Estelle, preoccupied with comforting Yvonne, didn’t notice what was unfolding between the children. However, Yohan, who was popular at school for his friendly demeanor and protection of his sisters, saw the entire exchange. When he witnessed Don trying to throw the basketball at Christina, his anger flared, and he stepped in to defend his sister.
Don may have been able to handle a kindergarten girl, but facing off against a primary school boy was an entirely different story. Yohan wrestled with Don briefly, ultimately pushing him to the ground with his face down, causing a few minor scratches on Don’s face in the process.
“Dad! Mom! He is hitting me!” Don cried out, lying on the ground.
Finally, Estelle heard the commotion and turned around, still comforting Yvonne with one hand. She shouted with concern, “Yohan, stop!”
“He threw the basketball at Christina first,” Yohan explained as he glanced at Estelle, still holding Christina’s hands. Meanwhile, Don’s parents rushed over to their son.
Estelle recognized that there was fault on both sides and wanted to help Don up, encouraging the children to apologize to each other. However, Don’s mother pushed her away and angrily lifted her son from the ground. She criticized Estelle, saying, “How can you allow your children to bully my son? You’re an adult!”
Don’s father, who had a broken arm, was far from calm. He shot an angry glare at Yohan and Yvonne, scolding them, “Three against one? Haven’t your parents taught you any manners? It’s despicable!”
Estelle would have preferred a straightforward scolding rather than the situation turning confrontational. She felt a bit embarrassed but wasn’t ready to back down easily. She spoke up, saying, “I’m sorry, and we will do whatever is necessary to make it up for you. If you’re concerned about your son’s well-being, we can take him to the hospital for a checkup now. But it’s important to establish what’s right and wrong so it’s fair to the children.”
Yohan, recognizing his mistake, admitted, “I shouldn’t have pushed him, and I’m sorry for that. However, he did throw the basketball at my sister first, so he should also apologize to her.”
Estelle agreed with her son’s assessment, thinking, ‘Yohan can recognize right from wrong at such a young age. Hopefully, he won’t make significant mistakes in the future, regardless of his success or failure.’ She then turned to Don’s parents and patiently suggested, “Let’s set a good example for our children and apologize to each other, shall we?”
“Why should we apologize? My son is injured! He’s intelligent and has a bright future ahead. If your son breaks his head and ruins his future, how will you compensate for that?” Don’s mother regarded her son as the best while considering other kids worthless. She retorted, “I won’t let this go unless your kids apologize to us!”
Christina, holding Yohan’s hand, shot a defiant look at Don and remarked, “Stop crying. Shame on you!” At the same time, Yvonne had already calmed down with Estelle’s comforting words earlier. She looked at them and nodded, her red eyes still wet like a puppy.
A teacher who was in charge of looking after the kids noticed them and rushed to them. After listening to Don’s parents’ criticism and Estelle’s apology, she understood what had happened. Then she said, “It’s normal for kids to quarrel. Would you please both take a step back?”
“Isn’t it enough that we only ask them to apologize? I had done them a favor when I didn’t call the police to arrest these little bastards!” Don’s mom looked mad. She pointed at the scratches on his face and shouted, “What should we do if his face can’t recover?”
“He’s not good-looking anyway,” mumbled Christina, whose mouth was immediately covered by Estelle. But Don’s mom still heard that. If they hadn’t been in the kindergarten, she might have beaten Estelle at that moment. Fortunately, the teacher stood between them, trying to persuade them to patch up their tiff.
Estelle tried to apologize once more, but realizing they wouldn’t accept it, she decided to stand in front of her children to protect them and asked, “What do you want me to do?”
“Don’t bother apologizing for yourself. Either your children apologize to Don, or you give me $10, 000!” declared Don’s mom. This was an outrageous demand, especially for families already paying the high tuition fees of this kindergarten.
Estelle responded firmly, “I’m willing to apologize because I failed to supervise as the only adult here. However, if you want my kids to apologize, your kids should also apologize to them.”
Don’s father, seemingly dismissive due to seeing Estelle handle three children alone, mocked, “You’re only saying that because you can’t afford $10, 000. You look like a housewife. If your husband knew about your actions today, he’d regret marrying you!”
Fuming with anger, Estelle pondered her next words when a man approached them and stood beside the teacher. He addressed Don’s parents, saying, “Leave them alone. If you have any demands, you can discuss them with me instead.”
“Uncle Vincent!” Yohan was the first to rush over to him, with Yvonne and Christina following behind. They informed him, “These people are being mean. They’re bullying Mom and us!”
Estelle was taken aback by Vincent’s unexpected appearance. She asked, “Vincent? What brings you here?” It dawned on her that Cristofer must have sent him.
Vincent offered a shy smile and honestly explained, “Mr. Hans asked me to come because… well, he was concerned that you might feel uncomfortable without him being here.”
Having worked with Cristofer for a long time, Vincent had absorbed some of his commanding demeanor. He pointedly looked at Don’s parents and casually added, “I am Mr. Hans’ assistant, representing my boss in overseeing the situation. If you have any requests, you can discuss them with me.”
Don’s mom was intimidated by his presence, stepping back towards her husband. However, as she considered his position as an assistant, she regained her arrogance and stated, “Apologize or compensate us with $10, 000.”
“Don’s mom, don’t you think that’s a bit excessive?” The teacher tried to mediate and suggested, “Perhaps you should consider going to the hospital first.”
Vincent offered a gentle smile and replied, “No need, thank you. There’s no need for a hospital visit. Instead of dwelling on such matters, we should enjoy this lovely event today. If we can resolve this with money, it’s quite simple.”
He smoothly retrieved a checkbook bearing Cristofer’s signature from his suit pocket and proceeded to write an amount on a check, tearing it off with ease. “Take this.”
Don’s parents exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of how to respond. They had expected that Estelle would compel her children to apologize when they asked for such a substantial sum. Thus, they were at a loss when confronted with this generous man.