Reborn in the Enemy's Embrace

It was Sophia’s first time attending a parent-teacher conference in Fullerton International Elementary School as a parent. She found herself feeling somewhat nervous.

Dexter looked at her and chuckled. "Are you nervous?"

Sophia stubbornly replied, "Who? Me? I’m not at all nervous!"

Dexter held her hand tight and said, "I’m a little nervous."

"Why are you nervous?" Sophia coughed awkwardly before saying, "Alright, stop being nervous now. It’s time for parents to enter."

She pulled Dexter along and entered the school somewhat stiffly. It was her first time being a mother, after all.

"Isn’t it enough for just one parent to attend most parent-teacher conferences? This school is really something else," Sophia muttered under her breath.

"They said it’s to promote family harmony," Dexter whispered in reply as well.

"Oh, are you parents here for the parent-teacher conference as well? You’re both so young!" an enthusiastic parent came to greet them.

Dexter and Sophia smiled stiffly and nodded, looking beyond natural.

The parent asked, "Which class is your child in?"

"Oh, this school is really expensive! A semester alone costs 20 grand, and that doesn’t even cover the living costs and miscellaneous fees."

This was an elite private school that catered to high-end families. Those who could afford it were all wealthy people from Huma who wanted to give their children a head start in life.

Sophia thought that both Ashton and Xan already had a head start in life. They could have just attended a normal school, yet that good-for-nothing, Damien, just had to send them here.

It was impossible to get them to transfer out now that they had both made friends here.

"Our children..." Sophia paused and tried to recall the class Ashton and Xan were in.

"They’re in Class Alpha," Dexter softly reminded.

Sophia laughed awkwardly and continued, "Right! They’re in Class Alpha."

The other parents shot them envious glances. "Class Alpha huh? Not only do your children excel in studies, but you guys must be loaded as well-paying hundreds of thousands per year!"

Sophia’s smile wasn’t quite genuine. She didn’t expect Damien to willingly spend so much on the kids. He used to be so stingy when it came to the "Sophia" who lost her memories, yet he was quite generous now.

"Well, we’ll have to work hard since our children excel in their studies," she replied in a perfunctory manner. Beads of sweat were forming on her forehead as they were surrounded by a group of parents.

Dexter continued to watch Sophia while smiling indulgently.

He found her truly different now. The old Sophia wouldn’t have bothered with events like this. She certainly wouldn’t have done things she disliked and feigned civility just to engage in small talk for the kids’ sake.

"Is this socialization training for the kids or for us?" she grumbled softly.

Dexter tightened his hold on her hand and said indulgently, "Our entire family needs to socialize so that we can be a part of society."

Taken aback, Sophia looked up at him. His eyes seemed to sparkle under the sunlight.

Once again, she saw the universe contained within the depths of Dexter’s eyes. It felt like their lives were filled with new hope.

The old Sophia had felt out of place and always wanted to escape from this society. She hated it and was unable to see any beauty in it at all.

But now, she wanted to be a part of it be it for family, love, or friendship.

Humans were social creatures. Even if society wasn’t perfect and darkness existed within, they had to strive to fit in.

Perhaps only by truly fitting in could they discover the beauty of it.

Dexter and Sophia successfully entered Ashton and Xan’s class under the guidance of the school staff.

Xan had apparently ranked last in the entire school and wasn’t technically qualified to get into Class Alpha.

However, Damien donated a library to the school, and with Ashton’s exceptional grades, the school allowed her to get into Class Alpha.

"Daddy! Mommy!" The children started to call for their parents happily as soon as Dexter and Sophia entered the classroom.

Ashton was the only one sitting upright like a mini adult while Xan sat casually by his side. She remained lost in her own world as she doodled on a paper.

"That’s the first place in our class, and beside him is a dimwit who can’t speak. We all think she’s mute!" Some of the students were badmouthing Xan and Ashton behind their backs.

Sophia frowned and turned to Dexter.

They weren’t at all worried that Ashton and Xan might be bullied in school. In fact, they were worried about the opposite. After all, Ashton’s and Xan’s hearing were even more sensitive than their own.

As expected, a scream was heard when a chair broke. The student who had bad-mouthed Xan fell to the ground and cried.

Sophia looked at Ashton in shock. "Did you do it?"

He played dumb and replied, "What are you talking about, Mom?"

Sophia glanced at Dexter. She did not even see when Ashton had done it. That inexplicable sense of fear started spreading once again.

"Tell me the truth, are you the one who broke your classmate’s chair? When did you do it?" she asked stubbornly. Her emotions were getting slightly out of control.

Ashton stared at Sophia defiantly. Sometimes, he seemed more similar to her while Xan was more like Dexter. Upon sensing the tense situation between the two, Dexter hurriedly reached out for Sophia’s hand. "We’re still in the classroom, Sophia. Maybe it’s not Ashton’s fault. We’ve been sitting here, and he didn’t move at all."

Ashton’s eyes were rimmed red as he huffed in an aggrieved manner. Sophia calmed herself down, feeling somewhat guilty.

Had she wrongfully accused him? She had been wary of Xan and him after having that dream.

"I’m sorry," Sophia softly said.

Dexter stared at her in shock, surprised to find her admitting to her mistake.

Ashton was equally stunned. He looked up at her and said after a while, "He always talks bad about Xan, Mom. Dad told me I had to protect her, so I did something to his chair in advance.

"Considering his weight and the positions I cut, he’d only fall to the ground in shock and wouldn’t sustain any injuries."

Sophia was taken aback as she looked at him.

Ashton was indeed brilliant, and his intelligence was rather intimidating. It was as if he had absorbed all of Dexter’s and her smarts.

However, she wondered if they could prevent tragedies from happening if they were to properly guide him and channel his smarts in the right way.

"I’m sorry, Ashton. I overreacted, thinking that you might’ve hurt your classmate, but your intentions were good. You did it to protect xan, and you didn’t cross any lines. You’re definitely better than me," Sophia said with a smile.

This was the first time she had genuinely smiled since they got back days ago.

Dexter looked at them and smiled, finding one’s family to be the best remedy.

If the old Sophia’s soul were an incomplete defect, the current Sophia was gradually healing from it.

"For you, Mom." Xan finally finished her drawing and handed it to Sophia.

It was a drawing of the four of them under the sun. They were running along with Stevie in the field.