Girl Spots Father in Bed with Her Teacher, Sees Her Mother’s Car Enter the Yard at That Moment — Story of the Day

When Leanne returned home early from school, she found her father in bed with the last person she could imagine: her history teacher. The situation worsened when her mother parked in the driveway and wasn't alone either.

Leanne stepped onto her home porch while reaching for her keys. She expected the house to be empty for a while, as her parents would get home from work much later. Usually, she arrived at the same time as them due to volleyball practice, but it was canceled that day because their coach had fallen ill.

The 16-year-old was looking forward to relaxing at home, using her parents' big bathtub to read a book she just bought. As expected, the entrance, living room, and kitchen were completely empty. Leanne skipped quickly to her room, grabbing her book and earphones to get comfortable in the tub. But her steps faltered in front of her parents' bedroom door.

Laughter came from inside. Her hand hovered near the doorknob. Leanne thought she was alone, and although laughter wasn't anything odd in her household, something felt off. The voices she had heard weren't right for some reason.

She debated for a moment, not wanting to find her parents in a compromising position. But curiosity got the best of her, so Leanne turned the knob. "Dad! Mom! I didn't know you were home! I wanted to use…"

Her words trailed off quickly as two figures scrambled from the bed in a tangle of white bed sheets and startled screams. No child in the world wants to catch their parents in such a situation. Logically, Leanne knew they were intimate, but that was something private.

However, her breaths came in quicker because she discovered something worse. It wasn't her mom and dad. It was her father, Zachary, who stood next to the bed, covering his private parts but staring at her with wide, concerned eyes.

The other person…was someone she saw every day. But Leanne could never have imagined that her history teacher, Mr. Boyle, was sleeping with her father in the middle of the day.

"Leanne, honey. You're early," her dad stuttered. His hand shot up, a plea for a chance to explain. "This is not what it looks like."

Leanne was still quietly taking in the scene. Mr. Boyle had started to put on his clothes, but her father didn't want her distracted.

"Lea, look at me. Please, I can explain," Zachary insisted, only focused on her.

"You're gay?" the words just slipped out of Leanne's mouth. That wasn't the main issue here. If her father liked men, that wouldn't be a problem. She was a Gen Z child. But her father was married to her mother, Natalie.

Standing still with a dropped jaw, the high schooler was too stumped for proper thought.

"I-I, well. It's complicated," her father stuttered again, his eyes flicking to Mr. Boyle for help. But Leanne's history teacher was looking anywhere but at them.

"Does Mom know?" Leanne asked, feeling the shock fading and giving away to anger. But she needed to understand the situation.

"Your mother…" he hesitated and looked at Mr. Boyle again. That helpless stare made the 16-year-old's blood boil.

Mom doesn't know! She twirled in a flash, feeling her hair flying. Her father yelled her name, but she ignored him, flying down the stairs as quickly as possible. Her intention was to run to her car to her friend Olivia's house.

But to her horror, her mother's car had just arrived. She saw the headlight turn off, and her eyes started to water. How am I going to tell her about this? I can't break her heart, Leanne despaired. She thought about running through the backdoor.

If she did that, her father might be tempted to lie about everything and hide Mr. Boyle. No, I have to do this. We'll get through it as a family, the teenager resolved. But her decision was rendered moot in the next instant.

Olivia was out of her car, and a strange woman had also exited the passenger seat. She rounded the hood and jumped into Leanne's mother's arms, kissing her passionately.

The young girl flinched back, reeling and breathing rapidly again.

"Leanne," she heard her father breathing behind her. Leanne turned, and Zachary noticed what she had been seeing. "Oh, honey. We didn't mean for you to see any of this."

The door opened, slamming against Leanne. "Oops," Olivia laughed, her lips glistening from her kiss. But she soon scrambled, pushing the woman in her arms away. "Leanne."

The teenager took several steps back, wanting to distance herself from her parents. Her movements were robotic, almost like she couldn't feel the floor beneath her.

"Leanne," her mother breathed again. "What are you doing home so early?"

That question stopped Leanne's backtracking. She felt the outrage flush her entire body. "That's what you're worried about?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

Nothing made sense. Her parents, who were the most in-love people Leanne knew, were both having affairs. Her entire life felt like a lie, and releasing her anger made her feel much better.

"Honey, we can explain everything," her mother started, using her reasonable, non-confrontational tone that always drove Leanne crazy. "This is not what you think."

…Not what I think… the teenager considered that. It was true. She thought her father was cheating on her mother with a man. But was her mother cheating back with a woman?

