type of fragile damsel in distress that certain men fell for.
I raised my hand, cutting off her pleasantries.
"Sarah, if you know you caused a mess, skip the small talk and give me your solution."
"I don't have time to waste on you."
Seeing how cold I was, Sarah let out an awkward, nervous chuckle.
"Chloe, the school district spot... it's all my fault," she stammered.
"Back then, all I could think about was escaping my gambling addict of an ex-husband. I begged Mark to let me list our residency under your home. Then, when it was time for Leo to enroll in elementary school, I just panicked and rushed the paperwork."
"I really had no idea it would take Mia's spot away. I'm so sorry."
I looked up and scoffed.
"You certainly know how to panic in style. With dozens of elementary schools in the city, you just happened to snatch a spot at Oakridge Elementary? Did you buy that million-dollar house? Who gave you the right to claim it?"
"Cut the shameless excuses and fix it."
Sarah’s face flushed bright red, her fake smile completely shattering.
Beside her, Mark opened his mouth to defend her, but Sarah shot him a quick, warning glance.
She reached into her designer bag, pulled out an envelope containing a check, and offered me a pleading smile:
"You're right, Chloe. We definitely need to fix this."
"But I've looked around over the past few days. The public schools that are still accepting students are either too far or terrible. You know I'm a single mother. My ex left me with nothing, and raising Leo on my own is so hard."
"I have five thousand dollars here. Let me buy the enrollment spot from you, okay? Please, just have some mercy on us..."
With that, Sarah lowered her head and began to softly sob.
Seeing her tears, Mark couldn't hold back anymore.
"Chloe, Sarah is genuinely struggling," he urged me. "Five grand might not seem like a fortune, but it's a sincere gesture. The spot's already registered to Leo anyway. Why can't we just let it go?"
"I'll pay out of pocket to put Mia in the best private school, okay?"
Honestly, if I didn't care about basic manners, I would have dumped my scalding coffee straight into both of their lying faces.
Five thousand dollars?
I burst out laughing.
I picked up the check and dropped it right into the trash bin next to the booth.
"Five thousand dollars to buy an elite school district spot? Sarah, do you take me for an idiot?"
"I already had my attorney commission a professional real estate appraisal. A home in that district that loses its enrollment spot takes an immediate ten percent hit on market value. That's not even counting the private school tuition and fees we'd have to pay for Mia."
"Sarah, even a hundred grand wouldn't cover this. You'd better keep that five thousand to hire yourself a defense lawyer."
Hearing how serious the legal repercussions were, Sarah sobbed even louder.
Mark lost his temper.
He slammed his hand on the table and shouted at me:
"Chloe, what is wrong with you?!"
"Let me remind you, that house doesn't belong to you alone! I paid my share of the down payment and the mortgage! If I decided to let Sarah use the spot, then that's my choice! This isn't up for debate!"
"Take the five grand if you want it. If you don't, you won't see a single dime!"
With that, Mark grabbed the sniffling Sarah by the arm and pulled her toward the exit.
Before walking out, he turned back to sneer at me:
"That spot is gone. There's nothing you can do about it."
"Sue me, divorce me, do whatever the hell you want. Let's see what pathetic little tricks you actually have!"I just shook my head. His arrogance was almost comical.
Pathetic tricks?
He had no idea what was coming.
I grabbed my purse and drove straight to my lawyer's office.
Right after wrapping up our meeting, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from my in-laws.
"Chloe, we heard about everything," Mark's mother said hurriedly.
"Look, Mark was definitely in the wrong here. But he just felt sorry for that poor single mom and wanted to help. He had no idea she would steal Mia's spot! We've already yelled at him. But Mark told us you're actually taking this to court and filing for divorce?"
"Chloe, for Mia's sake, you can't tear your family apart!"
I raised an eyebrow.
I knew Mark would chicken out the moment reality hit. He couldn't handle it on his own, but his pride kept him from backing down to me, so he sent his parents to do his dirty work.
