Chapter 10 Won't Sell My Body (3)

• ''What? You're being illogical! You bought these things! I never said I wanted any of this! You forced them on me, and now you're going to force me to pay for them?'' Chadwick gasped.
• ''Don't tell me that. Tell that to the court!'' replied Samantha.
• He gritted his teeth, but he could think of no way out of this. So, he finally spat out, "Fine. I'll do it, but I want a raise."
• ''A raise? Isn't ten thousand a month enough for you?
• ''Of course not. As I keep telling you, I won't do anything illegal or immoral, but this job of yours is clearly unethical, and you're forcing me to go against my own morals. So, I demand a raise. I also want compensation for emotional distress. It's torture for me to lie to a kid every day.''
• ''I've never ever met anyone who's as greedy as you. It's starting to look like you would do anything for money. Alright. How much do you want?''
• ''I want fifteen thousand a month. The additional five thousand is my compensation,'' he said after some thought.
• ''Five thousand more? Okay, I can pay you that. However, if you fail to meet any of my expectations, I'll be seeing you in court,'' she agreed with a huff. "Now, listen. My son's kindergarten is a boarding school. From Sunday night until Friday afternoon, he will be in school. Wednesday is the only day when parents are allowed in. So, you will visit him with me every Wednesday, and we'll have lunch together. In short, you'll be working every Wednesday."
• ''That sounds amazing. What about the weekends?''
• ''He will spend his weekends home with me. I'll say that you're working elsewhere and can only visit him on Wednesdays. Another thing, everyone in school will think that you're his father and my husband. That includes the teachers. Thus, I want you to properly work with me so that no one else can find a flaw in our act," Samantha instructed. "Next, you are my son's father. Please be a little bit more sophisticated. Don't embarrass my son or me. Remember, you are the CEO of a successful company. That is why we went shopping. Lastly, I want you to treat my son with absolute care, not with a dismissive attitude. I want him to have the love he would from a father, something he needs for his mental health. Those are my expectations, and you will meet them."
• ''Don't worry about that. Anything is fine as long as you pay me,'' Chadwick replied. His heart was bursting with joy at the thought of a monthly salary of fifteen thousand.
• When Samantha noticed the money-obsessed glint in his eyes, she was once more overwhelmed by revulsion. She couldn't help but wonder if it was the right move to hire him to be her son's father.
• ''Get out,'' she barked at him once she parked the car in the school parking lot.
• ''Okay, I'm going. No need to be so rude,'' he muttered as he got out of the car.
• Then, he followed her into one of the school buildings.
• To Chadwick's surprise, Samantha headed toward an office door. After knocking on it, she entered the room.
• ''Ms. Reed, how are you?'' she said, greeting the person inside the office.
• ''Oh, hello! Mrs. Wembley, how are you? Please, come in!'' The teacher known as Ms. Reed spoke amicably. When she spotted Chadwick, she hesitantly asked, "This man is?"
• ''Me?'' For a moment, he was at a loss for words and confused about how to introduce himself.
• ''He is Finn's father,'' Samantha quickly introduced while shooting him a look.
• ''Oh, hello!'' said Ms. Reed with a bright smile. "I've heard a lot about you from Mrs. Wembley. I am Finn's homeroom teacher, Ms. Reed."
• ''Hi, Ms. Reed. I'm Chadwick Fullner. Thank you for taking care of Finn,'' he replied after a pause before hurriedly stepping forward to shake Ms. Reed's hand.
• ''It is my duty. Now, please sit!'' replied Ms. Reed.
• ''How has Finn been doing over the past few days?'' asked Samantha.
• ''Oh, I would've called you in for a talk if you didn't come over today! Finn has been getting rather naughty. Yesterday, he was fighting with three other kids. Today, he was caught skipping class. While the other kids were attending their classes, Finn ran out and refused to return to the classroom. He wouldn't listen to us no matter what we say, and he even tried to hit us. It's been giving us a headache.
• "We've punished him—standing for thirty minutes straight. We hope you can understand why. However, as Finn's parents, I hope you two can work with us to solve his issues. It's mainly his behavioral issues. After some observation, we realized he's become quite the loner. He's always playing alone, never talking to the other kids. He also loves getting into fights with others. That is terrible behavior, and we must focus on correcting it!'' Ms. Reed solemnly stated.
• ''I'm so sorry, Ms. Reed, for all the trouble he's caused,'' Samantha sincerely apologized.
• ''It's fine. It's our duty, after all. We, too, play a role in his bad behavior. Come, I'll take you to him now!'' Ms. Reed replied with a smile before leading Samantha and Chadwick to Finn Wembley's classroom.
• "I'll just be honest with our conclusions, Mrs. Wembley,'' Ms. Reed continued as they walked. "Finn might have turned into a loner because he doesn't receive enough attention from his parents, or perhaps you don't spend enough time with him. A child's best and most important teachers are his parents. If possible, I ask that you two spend more time with him, maybe take him out on trips. It could correct his current antisocial behavior. I know that Mr. Fullner is working away from home, but now that you're back, please spend more time with your son. I believe that Finn will do much better with a little love. After all, according to scientific studies, the biggest necessity in a child's life is love from a father."
• ''Thank you, Ms. Reed. We'll do as you suggest,'' Samantha hurriedly replied with a nod.
• ''Good. Now, I'll call Finn over,'' Ms. Reed said before walking into the classroom.
• ''This kindergarten's quite nice. How much does it cost per semester?'' Chadwick asked Samantha as his eyes darted around.
• ''Is that a question you should be asking? Remember your identity,'' she coldly whispered back.
• He pouted when he heard that.
• ''Mommy, you're here!'' Just then, a little boy came running out of the classroom and slammed into Samantha's embrace.
• ''I'm here to visit you, Finn. Come, we'll be having some of your favorites for lunch—pizza,'' said Samantha as she began to walk away with Finn in her arms.
• ''Hurray! Hurray!'' Finn gleefully cried out as his arms danced in the air. Then, spotting Chadwick, he asked, "Who is he? Why is he following us?"
• It was only then that she remembered Chadwick's presence. "Finn, this man is your daddy. See, Daddy's back from Europe, and he came all the way here to see you. Are you happy?"
• ''You're lying. He's not my dad,'' Finn blurted.
• Both adults were shocked by that statement. They didn't think he was smart enough to see through their ruse instantly.
• ''Why do you say that?'' she quickly asked.
• ''Yes. How do you know that I'm not your daddy?'' Chadwick asked.
• ''Mommy said you were in Europe, but I've seen Europeans before. One of my classmate's daddies is a European. However, he doesn't look like you,'' Finn stated.
• Chadwick and Samantha were relieved upon hearing that statement as they burst out chuckling.