Page 2 of Twins for Three Bad Boys

“Then what is?” I ask.

She meets my eyes now, expression careful. “Perception.”

The word lands badly.

“Perception of what?”

Mr. Harris clears his throat. “Of your interactions with parents.”

My pulse spikes. “You think I’ve crossed a line?”

Mrs. Kline lifts a hand. “We’re not here to determine that.”

I freeze.

“We’re here to assess risk,” she continues. “Given the number of reports and the nature of the allegations, the board has determined that immediate termination of your contract is the safest course of action for the school.”

My chest tightens. “Safest for whom?”

Mrs. Kline doesn’t answer.

Instead, she gestures to the folder. “You’re welcome to review the documentation.”

My hands shake as I open it.

The pages blur together. Emails, screenshots, highlighted phrases stripped of context.

Too friendly with fathers.

Oversteps professional boundaries.

Makes some parents uncomfortable.

“This isn’t true,” I say. My voice sounds far away. “None of this is true.”

Mr. Harris finally looks at me. His expression is tired, resigned. “June, whether it’s true or not isn’t the question.”

The room goes very still.

“The question,” he continues, “is whether the district is willing to absorb the liability.”

I stare at him.

Liability?

Like I’m a cracked railing that might collapse if someone leans too hard.

“So you’re not investigating,” I say slowly. “You’re not asking me what happened. You’re not talking to the parents who actually know me.”

Mrs. Kline’s voice softens. “We don’t have the resources to do that at this stage.”

“So it’s easier just to remove me,” I say.

Neither of them corrects me.

Mrs. Kline nods once. “Your employment is being terminated, effective immediately.”

I just stare at her, waiting for the sentence to turn into something else. It doesn’t.