There's Something About Him (Complete)

Chapter Forty - Sympathy For My Blackmailer

Jumping to my feet, I ignored River's stunned expression and greeted Thorn with a peck on the cheek, "No hello?"

He chuckled and pulled me through the open door before slamming it, "No sass from you, Miss Heath. I get enough of that at work."

I laughed, "Did you have to slam the door in River's face?"

He shrugged, lifting his chin to indicate that Principal Mathison and my father were waiting patiently to capture my attention.

"Daddy?"

His face softened slightly before he turned back to the man who looked as though he wished he could be anywhere else. "Did you really think that my daughter would roll over at your threats?"

The principal shrugged, "She's always been a timid little mouse. I have since realised my mistake."

"You think that makes it ok?" I demanded, "What made you believe that threatening me would force my father's hand? Yes, I wanted to try and get through my schooling without facing a media circus and everyone hanging off of me because of my family but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to face it to protect them from people like you."

He shook his head, "It looks as though I didn't think my plan through very well. I was panicked," He sighed and rubbed a hand down his cheek, "As I have just finished explaining to your father, the school is underperforming and has been doing so for a long time. I've tried everything to get scores up and apply for special funding but the government doesn't care and in an area with such a low socioeconomic population, a lot of the parents aren't interested in fighting against the budget cuts."

"The school is going to close, isn't it?" I asked quietly, moving away from Thorn to sit beside my father.

"It's a good possibility. I took the only option I thought I had," He glanced at my face, the smug expression from a few days ago wiped away.

I sighed and rubbed across the bridge of my nose, "I suppose I can understand your position but why go to such extremes for this particular school. It's not like you couldn't relocate and find another position."

Thorn grunted, "Pride."

"Yes," Mr Mathison nodded, "This was meant to be my triumph. I came here to try and get it back to a well-performing school but it seems that nothing I do has helped. I've changed staff, tried to encourage children by allowing them to form new clubs and I've hired external instructors to come in and lead the curriculum." He looked away, "I failed and now I'm going to have to inform over two thousand families that their children are going to have to be moved to other schools."

"Part of the problem is your families," My father murmured, his eyes gleaming with sympathy even as I recognised the hardness on his face. "If they were overly concerned with their children's educations, they would have come forward and demanded an explanation or ensured that their education was made a priority at home." He leant forward, "Do not mistake my sympathy for forgiveness because there is no excuse for blackmailing a student. Why did you not simply contact me personally instead of coming up with this elaborate farce? Making her contribute to the school dance?"

"In my short-sightedness, I was hoping that the push I gave her might encourage you to make a monetary donation rather than face the media." He looked my father in the eye, "I accept that I will lose my job and perhaps face criminal charges because of that decision."

Dad shook his head, "You've made a balls up. You really don't deserve to be working here anymore or in education at all if this is the way that you handle such situations."

"I understand."

Although I felt for the defeated man, I agreed with my father. If the situation was something such as needing a source of funding, he could have simply called my parents rather than trying to play blackmailer. His career as a principal, and perhaps, in education, was over but I knew that my father wouldn't seek legal restitution and become solely responsible for the destruction of the school's reputation.

"For the moment, and if my daughter approves, I will allow you to retire rather than have you fired but you," he pulled a pile of paperwork from a briefcase on the floor next to him, "will sign these. They are a non-disclosure agreement stating that my family will not report your conduct to any of the authorities as long as you keep any and all information regarding my daughter and her time here protected from anyone who seeks to contact you now and in the future."

Thorn moved forward to loom over the desk from behind us, "If at any time you break the contract, Blackbourne Investigations will put out a retrieval order on you and drag you before the courts. You won't be able to hide."

Principal, now simply Mr, Mathison held out his hand for the papers. "I'm not sure why you're allowing me this much but I'm grateful." He looked me fully in the eye, "I'm truly sorry, Alira. If anyone ever comes to me about you, I will protect your privacy."

"Thank you," I replied quietly, worried for the school now that they would be without someone to fight for them.

"Go back out to River now, Jellybean," my father ordered, his eyes not moving as he watched the paperwork being examined and signed.

I jumped to my feet and gave him a quick hug before following the behemoth that was Thorn to the door.

"Stay out of trouble, cub," He ordered, ushering me out into the hallway where Morgan and Cole were currently ribbing River.

"Everything ok?" Nicholas asked from his new place beside the Principal's door. "I closed the main door and headed in hear when the change of class bell rang."

I nodded, capturing all of their attentions, "Everything is fine. I think they'll be out soon."

Nic grunted, his blue eyes gleaming as I tried to decide if his reddish hair was a soft as it appeared, "Good. You should get back out there then."

"I suppose so," I answered glumly, still worried about the school but even more worried about the fact that my battles for the day weren't over.

I still had to take on Heath.