Across a Sea of Lies

While presiding over a transnational meeting, I received a distressing call from my daughter's kindergarten teacher. "Mrs. Payton, a kid drew a massive clown on Anna's face during nap time! No matter how much I try to wash it off, it won't come off!"

I immediately rushed to the kindergarten. My daughter, Anna Payton, was sobbing at the door. Her usually fair and tender face was now red and swollen. The clown drawing on it was particularly eye-catching.

The new teacher was so panicked that she was crying herself, her voice trembling. "The parent of the other child is in the office. They said they're willing to compensate any amount, but... But there's no way you can make their son apologize."

My anger surged as I kicked open the office door.

However, I instantly froze in place.

In the office, my husband, Arlo Payton, who was supposed to be in Swizor for a year of intensive studies, was holding up the bully.

The next second, the little boy in his arms pointed at Anna and laughed. "Look, Dad. Clownface is here!"

While presiding over a transnational meeting, I received a distressing call from my daughter's kindergarten teacher. "Mrs. Payton, a kid drew a massive clown on Anna's face during nap time! No matter how much I try to wash it off, it won't come off!"

I immediately rushed to the kindergarten. My daughter, Anna Payton, was sobbing at the door. Her usually fair and tender face was now red and swollen. The clown drawing on it was particularly eye-catching.

The new teacher was so panicked that she was crying herself, her voice trembling with emotion. "The parent of the other child is in the office. They said they're willing to compensate any amount, but... But there's no way you can make their son apologize."

My anger surged as I kicked open the office door.

However, I instantly froze in place.

In the office, my husband, Arlo Payton, who was supposed to be in Swizor for a year of intensive studies, was holding up the bully.

The next second, the little boy in his arms pointed at Anna and laughed. "Look, Dad. Clownface is here!"

...

The little boy in Arlo's arms was chubby and still clutching a black marker pen in his hand. He pointed at the trembling Anna behind me, laughing so hard that he was doubled over. "Clownface! Ugly freak!"

Anna clung tightly to my clothes, burying her face behind my legs. She was too afraid to make a sound.

Arlo looked up at the sound. When he saw me, the loving expression on his face quickly turned to shock and then contorted into a comical expression. "L-Leia? What are you doing here?"

Seeing me holding Anna's hand, he was even more shocked. "The other girl is Anna?"

He instinctively tried to put the boy down, but the boy clung to him like a koala, whining, "Daddy, I don't want to come down! I want a ride!"

Arlo