On my daughter Lily Lane’s first day of middle school enrollment, I waited for her at the school gate.

My phone buzzed nonstop with notifications.

“Lily’s parent, do you live up in the mountains with no signal? Why aren’t you saying anything? The whole class is waiting on you.”

“Yeah, it’s just a jump rope. Do you really need half a day to think about it?”

It turned out the parent committee was organizing a group purchase of professional jump ropes for the fitness test, and I was the only one who hadn’t responded yet.

I quickly replied in the group chat:

“Thank you for the reminder, but we won’t be buying the jump rope for now. Lily’s sister Sophie just finished her high school entrance exam, and the one we bought her is still in perfect condition. Lily can use that.”

Unexpectedly, right after I sent that message, I was removed from the group.

Still puzzled, I received a message from the homeroom teacher, Mr. Brown.

“Come tomorrow to process your daughter’s withdrawal. The principal’s wife said if you can’t even afford a $200 jump rope, your child doesn’t deserve to be in the same class as her son.”

I immediately texted my father Charles Lane: “Since when did Crestwood Academy let outsiders call the shots?”

Half an hour past dismissal time, Lily still hadn’t come out.

I thought of going into the classroom to check, but a security guard yanked me back roughly at the entrance.

“Who are you? What gives you the right to just walk in?”

I explained I was there to pick up my daughter. He looked me up and down with disdain.

“The principal’s wife said anyone entering the school must show proof of fifty million dollars in assets. This is the nation’s top elite school—you don’t just walk in.”

“Look at you, you clearly don’t have that kind of money. Get out before I’m forced to hit a woman.”

Anger flared in me. Who had come up with these ridiculous rules?

Just as I was about to argue, I ran into Ms. Miller, who used to be Sophie’s homeroom teacher.

“Ever since the principal’s wife came, she’s replaced almost everyone in the school and made up all kinds of absurd rules. Most of the younger teachers quit, only us older ones nearing retirement are still here. Don’t even get me started.”

“She gave us these visitor cards as so-called staff benefits. Even our family members can’t come in without one. Here, you can borrow mine.”

Though uneasy, my worry for Lily outweighed everything else. After thanking her, I hurried toward Lily’s classroom.

At the door, I heard harsh curses. Following the crowd’s gaze, I saw Lily standing drenched beside a bucket, her face and clothes smeared with black ink.

A woman in a purple dress was yanking Lily’s hair viciously, demanding that she kneel and apologize to her son.

Fury surged through me. I rushed over and shielded Lily in my arms.

Seeing me, Lily finally broke down in sobs, clinging to me, unable to speak.

I stroked her back gently, soothing her, then turned to the woman in purple.

“What did my daughter do that you would treat her like this? If you don’t give me a reasonable explanation, I’ll sue you for bullying and intentional harm!”

The woman spat at me.

“Like mother, like daughter. Both of you are stubborn and sharp-tongued.”

“Sue me? Your daughter stole from my son, and I haven’t even settled that with you yet. And now you dare put on an act?”

Laughter rippled through the classroom. Lily raised her tearful eyes.

“Mom, this pen was clearly a gift from Dad. He’s saying I stole it.”

I saw the pen Lily clutched tightly in her hands and immediately understood what was happening.

“This pen is indeed my daughter’s. Her father gave it to her as a gift to celebrate her enrollment. I still have the purchase record.”

I pulled up the receipt on my phone—an expense of $100,000.

The woman in purple burst out laughing.

“Don’t know whether to call you uneducated or a fraud. You can’t even read the zeros properly. This pen costs $10,000, but you’re showing $100,000?”

“Pathetic. You’ve probably never seen that much money in your life. You can’t even fake it convincingly.”

Her ignorance made me laugh bitterly.

“This pen’s nibs are custom-made with gemstones. Prices vary depending on the gem’s type, color, and clarity. The one in my hand is crafted with a Colombian emerald, the only one of its kind in the country.”

I pulled off the cap, revealing the glistening green nib.

The crowd began whispering.

“My husband told me about this Hepburn pen—it has three tiers, and the highest does go for about $100,000.”

“I don’t know much about gems, but the way that emerald shines doesn’t look fake.”

The woman’s face flickered with doubt, but she quickly sneered again.

“You can’t even afford a $200 jump rope. You expect me to believe you bought a $100,000 luxury Italian pen?”

“Trying to fool me with a knockoff? I, Olivia Scott, have been in the socialite circle for years—you think I’d fall for this?”

