Ms. Emily spoke coolly. “Only his test was changed. The handwriting matches his.”

Jacob’s eyes widened. “Mom, she told me to! She gave me the pencil and made me fix it!”

The door swung open again. Mark stepped in, confused. “Emily? What’s going on?”

And just like that, it clicked—Emily, my son’s teacher, was dating my ex-husband.

I took a deep breath. “Let’s be clear. She’s dating my ex, and she’s trying to get my son expelled over it.”

Emily’s face turned red. “I recognized Jacob. Susan, you can’t just take Mark back.”

Mark stepped back, disgusted. “Emily, I was never yours. And how dare you drag my son into this?”

The principal’s tone was final. “Ms. Emily, this is unacceptable. You’re dismissed.”

I exhaled, relief washing over me.

Outside, the sun was warm and bright. Jacob squeezed my hand tighter, and I squeezed back.

We walked to the car together, both of us silent but steady. Somehow, after everything, I knew we were going to be just fine.