Leanne stared at her parents. Zachary wasn't angry. His only emotion was concern for Leanne, a look mirrored by Olivia. She wasn't angry either. They knew. They were in on it, the 16-year-old realized.

"I don't understand," she mumbled, the anger dissipating quickly as the confusion took over. She became a little child who only wanted comfort and reassurance from her parents, which they offered immediately.

They both flew to wrap their arms around her as Leanne started sobbing loudly. There was a tiny movement in their huddle.

"I think it's best you two leave for today," Zachary whispered to someone else. "We have to explain this to her."

"We understand," Leanne recognized her teacher's voice. "Let me know if we can help in any way later."

"We're so sorry about this," the strange woman spoke, but Leanne refused to look and couldn't. She didn't want to take her head off her mother's warm chest.

The front door shut with a gentle click, but she remained in her parents' arms. Her sobs quieted slowly, and she sniffed loudly, pulling away from them at last. Her hands wiped her runny nose. Olivia and Zachary watched as their daughter gathered herself.

"Okay," Leanne swallowed. "I'm ready to listen."

***

"Polyamory?" the teenager breathed, both confused and overwhelmed.

"Well, we haven't put a label on it," Olivia said, looking at Zachary for reassurance.

"But that's about it," Leanne's father added. "We are currently in a relationship with your teacher and his wife."

Their parents had just finished explaining what was going on. They realized the relationship had become stale a few months ago and wanted to spice things up. They met Mr. Boyle through a website, only realizing he was Leanne's teacher much later. But he talked to them about the types of relationships he'd explored over the years with different couples.

Olivia and Zachary were intrigued and took them on a date to discuss more. Leanne's teacher, Robert, and his wife, Patricia, said they had an open marriage, but they also explored dating in unconventional ways. Their marriage allegedly became stronger because of that freedom and exploration.

As part of a younger, more liberal generation, Leanne could accept that everyone had the right to look for love in different ways. But accepting this aspect of her parents when she had an entirely different idea wasn't easy.

"This is the first time you've done it?" Leanne asked, frowning.

"What do you mean?" Zachary wondered. "We've been together for months, so no, today wasn't our first time in bed or—"

"NO, DAD!" she stopped him. "I wanted to know if it's your first time being with other people?"

"Yes," Olivia nodded, emboldened by her daughter's seeming acceptance and curiosity. "We thought about not getting into anything, but it's been just wonderful."

Leanne nodded and looked at the ceiling. "You also mix things up, and gender doesn't matter?"

"Correct," her father replied. "We're sorta all a couple. It's just four people. Sometimes, we're all together; other times, we're separated. This works for dates and stuff."

Leanne raised her hand, halting him. "I think I get it. Okay, well," she sighed. "I obviously wished I hadn't found out like this. But now that we've talked, I feel...better."

"Oh, honey," her mother gushed. "Thank you for being so understanding. We're sorry about this. We didn't mean for you to be so surprised by all this. We should've been more tactful."

Her father smiled. "We were planning on telling you but couldn't come up with a real way to do it. We couldn't decide how and…we were also scared," he paused. "We also wondered if this was a phase and didn't want to worry you."

"It's just shocking is all," Leanne tried to reassure them. She obviously didn't like that it was with her history teacher. "But I guess you can't plan these things," the teenager shrugged. "I should go do my homework."

"Wait, Lea," her mother grabbed her arm tenderly. "You understand that this needs to remain discreet. Right?"

The 16-year-old frowned.

"This generation may be more open about a lot of stuff, but there's still a stigma about open marriages, relationships with more than one person, etc.," Zachary elaborated.

"Oh, right."

"I'm afraid that if anyone finds out, it could affect our jobs," Olivia added. "Especially your teacher's job. It's a lot different when you work with kids."

"It's fine, Mom," Leanne waved their concerns away. "I won't say anything. You guys do you."

"You wonderful child!" Olivia gushed again and jumped to hug her tightly.

Although she understood, Leanne pulled away, kissed her father's cheek, and went to her room. She plopped on the bed and contemplated her afternoon. Today was supposed to be relaxing.

But this was her reality now. She had to accept and keep this secret until her parents were bold enough to tell other people. Leanne thought about her grandparents' reaction and chuckled. No, that's never gonna happen. They would die.

***

"I can't believe that," Leanne's friend Alana said, still with her jaw on the floor.

"It's true, but keep it quiet," Leanne whispered. They were in biology. Their next period was history, and she just couldn't keep it to herself any longer. She had no one to talk to about this.

After talking to her parents, Leanne went on several forums to find out how others had dealt with the same. There was a lot of information and people offering support, but she just didn't feel like internet strangers would help.

