Page 66 of Since the Day We Wished

The classroom buzzed with a symphony of gasps and hushed whispers as Emma stood frozen in place, trying to figure out if she’d heard him correctly.

“How long have you been sleeping with my dad?”

Adrenaline surged through Emma’s body as her heart pounded like a bass drum. “Jeremiah, that’s inappropriate–”

“But it’s true, isn’t it?” Jeremiah stood up from his desk as he cut her off. “You’re sleeping with my dad.”

The entire classroom went into a frenzy. Some of the students were laughing and egging Jeremiah on, while others were telling him to shut up, and a few sat in silence, stunned from what they were witnessing. Emma didn’t know what to do. Her stomach knotted up, causing a wave of dizziness over her. He had given her such a nice compliment only yesterday, and now it was as if she were in a nightmare, unable to wake up.

“Jeremiah, that’s not true.”

“Don’t play dumb. I know what you’re really like now. You act all nice and innocent, but deep down you’re a homewrecker.”

Emma’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped as a string of expletives spewed from Jeremiah’s mouth. Students in the classroom shouted louder and louder as Jeremiah continued. She could feel her face getting hot as she bumped up against her desk.

“Emma? What’s going on?”

She turned toward the doorway and saw the puzzled stare on Mr. Simmons’ face. The notably lean man stood there. His crown of greying hair, his face, etched with deep grooves of numerous smiles and frowns, bore the distinct mark of a seasoned educator, a symbol of the resilience and strain he’d shouldered over the years.

She’d forgotten that she’d left the classroom door open, and her students were making enough noise that the entire hall could hear. She had to do something quick, or the front office was going to think she couldn’t control her classroom.

“Oh, it’s nothing. The kids are just getting excited,” Emma said, forcing a smile.

“Excited? About calculus?”

Emma let out a small, uneasy chuckle. “You know teenagers these days.”

The physics teacher looked at her like she was crazy. But Emma couldn’t tell him the truth because that would get Jeremiah in trouble. And he was already on thin ice at this school. She didn’t want him getting kicked out over this.

“That’s not true,” Jeremiah said. “No one in here is excited by anything that homewrecker teaches. Aren’t you divorced, Ms. Wright? It’s no wonder he left you for another woman...she’s probably much better than you’ll ever be.”

As Jeremiah spoke those words, Emma’s heart plummeted into turmoil. The hateful remarks directed toward her shook her to her core, and she was left reeling in disbelief and shock. Her hands instinctively flew to her mouth, as she tried to contain the wave of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

All the insecurities that she had felt during her failed relationship with Chad came flooding back to her. Her thoughts were spiraling out of control as the pain of her past was now being dredged up in front of everyone.

Emma was not prepared for this public humiliation and felt the hot tears welling up in her eyes as she turned to face Jeremiah. In that moment, she felt alone and betrayed, wondering why life had chosen to deal her such a cruel hand.

“Sit down, Jeremiah. We’ll talk about this later.”

“Ooooooh,” the class erupted in unison.

Jeremiah grinned, folding his hands across his chest. “Nope. I don’t feel like sitting down. Not in your classroom.”

“Don’t make this hard on yourself,” Emma said. “You’re going to regret it if you keep carrying on.”

“Why should I stop? Are you scared? Are you telling me you don’t want everyone here to know you’ve been sleeping with a married man? And how you made him turn his back on his family?”

Emma’s face turned beet red. He had crossed a line and there was nothing she could do about it now. She pointed to the door. “Jeremiah. Principal’s office. Get out!”

Smirking, he left the classroom and sauntered down the hall to the front office. Emma asked Mr. Simmons, who was still standing there in shock, if he would watch the class for a few minutes. After he nodded, Emma walked out of the classroom and followed Jeremiah, wiping away tears. Her face was still on fire, and she wished she had a few minutes to compose herself before going into Principal Kennedy’s office. But there was no time. Jeremiah had to be dealt with immediately.

As she reached the office, Jeremiah was already sitting in one of the waiting room chairs, looking in every direction but hers.

“I need to see Principal Kennedy right now,” she told the secretary.

The secretary took one look at Jeremiah and picked up the phone. “He’ll see you now.”

Emma walked right into his office and shut the door behind her, leaving Jeremiah outside.

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