Chapter 12
“Beau, hurry up and take out the space fortress!” Niamh saul
She reached for the box, but Beau immediately closed it while shaking his head frantically. “No! We can’t take it
“Take it out!” Niamh barked in a low voice. “I worked so hard to make this space fortress for you, and now you’re hiding it? This is embarrassing!”
Bean threw himself on top of the box, pressing his body agnst it to stop Niamh from opening it. Niamh tried to pull Beau away, but he clung to the box with all his strength
Suddenly, the box toppled over.
Plastic straws spilled out in all directions, scattering across the stage. Among the straws was a pink sticky note that fluttered to the floor.
The words on the note were caught by the camera, and it was projected onto the large screen for everyone to see.
It wrote, “You think 200 bucks is enough to make someone stay up all night building a space fortress? Dream on!”
Beau collapsed onto the stage floor, staring in shock as the straws rolled across the floor.
Standing just below the stage, Bridget gasped and asked, “Beau, did you not make any craft project yourself?
“I did! I did!” Beau’s small voice trembled, and tears welled in his eyes.
Bridget picked up the note and pressed further, “Then how do you explain this? Who did you pay to make your project?
“The idea was for students to work on these projects with their parents. How could you deceive your teachers?”
“Wah!” Beau broke into loud sobs. The large stage now made him seem even smaller–like a helpless little bird abandoned by its flock.
“I thought…” Beau began, but he realized no amount of wailing would change anything.
He turned his tear–filled eyes toward Elara, who was seated in the audience.
If Elara hadn’t left the Fisher residence, he would’ve had a beautiful, magnificent space fortress built from plastic straws. But the fortress she’d worked on was ruined when it was crushed by Niamh.
Niamh had lied to him. The oversized box had nothing but discarded plastic straws. And now, he and Niamh had deceived the teacher and everyone in the audience.
Tears of humiliation rolled down Beau’s cheeks.
Bridget felt a pang of pity but couldn’t suppress her anger on seeing Beau’s public embarrassment.
She turned to Niamh and demanded, “Ms. Jones, is this the awe–inspiring space fortress you promised? Where is
it?”
Niamh waved her hands in a panic. “How should I know? I got scammed too!”
Bridget let out a cold laugh. “Who told you to outsource the project? You really thought 200 bucks would be enough for someone to build a space fortress overnight? How ridiculous!”
Niamh’s face turned beet red as though a thousand ants were crawling over her skin. She could hear faint laughter from the audience and feel countless mocking eyes fixed on her and Beau.
Chapter 12
+25 BONUS
Beau finally broke down onstage, and he was sobbing uncontrollably. Niamh quickly picked him up and hurried offstage while lowering her head in humiliation.
Bridget stepped forward, addressing the parents in the audience. “I apologize for the mishap. The Outstanding Work sticker on Beau’s project was forcibly taken by Ms. Jones, who assured me the contents of the box would
amaze everyone.
“I was the one who failed to verify properly, and I sincerely apologize.”
A parent in the audience chuckled. “Well, the contents of the box did amaze us, just not in the way she claimed!”
“What a joke, and it’s all thanks to Mr. Beau Fisher. That was rather entertaining!
“Looks like the rumors are true–the Fisher parents really are divorced. A child without a mother is bound to struggle.”
As Niamh carried a sobbing Beau in her arms, he cried out, I want Mommy!”
He stomped his little feet in frustration. “Bring Mommy back! I want her to do my homework!”