"My mind is blown," Alana finally closed her mouth and started arranging her stuff at the sound of the bell. She stopped Leanne at the doorway. "But wait. How are you going to face Mr. Boyle?"

That was one of the many concerns on Leanne's mind. Her teacher was in a relationship with her married father, and he was an older man. No matter how open-minded they claimed to be, it would be shocking for anyone.

Leanne sighed and shrugged. "I'm planning to ignore this forever. He doesn't exist outside the classroom." She wanted to keep walking, but Alana grabbed her arm.

"Hey," her friend started. "He will 100% talk to you. You want me to be there?"

"God, no," Leanne whined. "Don't say that. It's not like I can just ignore or blow him off. And how are you gonna be there? You have physics."

"I know, but I could rush out." Alana scratched her head.

"No, I'll be fine. If he wants to talk, I'll listen and just nod," she said, bracing herself for biology.

Fortunately, the entire class was completely normal. Mr. Boyle didn't even look at her strangely, so Leanne grew confident that she could ignore this situation at school. Hopefully, her parents wouldn't expose her too much to him.

The bell rang, and Leanne was quick to grab her things, but Mr. Boyle thwarted her exit. "Can I speak to you? Just a moment."

"Sure," she said, tight-lipped.

The other kids left, and Leanne tapped her foot to signal urgency. Her history teacher started with an apology for the scene she had witnessed the previous day.

"It's all water under the bridge now. I swear," Leanne nodded rapidly.

"I know this is awkward—"

"Nope. Not at all," she quipped. "I'm Gen Z. It's fine."

Mr. Boyle paused, seemingly wanting to say more, but Leanne took her chance to say goodbye and rush out. She told Alana about it later, and she just giggled. "I just want to get through today without seeing him," Leanne groaned.

***

"Where are you going?" the 16-year-old asked as soon as she walked through the doorway. Her parents were dressed to the nines. Zachary was rolling lint off his suit while Olivia finished her makeup.

"Cesario's," her mother answered, primping her cheeks in the hallway mirror. It was Leanne's favorite restaurant.

"Oh, cool! But you should've told me sooner," Leanne said, rushing to take off her shoes. "I would've come home sooner. Give me five minutes!"

Her mother turned and bit her lip. "Oh, honey," Olivia began. Her eyes were guilty as she looked at Leanne's husband.

"What?"

"This is a date," Zachary said.

Leanne's back straightened. "With Mr. Boyle and his wife?"

"Yes," her mother responded.

"But Cesario's is our thing," the teenager said. "We always go together."

"Leanne, you said you understood," her father stated.

"I understand just fine," Leanne added defensively. "It's still our thing. Our family's thing."

"We've gone to Cesario's without you before," Olivia added, an awkward smile coloring her face.

"That makes me feel so much better, Mom," she snapped sarcastically.

"I don't like your attitude right now," her father admonished, raising one finger.

Leanne just shook her head and went upstairs. She heard her parents leaving without even trying to apologize, and a tear streaked her face. When they returned home hours later, they went to their rooms without checking on her.

It hurt. She was 16, but she was still their child. They didn't have to ignore her, especially not when this new normal was not normal at all. Leanne had only known for a day. So, she decided to give them the silent treatment until they apologized.

But her resentment only worsened in the morning when they acted all happy in the kitchen like nothing was wrong. Her father was even whistling while drinking his coffee, making her skin crawl for some reason.

Her mother offered a big, bright smile. "We brought your favorite from Cesario's, so you can have it tonight," she said happily.

Leanne grunted, not acknowledging her, and returned to her room to continue dressing for school.

"Why are you acting this way?" Olivia asked when Leanne came down again.

"Really?" the teenager asked. "You really don't know? As if you didn't see me angry last night? And still, you left without talking to me? That's not how it's always been with us."

"Leanne," Zachary raised his voice. "Don't talk to your mother like that."

"God!" Leanne just shook her head. "It's been less than 48 hours since I discovered this HUGE thing, and you two are acting like I'm just supposed to move on? It's been the three of us against the world. But no! Go be with your girlfriend and boyfriend, the decrepit perverts!"

"LEANNE!" her father's tone was now seriously angry, but the teenager refused to stop. She crossed the street in stomping strides to her car despite knowing her parents were following. Her foot hit the pedal, and she rushed out there.

***

"So, you're not cool at all about this, huh?" Alana said after Leanne told her everything. "I knew it."

"I didn't know it," Leanne said, taking a chunk of her banana and speaking through a full mouth. "I thought I was. But I didn't realize… they would just start acting like they have other people in their lives that matter more."

"'The decrepit perverts,' Ha! That was so funny," her friend laughed, lightening the mood.

