When Lin Mengjie arrived at the school, she found herself alone in the office. It was strange—in all her years as a teacher, there had never been a special meeting before the start of the semester. Year after year, the routine was familiar and straightforward. But this time, Principal Wang had suddenly called for a meeting. Though she felt it was unnecessary, she knew she had to show up.
However, it had already been 20 minutes past the scheduled meeting time, and she was still the only one there. Lin Mengjie began to feel that something was amiss and stood up to go check outside. Just then, she heard footsteps approaching from the hallway.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Teacher Lin! There was traffic, and I'm a bit late." A plump, balding middle-aged man pushed the door open—it was Principal Wang.
"It's alright, I haven't been here long either. Where are the other teachers?"
"Let's not worry about that for now. Xiao Lin, come to my office—I have something else to discuss with you!"
As he spoke, Principal Wang reached out with his chubby hands, intending to take hold of Lin Mengjie. She subtly sidestepped his grasp and said, "Principal, if there's something to discuss, we can talk about it here."
"Well, that could work too. Xiao Lin, you've been working at the school for many years now. Everyone sees how hard you work, and the students you've taught have achieved excellent results, especially..." Principal Wang went on and on beside her. Although Lin Mengjie felt something was off, she had no choice but to patiently listen to the end.
"...So, the school plans to promote you to the position of department head. What do you think?"
"Really?" Though Lin Mengjie was pleasantly surprised by the news, she still felt a bit skeptical, sensing that things weren't as simple as they seemed. Principal Wang's next words confirmed her intuition.
"Of course, there are several teachers at the school with outstanding performance records, and they are all under consideration for the promotion. Who gets it will depend on your performance."
"Principal, I will definitely work hard!"
"Heh, just saying it isn't enough. You need to show some real action!" As he spoke, Principal Wang extended his lecherous hands toward her again.
"Principal Wang, please behave yourself!" Lin Mengjie said while stepping back to avoid him.
"Teacher Lin, you should know that the final decision on who gets promoted rests with me! So..." Principal Wang's expression darkened, his tone carrying a hint of threat.
"I'm sorry, Principal. I may not be qualified for the position of department head just yet. I plan to continue gaining experience as a teacher. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave!" Lin Mengjie sidestepped Principal Wang and moved toward the office door as if to leave.
"Teacher Lin, not only can I promote you to department head, but your child also attends this school. I can arrange some awards for them, which would be very helpful for their future!" Still unwilling to give up, Principal Wang dangled another bait, but unfortunately, Lin Mengjie wasn't interested. She apologized and left the office.
Watching Lin Mengjie leave, Principal Wang flew into a rage, slamming the table twice and causing the clutter on it to scatter everywhere. He tugged at his tie irritably—he had dressed up specially today, but the tie was choking him. The thought only fueled his anger, and he cursed under his breath, "That ungrateful bitch. If it weren't for her looks... Damn it, sooner or later, I'll have her pinned to the bed and fuck her all day long!"
Principal Wang had long had designs on Lin Mengjie. Back when he had just become principal and his position was still unstable, he had only entertained the idea in his mind.
Over the past two years, as his relatives' influence grew and he secured his footing through various maneuvers, he had become increasingly brazen. Several young female teachers and even female students had already ended up in his bed. However, these easy conquests gradually lost their appeal, and his thoughts returned to Lin Mengjie.
Though Lin Mengjie was already in her thirties, her charm had not faded. Her cold, elegant demeanor especially fueled his desire to conquer her. He had someone look into her family background and found out she came from an ordinary household, with a husband who was often away and rarely returned. "Perfect! I'll fill the void left by her absent husband!" he thought, the idea of stealing someone else's wife only exciting him further.
However, after several hints, Lin Mengjie pretended not to understand, which both infuriated Principal Wang and ignited an even stronger desire to conquer her. If it were too easy, wouldn't she be just like those young teachers? It was precisely this kind of outwardly reserved married woman—breaking through her shell of restraint and molding her into a wanton woman—that would bring the greatest sense of achievement and satisfaction.
Using the pretense of a meeting to lure Lin Mengjie out, then offering her benefits, Principal Wang thought it was a surefire plan. To his surprise, Lin Mengjie didn't take the bait at all and simply turned to leave. This left Principal Wang both furious and helpless. Pushing things too far in such matters could easily backfire on him.
After all, it was his relatives who had influence, not him himself. Using his authority to tempt or threaten inexperienced young teachers might work, but if he actually forced anything, he wouldn't be able to handle the consequences. So, he could only sit alone in his office, stewing in anger and thinking about which "little vixen" he would vent his frustrations on that evening.
After leaving the school, Lin Mengjie was also seething with anger. Principal Wang had previously hinted that he wanted her to accompany him, but Lin Mengjie, not wanting to offend him too directly, had pretended not to understand to brush it off.
This time, however, he had been so brazen as to bring it up openly, even using her potential promotion to department head as both a carrot and a stick. She had heard Principal Wang's furious shouts after she walked away. The mere thought of his bloated body pressing down on her made Lin Mengjie feel nauseated.
Yet, along with her anger, Lin Mengjie felt a headache coming on. This time, she had thoroughly offended the principal. She began considering whether she should look for a job elsewhere.
However, she recalled hearing from colleagues that the principal had many connections in the education bureau. Even if she tried to transfer, few schools might dare to take her in. Moreover, her son was still studying at this school. Whether he moved with her or stayed behind, there would be numerous complications.
Feeling deeply troubled, Lin Mengjie hadn't expected a simple meeting to escalate into such a mess. She began to miss the days when her husband was by her side, sharing her burdens and making decisions for her.
Now, her husband had been promoted, received a raise, and achieved career success, but the cost was his constant absence, managing projects out of town. Left alone to raise their son, Lin Mengjie had no choice but to put on a strong front, shielding herself with a cold and stern exterior. Handling minor household matters was manageable, but when faced with such a major crisis, she realized she was still just a hesitant, indecisive woman.
After turning it over in her mind, Lin Mengjie finally picked up her phone and dialed her husband's number. But after several attempts, it was still switched off. Feeling disheartened and irritable, she decided to take a walk in the park near the school to clear her head and figure out how to resolve the situation.
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