Chapter 2

"Fine! We'll clear this up by checking the security footage," Principal Finch agreed at once.

Five years ago, I had just graduated, passed my teaching certification, and started my internship at the preschool.

It was Principal Finch who patiently taught me how to feed the kids, wipe their noses, and settle them down for their naps.

She didn't just have lofty ideas about early childhood education; she handled all those small, trivial tasks herself.

You could say it was Principal Finch's help and trust that earned me the honor I have today.

Even if that honor was about to go up in smoke.

Hearing the principal back me on checking the footage, I stood a little straighter.

"Who knows if your footage is real or fake?"

"You're all in the same boat."

Job's mother threw out her doubts.

"Besides, there are so many blind spots in the school's cameras."

"Lawrence is an old hand at bullying kids. She definitely knows how to stay out of the cameras!"

"Job's mother has a point—there are no cameras in the classroom restroom."

Zoey jumped right in.

"Then check the ones at the school gate!"

"The cameras at the school gate are the clearest, three-hundred-sixty degrees, no blind spots," I offered.

"As long as Job was fine when he left school yesterday, then I'm not the one who hurt him."

I had that confidence.

Last night I handed Job over to his mother myself before I clocked out.

I knew better than anyone whether he'd been hurt.

A few minutes later.

"Principal! The cameras are all broken!" the security guard, Mr. Li, came hurrying over.

"What?!" My heart, which had just settled, leapt straight back up into my throat.

"Ha!" Job's mother let out a cold laugh.

"No wonder you were so sure about checking the footage—you'd planned this all along!"

"I hear Ms. Lawrence worked overtime until after eight last night before going home," Zoey said snidely.

"You weren't sabotaging the cameras during all that overtime, were you?"

The footage was gone.

The way things stood now, I had no way to defend myself.

I looked toward the audience seats. My parents were watching me, worry all over their faces.

But my fiancé, Rick Gilbert, who had been sitting beside them, was nowhere to be seen.

All at once I felt like I'd lost my anchor.

Rick and I went to the same college.

I studied early childhood education; he studied law.

After graduation I became a preschool teacher, and he became a lawyer at a major local firm.

This May 20th, we were going to get our marriage license.

Today he'd taken the day off on his own to celebrate my award with me.

I'd invited my parents so they could witness my proudest moment.

And now it was all ruined.

Principal Finch mulled it over for a moment, then looked at me.

"Since the footage is gone, we still owe the parents an explanation. Just go along with her for now!"

I never expected the principal to tell me to go along with a soul-calling ritual. For a moment I couldn't accept it.

"Principal, please, believe me, I didn't do it—"

"Whether I believe you or not isn't the point!" she cut me off.

"You need to understand how the child's parents feel!"

"If this blows up—"

Principal Finch lowered her voice in my ear. "Is the preschool still going to stay open? Do you still want your teaching certificate?"

I stared at the principal I trusted most, chilled to the bone.

Job's mother grew bolder still, seizing my arm and hauling me toward the door with all her strength.

"Lawrence, you'd defy your own boss?"

"Come do the soul-calling with me, now!"

Job's mother was unbelievably strong. I couldn't fight her off at all.

"I'm Moira Lawrence's fiancé. Whatever the problem is, I'll answer for it."

It was Rick's voice.

A warm rush swept through my chest.

I hadn't shed a single tear through all the false accusations and twisted words, but the instant I saw him, my nose stung.

I started to step forward, wanting to bury myself in his arms.

But what he said next dropped me into an icy pit.

"Moira, you truly never learn!"

"I never imagined—it's not enough that you torment me at home, now you won't even spare a child!"