Page 110 of Educating Arrogant Mr. Hunter

I looked at Becket. He shrugged and motioned for everyone to join us. The fact that he allowed Zoey’s grandparents to be here and had likely invited the two of them spoke volumes about how far they’d all come in the past week. They had even finished their first successful mediation session.

“Are we going to be on the news?” Sophie glanced at Joanna Morgan, and then dipped her head shyly.

Ava sneezed, and I handed her one of my tissues. “Thank you, Ms. Winter.”

“We won’t let them fire you, Ms. Winter,” Jen added. “Or they’ll be sorry.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Zoey, my eternal optimist, grinned.

“This means the world to me that you all came here to support me.” I was so blessed.

They smiled at me and pulled me in for a group hug.

“The touching scene we see before us is teacher Wren Winter and the students who participate in her after-school Gemstone Club.” The camerawoman panned our tiny group. Joanna moved closer and gestured to the parents standing in the hallway. “Recently, Wren was terminated from one of our local private schools for a vague Staff Conduct: Inappropriate Literature clause, instated when her stepmother, Cynthia Winter, chose to release private photographs to the public.”

“She was being a mean jerk,” Jen defended me. “Our bodies, our choice. No one should get to hurt each other like that.”

“I couldn’t have said it better,” Joanna leaned toward her and held out the microphone.

“Jen Grenada,” Jen stared at the camera, her arms crossed over her chest. “They had no right to fire Ms. Winter.”

“I believe Jen is absolutely right in her assessment, and so do many of the families here to support one of the school’s favorite teachers.” Joanna stepped closer to the camera. “Since the release of these photographs, Mrs. Cynthia Winter has been charged with embezzlement, defamation, and a misappropriation of funds. She is currently on house arrest, awaiting trial. And has chosen ‘no comment’ when contacted to share her side.”

With the help of the Otzratta’s team of lawyers, we were hoping to put Cynthia away for a long time. It helped that Gage Christensen, a friend of Jess and Jaxon, had promised to hack Cynthia’s hard drive and delete the files after the trial. It didn’t take care of those circulating online, but it gave me a little peace of mind that she didn’t have copies anymore.

Joanna addressed the camera before turning back to us. “Behind those doors are the Board of Directors that will decide Wren Winter’s fate.”

It sounded ominous stated that way.

“Wren, tell our viewers why you should get your job back.”

“Because she’s the best teacher I’ve ever had.” Zoey slipped her hand into mine. “She has high expectations for all of us because she knows we can do it. And she helps us when we can’t do it by ourselves.”

I squeezed her hand tight, knowing if I spoke I’d cry.

“Ms. Winter records the articles she gives to us at the Gemstone Club. She doesn’t have to do it, but she knows I don’t like to listen to my computer read to me. It’s boring.” Willa grimaced. “But when she reads, she gives me examples and tells me stories to help me understand the article when it gets too hard for me to read myself. She makes stupid, boring stuff sound interesting. And I want to learn about what she’s talking about because she sounds so excited.” That was probably the most I’d ever heard Willa say at one time.

Beckett’s hand rested against my lower back.

It was hard to speak with the lump now lodged in my throat. “Because I love my job. I love the students I work with. And this career has been everything to me.” I wanted to say so much more, but there was no way I could adequately express the millions of reasons why I deserved to keep my job and all the reasons it was perfect for me.

“What do you say to the viewers that think the Board’s initial decision was the correct one? Those that think you never should have taken those photos?”

Heat crept up my cheeks, but I kept my eyes focused on Joanna. “People have commented that, at twenty years old, I should have just said no.” I drew in a deep breath. “And I did, but my wishes and concerns were ignored that day. I had a life that from the outside looked perfect, but from the inside, I was made to feel as though my worth was in my looks, and that without the generosity of my stepmother, I’d be out on the streets with no particular skills to support me. Choice was not something I had growing up. My life was dictated to me, and I didn’t know how to fight back.”

“Your stepmother managed your modeling career for years, correct?” Joanna asked.

“She did.” I drew in a breath. “And the day after she forced me to pose for those photos, I ran into my high school guidance counselor, who took me by the hand and helped me climb out of the darkness my life had become to find a new path.”

The door to the conference room opened and two of the board members stopped short when they saw Joanna and the crowd gathered around us.

“What perfect timing!” Joanna beelined for the door before they could close it. “Has the board made any decisions regarding Ms. Winter?”

“We are still debating,” one stated nervously and glanced behind him.

“Tell me, are you including the statement by former photography business owner, Jed Martin?” Beckett’s investigator had tracked down Jed Martin and the photographer from the shoot. Both guys recorded and signed statements that I had vehemently denied wanting to be a part of the photoshoot and had been forced to do it, based on the demands of my manager.

“We are taking everything into consideration,” the woman at his side answered, being just as vague as her buddy.

---