The other parents nodded, clearly siding with her.

Lily trembled in my arms, her temperature rising rapidly. She was running a fever.

I didn’t want to waste more time arguing. The priority was to get Lily to the hospital.

I placed the pen on the desk.

“This pen will stay here. Once the matter is clarified, I’ll take it back.”

I tried to leave with Lily, but Olivia stuck out her leg and tripped me. Lily hit her head on the ground, a lump swelling at her temple.

“You think you can walk out that easily? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to—trying to swap a fake for my son’s real one? Not a chance!”

“Trash like you are all the same—teaching your kids to steal so you can resell for cash.”

Gasps filled the room.

“No wonder her kid can afford this school—turns out it’s stolen money.”

“If the daughter steals, what does the mother do? Sleep around for cash? Disgusting.”

“Bringing a fake pen to trick us? They’ve probably been targeting our kids’ things for a while. Everyone check your stuff—if anything’s missing, today’s the time to get it back.”

At her words, several parents lunged at me, snatching my purse and emptying Lily’s backpack.

Books and makeup spilled everywhere, but nothing suspicious was found.

“They must be pros. Of course they wouldn’t hide it in their bags. Could be on them instead.”

Seeing them reach for Lily’s clothes, I pulled her tightly to me.

“You have no right to search us. This is illegal.”

One parent shouted back:

“Stealing is illegal too! If you didn’t steal, why are you afraid of being searched? You’re obviously guilty!”

I had no way to argue back. Outnumbered, I could only watch as they tore Lily’s school jacket off.

In a panic, I searched for my phone, desperate to call my husband.

But Olivia’s son Ethan Hayes snatched my phone from the ground and waved it tauntingly at me.

Helpless, I looked to the homeroom teacher, who had been hiding in the background, silently begging her to intervene.

Instead, she stepped over to Olivia’s side.

“Why not just let everyone check, Lily’s mom? That way you can clear your name.”

I clung to Lily tightly, but in the struggle, her pink diamond bunny hair clip fell and shattered into pieces.

It was a gift from my father Charles for her tenth birthday—her most treasured possession.

Lily broke down in tears.

“My bunny clip! Mom, my favorite pink bunny is broken!”

Her pain cut me like a knife.

I had always raised my two daughters to value humility, teaching them never to flaunt their privileges. They had always listened, keeping low profiles.

But humility should not be mistaken for weakness to be trampled on.

My eyes swept over the parents who had laid hands on her, sharp and cold.

“A single hair clip could cost your families everything. Worth it.”

Olivia sneered.

“You expect us to believe that? It’s just cheap plastic. I wouldn’t pay five bucks for it. Bankrupt us? You must be insane.”

“Just standing near you makes the air filthy.”

One sharp-eyed parent picked up the broken pieces, eyes widening. Their face paled.

“This… this has an Argyle Pink Diamond Certification! Only legendary top-tier diamonds carry that mark.”

Two more parents bent down to look, their faces draining of color.

“My husband told me diamonds of this level don’t circulate on the market. They only show up at auctions, starting at no less than five million dollars!”

“Now that you mention it, I remember—two years ago at an auction, a pink diamond shaped like a bunny was sold to a mysterious buyer. Could it be…?”

“Maybe she really is someone powerful.”

The contempt in the parents’ eyes shifted into unease and fear.

“You’ve all gone crazy! Can’t you see she’s a fraud? Just pretending to be high-class, and you all fell for it?”

“I saw her walking her daughter to school this morning. Not even a beat-up car to their name. She’s nothing but a piece of trash who pulled a few tricks to scare you idiots. Pathetic!”

Olivia cursed the other parents, but a few, not wanting more trouble, pulled their kids away. Only her close allies stayed, trying to calm her down.

“Olivia, maybe it’s better to drop this. If this blows up, it’ll hurt Crestwood Academy’s reputation.”

“Yeah, they’re leaving the school anyway. Out of sight, out of mind.”

Olivia smirked at me, taking the excuse.

“Fine. Make them kneel and kowtow 500 times to me and my son, then leave Crestwood. I might be merciful enough to let them go.”

Lily’s feverish face flushed red, her breathing growing heavier. My heart clenched.

I shoved Olivia aside.

“You’re not worthy of our kowtow. Move. If anything happens to my daughter, I’ll make you pay.”

Olivia slapped me hard across the face, splitting my lip.

“Still so stubborn? I’ll show you just what I’m capable of.”