I couldn’t help but laugh—a bitter, incredulous laugh that echoed in the tense air. I was laughing at my own foolishness, at the realization of how naive I had been, and at Dave, who had brought all of this upon himself.
"Miss Warren, I’m not leaving, but I won’t have anything to do with Dave anymore. I know what it means to have integrity."
"I won’t be the other woman, knowingly or otherwise."
"You..." Mary glared, realizing I was calling her out. Her hand shot up as if to slap me, but she stopped, letting it drop, seething with anger.
Damn Dave, I cursed silently.
Mary didn’t get the reaction she wanted, so she switched tactics to force me out.
If I had known how dirty her methods would be, I would’ve left without hesitation.
Soon after, the headline "A Small Time Teacher from Los Angeles No. 17 Middle School Seduces Wealthy Businessman" spread like wildfire.
A photo of Dave and me on the sofa, at an intimate moment, was posted online. Dave’s face was carefully hidden, but mine was fully exposed for the world to see.
Kyle Alexander, the principal, called me into his office. His expression was serious.