"I'm divorcing him precisely for Mia's sake," I said coldly.
"As a father, he gave away his own daughter's future. Does he even deserve to have her call him Dad? If he can give away her school spot today, what will he give away tomorrow? I gave him an entire week to get it back from Sarah, and he refused."
"Today, he dragged her along to offer me five thousand dollars to 'buy' the spot. We spent 1.2 million on that house, and my parents put down half the cash! Five grand is an insult!"
A sharp gasp came through the speaker.
Clearly, Mark hadn't mentioned that humiliating detail to his parents.
I twisted the knife further:
"I consulted my lawyer. In a divorce, I am guaranteed primary custody."
"Don't bother calling me again. And don't expect to see Mia, either."
I hung up immediately.
Sure enough, half an hour later, my phone blew up with non-stop calls from Mark.
I didn't answer a single one.
Refusing to quit, he bombarded me with frantic text messages:
[Are you out of your mind?! Why are you dragging my parents into this?]
[Who gave you the right to keep Mia away from them? Do you really have to burn everything to the ground?]
[Please pick up, Chloe. I'm begging you, let's just talk. Do it for Mia.]
...
I didn't reply to a single word.
Where was this urgency during the past week when he brushed me off every single day?
Mark even showed up at my parents' house, looking for me.
Fortunately, I had anticipated that move and sent my parents and Mia out of town to our lake house for a few weeks.
Unable to find anyone, Mark resorted to blowing up my notifications—switching between desperate threats and pitiful apologies.
Yet, he never once mentioned compensating for the spot.
It was his typical playbook: stall until the enrollment window closed, then try to sweet-talk me once there was nothing left to fight over.
That way, he wouldn't spend a dime, Sarah would keep the prize, and he assumed I'd stay married to him for our daughter's sake.
Keep dreaming.
The day after my lawyer finalized all the documentation, a comprehensive fifty-page whistleblower dossier was sent directly to the corporate ethics committee and human resources department at Mark's company.
At the same time, I filed a formal report with the municipal residency board regarding Sarah and her son's fraudulent registration.
I could tolerate a lot of things. But threatening my daughter's future? I would scorch the earth.
Meanwhile, during the lunch break at their office, Mark and Sarah slipped into an empty breakroom to whisper.
"Mark, Chloe looked completely serious yesterday... is this going to blow up in our faces?" Sarah asked anxiously.
Mark took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Relax. Enrollment for Oakridge Elementary closes today at five. Once the portal locks, Leo's admission is set in stone. Nothing can change it."
"I told you I'd take care of you and Leo. I wouldn't mess up something this important."
"As for Chloe... once the dust settles, she'll just have to deal with it. Worst-case scenario, I'll bite the bullet, pay for Mia's private school, and buy Chloe a couple of designer bags to shut her up. It'll blow over."
Sarah smiled warmly, gazing at him with sheer adoration.
It stroked Mark's ego in all the right ways.
As they leaned in closer, footsteps approached.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Someone rapped on the open breakroom door.
The two jumped apart instantly, grabbing their mugs and pretending to inspect the coffee machine.
The visiting coworker rolled her eyes in silent disgust before looking at Mark.
"Mark Miller from IT?"
"Follow me up to the twelfth floor. The Ethics and Compliance Committee needs to see you immediately."
Mark blinked, bewildered. "Wait, what? Okay..."
Left alone in the breakroom, Sarah frowned with unease.
Just as she turned to head back to her desk, her phone rang.
"Hello? Is this Sarah Hall, mother of Leo Hall?"
Her stomach dropped. "Yes, speaking. Who is this?"
A stern voice replied through the receiver:
"This is the Director of Admissions at Oakridge Elementary."
"Following a formal inquiry, significant irregularities have been found regarding your proof of residence and registration documents. By unanimous decision of the school board..."
"Leo Hall's enrollment offer has been officially rescinded."
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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