Chapter 2
594 Words
Faced with the one-sided accusations around me, I didn't rush to defend myself.
Every strange detail from the past three months quickly connected in my mind.
My biological son had been born with a rare genetic disorder, congenital insensitivity to pain. Since childhood, he had fallen, bled, and even fractured bones without crying or showing any pain response. He was quiet, reserved, and deeply introverted. He never spoke up in public on his own, and he would never invent private stories about our family.
But the Owen in front of me was different. He showed every emotion on his face, knew how to defend himself, cried in public, and casually made up stories about our home. His habits and personality were nothing like my real son's.
Three months earlier, I had realized something was wrong and suspected that my child had been switched.
Since then, I had been gathering evidence in secret and waiting for the right moment.
This out-of-control parent-teacher conference was the best opening I could have hoped for.
Looking at the child pretending to be my son, I announced in front of everyone, "Fine. Since you like twisting the truth in public and making wild accusations about me, I disown you. From now on, you aren't my child. Find anyone you want to be your guardian."
The room erupted again.
The boy pretending to be Owen froze. Panic flashed in his eyes before he forced a wounded look onto his face.
"Mom, you don't want me anymore?"
"I never had a son like you."
I turned to Laura. Her expression had changed, and mockery edged my voice.
"Ms. Mills, since you feel so sorry for this child and believe everything he says, why don't you raise him? I admit my parenting isn't good enough. Handing him to a respectable teacher like you should be the perfect choice."
As soon as I finished speaking, I placed Owen's parent communication folder and school enrollment records directly into Laura's arms.
Every parent in the room was stunned. No one could understand what I was doing.
Laura went rigid. She looked completely lost, and the panic in her eyes could no longer be hidden. She hurriedly pushed the documents away.
"Stop being ridiculous. I'm only his homeroom teacher. I have no right to take over a student's guardianship. You're taking your anger out on me and deliberately making things difficult for me."
I sneered inwardly, because I had already noticed what was wrong with Laura.
"I'm not making things difficult for you." I stepped closer, and my voice carried across the classroom. "You just said this child needs understanding and proper guidance. Since you care about him so much, you can take over his guardianship. Let him call you Mom."
Several self-righteous parents immediately came forward to stop me. They stood on the teacher's and the child's side and began accusing me.
"It was just a little criticism at a parent-teacher conference. Did you really have to make such a scene because you felt embarrassed?"
"You can't just give up custody of a child because you're angry. You are far too emotional."
I swept a cold gaze over the room, and the weight in my voice forced everyone into silence.
"I'll say this one last time. This has nothing to do with you. Don't meddle."
My tone was so cold and firm that the noisy crowd quieted instantly. No one dared to interrupt again.
Laura clenched her teeth and forced herself to make a threat.
"If you keep acting like this, I'm calling the police!"
- Writer