"I feel bad about that. They're not that much older," Leanne grinned a little.

"It IS yucky," Alana shrugged. "Your parents weren't like that. I bet you feel like they're being corrupted."

"That's it!" Leanne said, nodding. "That's how I feel! I couldn't put my finger on it. If they had always been like that, I might be okay, but they weren't. They were just a regular, cis-straight couple. And although we have another family, it was mostly just us three. Going to Cesario's without me hurt. I feel like a bratty kid."

"I wished I knew what to tell you," her friend sighed.

"Yeah," Leanne finished her banana and threw it away. "I'll talk to them tonight. I can't act like this all the time. I'm probably going through the stages of…I don't know."

"Grief?"

"Why it would be grief?" Leanne frowned. "This isn't a sad thing."

"It is sad. Your parents are dating others. You're going to feel like every kid does when parents get divorced and meet new people," Alana reasoned. "It's just a little more…twisted."

Leanne didn't respond, and they soon had to return to class. But Alana's words had been insightful. She needed to tell her parents about that and try to work things out. By the end of her school day, she had decided that going to family therapy would probably be a good idea.

Unfortunately, her parents weren't home when she arrived. Leanne waited, ordered their favorite pizza, and did her homework. They still hadn't arrived at midnight. She sent her mother a message, worried. Olivia read it but didn't answer.

Her calls were ignored, too, and she was soon too tired. Before she knew it, it was morning again, and Leanne was late for school. Her parents were in the kitchen.

"Where were you last night?" Leanne demanded. "Why didn't you answer my messages or calls? I was worried."

"That's none of your business," her father responded, kissed Olivia, and left for work.

"Excuse me?" Leanne said and turned her wide, shocked eyes to her mother. "Mom?"

"Leanne, we're not going to talk about this," Olivia said. "You clearly can't handle it. But we are the adults here. You don't need to know where we are at all times."

The teenager reeled back. "Really?"

"Please, don't give me that attitude again," her mother warned.

"Attitude? Jesus, a few months, and you two are ready to just chuck me off for your...whatever," Leanne said, feeling the tears rising. "And I don't get to have feelings? Yes, you're the adults! YOU'RE MY PARENTS TOO! You should care about me more than them! You should've been here to talk!"

"Stop yelling," Olivia crossed her arms. All Leanne saw on her face was…frustration, not an inch of concern for her daughter.

"Who are you?!" Leanne breathed, heartbroken, and left.

For the next couple of weeks, her home was a cemetery. Her parents didn't speak to her, and she certainly didn't say a word. One night, Leanne heard the other couple coming to pick them up and watched as everyone laughed all the way from the porch to the car. They didn't return that night at all.

Soon, there were entire days when Leanne didn't see her parents. But at least she didn't have to see Mr. Boyle after deciding to transfer from history to social studies with another teacher. It would've been impossible to face the man she blamed for the rupture in her family.

Alana was angry for her and wanted to devise ways for Leanne's parents to end this. But Leanne told her to leave it alone. But one day, her friend came up with a plan.

"Make it viral," Alana said. "Post your story on the school board and let the chips fall where they may."

"Are you kidding?" Leanne said, pushing her slightly. "The point is to reconcile with my parents, not drive them away more. They hate me."

"I just don't get it," her friend murmured. "You three were like best friends, and suddenly, they don't even want to talk to you? It's insane."

Leanne shrugged and felt sad again.

"It's gotta be them. The decrepits. I bet they're feeding them stuff," Alana said.

"I think so, too, but I can't stop it," Leanne sighed. "It's like when a friend can't see they're in an abusive relationship, even if you tell them."

"I'm going to investigate," Alana added. "I'll put some feelers out."

"Feelers? Okay…"

"We're gonna get them. You don't mess with Gen Z kids with internet access," Alana promised, finally making Leanne laugh.

***

Leanne was ready for another night of being alone at home, so seeing her parents waiting for her on the couch was a shock. Her guard went up immediately. "What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing happened," Olivia said. "We just want to talk to you."

"Talk?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Please, don't get sarcastic," Zachary added, but he wasn't scolding her. "This rift between us has gone on for too long."

Leanne nodded, deciding to be mature. "Alright," she said. "Let's hear it."

Her parents looked at each other before apologizing for the silent treatment they had given her, for not answering calls that night, worrying her, and not understanding that she needed more time to process their new relationship.

The teenager listened, as she wanted to fix this situation desperately, too. When they finished, she told them her side of things, how confused she was, and how she felt betrayed over the restaurant debacle.

"But what's more," Leanne continued, "I was going to ask you to go to family therapy that night. In the morning, you acted so cold with me. I think you were so caught up in your love that you forgot I exist."

