Chapter 19 Sabrina Didn’t Cheat
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The moment Theodore laid eyes on Sabrina, his gaze turned icy, tinged with a flicker of anger.
Sabrina’s stomach twisted. She assumed he was mad at her, and a wave of unease washed over her. She quickly averted her eyes, feeling a pang of guilt.
After all, she’d promised Theodore she wouldn’t cause him any trouble.
Lately, though, it seemed like she’d done nothing but stir up messes for him.
She was still racking her brain for an explanation when Theodore strode over, his face shadowed and his voice clipped
with tension.
“What happened here?”
The edge in his tone betrayed his worry, sharp and. unmistakable.
Sabrina froze for a second before answering casually, “Got hit.”
Just then, Saoirse stepped into the room.
The instant she saw Theodore, an overwhelming pressure hit her, making it hard to breathe.
Chapter 19 Sabrina Didn’t Cheat “Hello, you’re…?” she ventured, her voice tentative.
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“I’m Sabrina’s biological father, Theodore Fridman,” he replied coolly, casting a sidelong glance at Matthew. He lingered on the word “biological,” letting it ring out with emphasis.
Saoirse’s heart jolted. She could tell Theodore was no ordinary man. A name flashed through her mind, one that sent ripples through Los Angeles elite circles, and she pieced it together.
This was getting complicated. Two men, one her student’s birth father, the other her adoptive father.
She sucked in a breath, forcing herself to stay composed.
Saoirse laid out the whole story, start to finish.
Matthew, who hadn’t gotten the full picture earlier, raised an eyebrow when he heard Sabrina had taken first place in her grade.
“Ms. Graves, are you sure?” he asked, skepticism creeping into his voice. Sabrina had always scraped the bottom of the rankings before.
Saoirse frowned, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face.
“Mr. Matthew Sterling, Sabrina’s your foster daughter, at the very least. Don’t you even know how brilliant she is?”
She couldn’t believe how a father could be so clueless about his
Chapter 19 Sabrina Didn’t Cheat
own kid.
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Sure, this guy had power and influence, but Saoirse wasn’t one
to mince words.
It wasn’t a secret at school that Sabrina was the Sterling family’s foster child, and Matthew had once been her father in all but blood. Hearing him question her like this rubbed Saoirse the
wrong way.
Besides, she’d always had a soft spot for Sabrina. She’d noticed ages ago that the girl was holding back her true potential, likely tangled up in the messy Sterling family drama. Saoirse had never called her out on it, though.
Seeing that Matthew remained stone–faced and silent, Saoirse gave an awkward chuckle and added, “Mr. Matthew Sterling, I get what you’re thinking, but Sabrina didn’t cheat. The principal himself vouched for her.”
Sage was a pillar of integrity, a rare breed in education.
His word carried weight in Los Angeles, and he’d never lie for a
student.
Matthew fell silent, saying nothing more.
Theodore, for his part, had been surprised by the news as well. But he never once suspected Sabrina of cheating. What caught him off guard was that she’d managed to get Sage, the guy who bowed to no one, to step in and defend her.
Chapter 19 Sabrina Didn’t Cheat
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Sage rarely made appearances at the school, let alone stood up for anyone.
In fact, he never played favorites.
“Mr. Theodore Fridman, Mr. Matthew Sterling,” Saoirse said, shifting gears, “I called you both here because this situation’s serious. We’d also like to see the kids patch things up.”
Her main goal was to smooth things over between them.
Sabrina’s brow creased at that.
No way was she on board with that.
“Out of the question. Kyle and I are never making up.”
She knew Kyle too well. The second Brianna threw a tantrum, he’d be back harassing her endlessly.
They weren’t just at odds. They were enemies. And there was no fixing that.
Kyle, stung by her rejection, huffed in defiance. “Even if you begged me, I wouldn’t bother.”
The office went frigid, tension crackling in the air. Saoirse rubbed her temples, sensing a headache coming on, and dropped the reconciliation talk.
Then Theodore, who’d been quiet until now, spoke up, his voice low and cutting. “Ms. Graves, if I’ve got this right, Kyle’s the one
Chapter 19 Sabrina Didn’t Cheat
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who barged into my daughter’s class and started this, isn’t he?”
His brows knitted tight, his piercing stare radiating authority.
Saoirse gave a small nod.
Theodore pressed on. “He harassed my daughter in her own classroom and threw something at her. He’s the one who owes her an apology.”
“Why should I apologize?” Kyle snapped, bristling. “Sabrina’s the one who should say sorry to Brianna!”
Every head in the room swiveled toward him.
No one had expected Brianna to be tangled up in this too.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Saoirse asked, narrowing her
eyes.
Kyle puffed up, indignant. “Sabrina stole Brianna’s first place. Doesn’t she owe her an apology for that?”
“Stole?”
Theodore’s frown deepened, his gaze turning razor–sharp.
“Isn’t first place based on scores? Since when does it belong to Brianna?”
He fixed Kyle with an icy stare. “By your logic, whoever takes first should apologize to second?
Chapter 19 Sabrina Didn’t Cheat
“Does brilliance have to grovel to mediocrity now?”
All eyes landed on Kyle again, confusion rippling through the room. Even Matthew’s brow furrowed slightly.
Kyle exploded, red–faced. “She cheated to get it!”
Saoirse’s expression hardened. “Kyle, the principal already stepped in and confirmed it. Watch your words.
“Sabrina didn’t cheat.”
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Theodore locked eyes with Kyle, his voice a quiet threat. “Keep spreading lies, and I’ll call the cops.”
Kyle, young and rattled by Theodore’s intensity, clamped his mouth shut.
“Apologize,” Theodore said, patience gone.
Kyle pressed his lips tight, refusing to budge. After a long pause, Matthew’s voice cut through, cold as steel. “Kyle, apologize.”
Kyle’s eyes widened, staring at his dad. “What?”
“Apologize,” Matthew repeated, colder still.
“Sorry,” Kyle muttered, the words dragged out of him reluctantly.
Sabrina’s gaze flicked over him, unimpressed. “If you don’t
Chapter 19 Sabrina Didn’t Cheat mean it, don’t bother faking it.”
She paused, then added, “And even if you did mean it, I wouldn’t accept it.”
With that, she grabbed Theodore’s hand. “Let’s go.”
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The soft warmth of her grip melted the sharpness in Theodore’s
eyes.
“Alright,” he said, his voice softening into something tender, almost unfamiliar.
After they left, Sabrina tagged along with Theodore to the hospital for a checkup.
It was just a minor scrape, nothing serious.
Sabrina brushed it off, but Theodore fretted like she’d broken a bone, insisting the doctor wrap her head in bandages.
They bickered about it the whole way home.
“Do we really have to do this?” Sabrina groaned, exasperated.
“Yes,” Theodore said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Sabrina sighed, giving in.
On the drive back, she watched him from the passenger seat, her eyes deep and searching.
Chapter 19 Sabrina Didn’t Cheat
She couldn’t quite figure him out.
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“I’ve caused you a lot of trouble,” she said after a long hesitation. “You’re not mad?”
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