Unmasking Mrs. Newton's Secret Identities novel Chapter 1714

Helen turned to Gwen, her tone now resolute. "Ms. Platten, you heard it yourself. Lincoln and Sienna aren't the ones breaking the rules—it's the other students who are isolating them. I believe it's important for you to address this behavior with the rest of the class."

Gwen's expression flickered with unease, but she quickly masked it, responding curtly, "I'll look into whether this is really happening. But even if it is, why aren't the other students being singled out? Maybe Lincoln and Sienna should consider if their own behavior is contributing to the situation."

"Ms. Platten, what exactly are you implying? Are you suggesting that the victims somehow caused this themselves?" Helen's anger flared, prepared to challenge the accusation.

Before the tension could rise any further, Lincoln cut in, "Mom, what if Nana and I just take a leave of absence? That way, no one has to deal with any of this."

The daily commute to and from school felt like a complete waste. If Lincoln could cut it out, he'd have more than enough time to finish coding his program.

After all, he and Sienna had long surpassed the elementary school curriculum. The only real challenge remaining was mastering Cholonese, but that could easily be addressed later when he tutored Sienna one-on-one.

At first, they had agreed to go to school for the sake of a broader life experience, but now, it all felt pretty lackluster. It seemed like walking away might be the best choice after all.

Helen knew that Lincoln and Sienna were incredibly resilient. At their age, she herself would have walked away from school in an instant if she thought it wasn't worth her time. She couldn't force her children to follow a path just to conform to expectations.

As a mother, though, she had to consider the potential fallout of such a decision.

Meanwhile, Gwen wasn't convinced. "That's not an option," she said decisively. "Our school uses a credit system based on percentages—20% from regular assignments and 80% from the final exam.

"If you take a leave of absence and miss classes, you'll automatically get a zero for your daily grades. That means you'd need to score at least 80% on the final to pass. Otherwise, you risk repeating the year—or worse, being asked to leave."

At Pinecrest Private Primary School, academic performance and reputation were everything. The phrases "repeating the year" or "asked to leave" were merely diplomatic terms—ultimately, they meant expulsion for anyone who couldn't meet the required standards.

Helen looked at her two children and gave a brief nod. "I have no objections."

Lincoln had always been strong-willed; all she needed to do was stand by him.

As they walked out of the school gate, Helen's mind was still clouded with concern. After a long pause, she turned to her children, her face filled with unease.

"Sweethearts, it's not your fault that the other kids have been treating you badly. Don't ever let their actions make you doubt yourselves, understand?"

Lincoln glanced up at her, his expression calm and collected. "Mom, I think you're mistaken. It's not that they've been ostracizing me and Nana. I've been the one pushing them away."