Chapter 571


    Marguerite was deep in thought when Miley’s cell phone suddenly rang with a video call. Miley quickly


    turned away to answer, and Marguerite, sensing the need for privacy, left her to it and walked over to


    the bay window, her mind racing.


    To clear her name, she had to pull the problem up by its roots. And the root of all her troubles was


    Manley.


    Marguerite had considered confronting Manley alone, but remembering his defensive attitude the night


    before, she doubted she’d get anything out of him. She rubbed her temples lightly, then, as if struck by


    a sudden thought, whipped out her phone to message Teresa on Facebook,


    [Sweetie, what’s the situation at home? Is Manley still insisting that I attacked himst night after I left?]


    Teresa replied quickly, [Yeah, Mom! Hayes and I don’t get it. You and Yuna are gone, but Manley keeps


    sobbing to Sadie about it. It’s driving me nuts! I feel like punching him!]


    Marguerite’s heart skipped a beat. Her daughter was a good kid, but way too impulsive. She’d been


    called into school more times than she could count because Teresa had either gotten into a fight or


    talked back to a teacher. Although her actions were always excusable, it hadn’t stopped Marguerite


    from spending countless hours teaching her daughter self-control. Thankfully, Teresa had calmed down


    a bit since then.


    [If you darey a finger on him, then I’ll be in hot water for sure!]


    [Don’t worry, Mom. I’m just venting. I won’t cause you any trouble. But Hayes is really worried about


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    Manley. He kept wanting to check on him in his room, but I pulled him back.]


    Ever since the kids had made up, Hayes had taken a special interest in Manley’s well-being. Since


    Marguerite couldn’t approach Manley herself, it might be a good idea to enlist the help of Hayes and


    Teresa. After all, they were all kids around the same age. Communication between children was often


    more effective than an adult’s intervention.


    [Sweetheart, don’t stop Hayes. Listen to me and ask Manley about everything that happenedst night.


    Don’t miss a single detail.]


    Teresa, who had been moping in the kids’ bedroom, perked up as she read Marguerite’s message and


    showed it to Hayes, “Look, Little Mute! Mom’s on the case! She wants us to go undercover in Manley’s


    room and gather intel!”


    Hayes nced at the screen, then looked at Teresa with a raised eyebrow.


    Undercover? That didn’t seem quite the right word, but whatever. Right now, Teresa’s mom’s issue was


    the top priority.


    00:25


    They had been brainstorming ways to prove Marguerite’s innocence, but nothing they came up with


    had stuck. They were at a dead end until Teresa’s mom sent that text. She must have a n!


    Hayes eagerly gripped Teresa’s hand, whispering urgently, “Quick… make sure to ask. carefully!”


    Teresa’s cheeks puffed up like little dough buns, adorably cute.


    She tapped on the screen with her chubby fingers, [Mom, do we just ask him? What if he lies and


    doesn’t tell the truth? Do we need to do something else?]


    [You don’t need to worry about that. Just ask him. Also, record everything when you go in. Don’t


    threaten him, and don’t argue. Send me the recording right after, got it?]


    Manley had always be particrly agitated whenever he recounted the supposed attack, and


    people tended to only remember the most striking details when they were upset, overlooking crucial


    subtleties,


    By now, more than an hour had passed since the incident, and Manley’s emotions should have settled.


    Facing his peers, Hayes and Teresa, he wouldn’t be as tense as he would with Marguerite. She needed


    to get more details from Manley to piece everything together.


    Whether this would help prove her innocence was yet to be seen.