Page 5 of The Alpha's Forbidden Secret Baby

“This is one of the main reasons children are meant to be in a two-parent household,” he pushed his glasses back up his nose. “You see, you put a child at the risk of being a menace to society without a proper family structure.”

Rayla held back the urge to snort or roll her eyes. She was extremely tired of hearing the same scurrilous old tale. Much like the principal, every other person in the community shared the same ideology. They had disliked her from the moment she came back home pregnant—without a father. To them, she was a loose woman, and her son was a stigma to their society.

Their aversion for her and her son had grown over the years. Abel’s destructive nature had only amplified their hateful emotions toward them.

She knew he was not happy living in Widow’s Creek.

Abel had always been stronger than kids his age. So, it was quite easy for him to hurt them. He had no friends. Kids either bullied or feared him. It made Rayla grief-stricken to watch him grow with so many raw emotions.

“And this is why Abel is suspended for the semester. The next PTA will determine if we reinstate him or expel him,” he stated.

Rayla had been listening absently, but the last statement jerked her out of her thoughts. “Sorry, you want to expel him?” she piqued.

The principal shook his head in disgust. “Are you even listening?”

The PTA board would definitely vote for him to be expelled. The suspension was clearly just a ruse. She couldn’t defend her son. But, she could solicit on his behalf. So, she swallowed her pride and begged.

“I am deeply remorseful about this. My son’s actions were wrong, but you have to please reconsider your decision. I beg of you. Suspend him. He will come back better. I promise. You don’t need to involve the board.”

The principal had never hidden his dislike for Rayla. He also didn’t mask the glee in his eyes as he watched her beg. Rayla was sure he would tell the others in town about this, and they would praise him for putting her in her place. Rayla was irritated by the whole lot of them.

“You don’t get to tell me what the right punishment is. I decide what the punishment will be! You should be glad we are not sending him away immediately.”

He raised his hand to signal her silence just as she was about to speak. “My decision is final, Miss Johnson. Take your son and go home.”

Rayla knew when to save her pride. Now was the time. She wasn’t going to grovel to the judgmental oaf.

No, there was no need to give him gratification. Rayla stared at the principal with undiluted hate. She very much wanted to slap the slight smirk right off his face. But if she took a drastic step like that it would only make matters worse.

She picked up her purse she had flung on the opposite chair earlier. She was about to leave the office when he called her back.

“Here are the cards of the boys’ parents. Make sure to reach out to them. They most likely will ask you to pay for the hospital bills.” He gave a pretentious smile. As if that could make him appear less ruthless to Rayla.

She swiftly collected the cards and walked out without a second glance.

Rayla called out to Abel, who had been sitting outside the office. He was waiting for her with the principal’s secretary. Rayla smiled at the secretary but was rewarded with a frigid glance.

The secretary was the one person who had been less hostile to Rayla. Sadly, it seemed this had changed that. As Rayla and Abel left the school building, she sensed her disapproving gaze on her back.

Rayla walked to her car, broken and defeated. For a town named Widow’s Creek, they sure knew how to show kindness to a single mother. Technically, she was not a widow. But, since the father of her son was dead to her, she assumed she could pass as one.

She got into the car, and Abel climbed into the back seat. She wished she could curl up in a ball and cry. But she saw her son’s face in the rear mirror and erased the thought.

He gazed outside the window. A beautiful teenage boy with night-black hair framing his face. Rayla mentally noted his need for a trim then laughed at herself as she realized there were more important things to deal with.

She marveled at Abel’s existence. He was a stunning blend of herself and his father, his father’s resemblance more prominent. He had her fair skin and his father’s facial features.

Abel was her ray of sunlight. She would gladly give up the world for him.

Rayla clutched her chest as he turned to fully face her. His eyes were a breathtaking replica of his father’s—beautifully black and intense. At that moment, they conveyed a deep sadness that transferred to her.

Since he had turned ten, he seemed to be fighting something inside of him. He had battled this for so long, and now, at thirteen, he seemed to be losing the fight. It often felt like he could no longer control the pent-up anger bubbling inside him.

Rayla smiled sadly at him through the rear mirror as she started the car.

“Mom, I’m sorry.” Abel started as tears threatened to fall. “I didn’t mean to,” his voice broke.

Abel was such a good boy. He didn’t deserve to go through this. Rayla wanted to protect and guide her baby. Unfortunately, she wasn’t doing so well. Although what he did was terrible, she knew there was a trigger. So, she gave him a chance to explain himself.

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