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I took his hand, a forced smile on my face. "It's for the best. We'll figure it out."
He gave me a nod, the sympathy in his eyes clear. "I'm sure you will. We've arranged for you both to have leave for the rest of the term. You can finalize your grades from home. We'll see you in the fall."
As Molly and I stood to leave the conference room, she turned back to the school board, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and defiance.
"You know, I've always believed that schools should be a place of love and acceptance," she said, her voice steady and strong, "but it seems that Sycamore Valley is more interested in upholding outdated rules and bowing to the pressure of a few narrow-minded parents."
I couldn't help but smirk, pride swelling in my chest as I watched her stand up to the very people who held our careers in their hands. That was my Molly, always ready to fight for what she believed in, no matter the consequences.
"I hope you can all sleep well at night, knowing that you've put the happiness and well-being of two of your most dedicated teachers on the line, all for the sake of appearances," she continued, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But hey, at least the school's reputation is intact, right?"
As Molly's words hung in the air, the room fell silent. The school board members shifted uncomfortably in their seats, their eyes darting between Molly and me. Principal Walker cleared his throat, his face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and irritation.
"Ms. Sinclair," he said, his voice strained, "I understand that you're upset, but I must ask you to refrain from making such accusations. The school board is simply doing what we believe is best for the students and the community."
Molly scoffed, her arms crossed over her chest. "Oh, please. Don't try to hide behind the 'best interests of the students' argument. This is about control, plain and simple. We are the victims of a blackmailer who leaked those doctored photos. They aren’t even accurate about what was really happening in that situation."
I placed a hand on Molly's arm, trying to calm her down. "Molly, let's not make this any worse than it needs to be."
She shook off my hand, her eyes blazing. "No, Jake. I'm not going to just sit back and let them do this to us. Not without a fight."
She turned back to the school board, her voice rising with each word. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to us? To our students? Jake and I are damn good teachers, and our relationship has never once interfered with our ability to do our jobs. But now, because of what? A little internet scandal that we are victims of and you’re kicking us to the curb unless we play along? Jeez, you guys should be in charge of picking people for political office with your inscrutable morals. Need I remind you that it was the moral ones in The Scarlet Letter who did the most harm."
One of the board members, Priscilla Crane, a stern-faced woman with graying hair, spoke up. "Ms. Sinclair, we're not trying to punish you or Mr. Kingsbury. We're simply trying to maintain a professional environment and avoid any potential conflicts or corruption."
Molly laughed, the sound harsh and bitter. "Are you serious? Jake and I have been nothing but professional, both in and out of the classroom. Is there something wrong with having sex, Mrs. Crane? Or how about nudity in private? Have you ever taken your clothes off?"
The eyes of nearly every board member bulged, and I had to clench my jaw to keep from laughing, remembering the time Molly accused me of being a prude and bathing in swim trunks.
Principal Walker now redder than a tomato and sweaty faced stammered. "Ms. Sinclair, I must ask you to watch your tone. You are speaking to the school board, and we deserve your respect."
Molly's eyes widened, her mouth falling open in disbelief. "Respect? You want me to respect a group of people who are willing to destroy the happiness of two of their most dedicated teachers, all for the sake of appearances? I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
She turned to me, her eyes softening. "Jake, I love you, and I'm not going to let them take that away from us."
I felt a lump rise in my throat, my heart swelling with love and pride. "I know, Molly, and I love you too, but we have to be smart about this. We can't just burn bridges and hope for the best."
She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I know. I just... I hate this. I hate that they have this power over us and that they can just decide our fate like this."
I took her hand, squeezing it gently. "I know. We’ll figure it out, Molly. I promise. We'll find a way to be together, no matter what."
Principal Walker cleared his throat, his face still flushed with anger. "If you two are quite finished, I think it's time for you to leave. The school board has made its decision clear, and there's nothing more to discuss."
Molly opened her mouth to argue, but I shook my head, silencing her with a look. "Come on, Molly. Let's go."
With that, she turned on her heel and marched out of the room, her head held high. I followed close behind, biting back a grin at the stunned expressions on the faces of the school board.
God, I loved that woman. Her tenacity, her passion, her unwavering sense of right and wrong. She was a force to be reckoned with, and I knew that together, we could overcome anything.
As we walked down the hallway towards the parking lot, steam practically radiated off of her, the anger and frustration still simmering just beneath the surface.I knew that if I could harness her anger and frustration that my plan would go off without a hitch.
31
MOLLY
I couldn't believe it. After everything Jake and I had been through, after all the obstacles we'd overcome, the school board had the audacity to drag up some dusty old rule and use it against us? It was like living in a bad soap opera, except instead of evil twins and amnesia, we had vindictive ex-wives and nosy neighbors.
Jake's plan sounded insane when he first told me about it. He wanted Valerie, the supposed mastermind behind everything, to confess. It was like saying Principal Walker should quit his job to pursue a break-dancing career in New York City.