Olivia looked down, ashamed, while Zachary acknowledged. "You are right. You just understood so easily after the shock. We did forget something. We forgot you're still a kid," her father said.

Leanne agreed and felt much better. But something was nagging at her. "What brought this on? Why did you decide to talk to me at last?"

Her father's face changed to a careful expression. Guarded. Olivia was worried.

"You want something. What is it?" the teenager demanded, her anger surfacing again.

"Please, it's nothing bad," Olivia started, grabbing her husband's hand.

"Uh-huh. What is it?"

"Now, listen," her father took over. "You need to remember this is our money. It was never yours. So, letting you know is a courtesy."

"What are you talking about?" Leanne breathed, confused.

"Patricia's family in Costa Rica is going through a hard time. They're going to lose their generational home," Olivia blurted, rushing through the words. "We are going to use your college fund to help them buy the house."

Leanne didn't speak for many minutes. All she wanted was to pinch her arm tightly to wake up from this strange nightmare. These people sitting before her weren't her parents. Aliens must have kidnapped her real parents. That would make more sense than this.

"You're giving my college fund — my future — to two strangers?" the teenager asked, swallowing.

"They're not strangers, Lea," her mother continued. "They're our partners. We love them."

Love them more than me, you mean. "Why don't they use their own money?"

"They don't have enough, so we're going to help them out," her father explained. "They will pay us back as soon as they can."

"So, in short," Leanne stated, staring at the wall now. "I'm on my own for college."

"They will pay us by the time you have to go to college," Olivia said, smiling.

"They won't pay you," the teenager said, still not looking at them. "You know it."

"Lea, please," her mother begged. "Please understand. We don't want to see their family hurting. It's the third world. It's all a mess."

"You don't even know if that woman actually has family in Costa Rica," Leanne turned her face back to her mother. "These people are scamming you."

"Gosh, I should've known you'd act like this," Zachary sighed, frustrated.

"And you two have lost your minds completely," Leanne said. "Do whatever you want. You're gonna do it anyway. But you can now forget you have a kid."

Olivia started crying. Zachary wanted to be angry, but the teenager didn't let him lecture her.

Leanne went upstairs but wasn't stomping and didn't slam the door. Her anger was fiery this time. It was pure ice. It didn't make sense to be angry or throw a tantrum. Her parents were gone. But how did that happen? And why?

"I may never know," she whispered, feeling the extreme loneliness hit.

Their house didn't have the same tension it did before. Things had changed on a different level. Leanne knew she wasn't in a nightmare anymore. Her feet were on solid ground, as she understood that her parents wouldn't put her first or hell, even second.

She didn't ask them about the money or check that bank account. It didn't matter because Leanne was sure they had given them the money. She made peace with it and met with her school counselor the next day. Mrs. Paloma was helping her find scholarship options. Volleyball and her good grades could earn her some money. Student loans and part-time work would also help her.

And since Leanne wasn't planning on returning home after leaving, she could make more money working on holidays and school breaks. But one person couldn't accept what was happening: Alana.

"No! You can't let them give those people money! We have to do something!" her friend complained.

"I'm pretty sure they did it already," Leanne said tiredly. "I don't control that money. It's theirs."

"No! This isn't fair!" Alana was almost crying for her.

"I know, but what can I do?"

"Expose them!" her friend's tone changed. She got really close, and her eyes were wild. "Tell the world what happened on Facebook with their real names. No one knows much about Mr. Boyle and his wife. They're secretive. But…this money…something is strange about it."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been in your house a million times," Alana said through her teeth. "Granted, not lately. But still. Your parents aren't being themselves. Something has happened. Something more than these people. More than sex."

"You know, while they told me all this last night, I was thinking aliens kidnapped my real parents," Leanne said wistfully.

Alana frowned for a second. "A cult!" she blurted. "That's it. That would explain everything!"

Leanne shook her head, not entertaining that idea. But Alana insisted, telling her it was the only explanation for the situation.

"Even if it's true, we can't do anything about it," Leanne countered, confused.

"We should get evidence," Alana added, her voice lowering menacingly, "and expose them all."

"Being a cult and having a polyamory relationship isn't illegal," Leanne mumbled.

"Unless we find a way to prove that they took money from your parents under false pretenses," Alana suggested.

"My parents willingly gave them the money. Even if they lied, they did it out of their own free will," Leanne shook her head.

"Okay, we don't know anything about the law. But let's go back to the original plan," her friend insisted. "Let's expose them. You can come to live at my house, and we will tell everyone we know. We'll blast this to the whole school, to the entire town."

She stared at her angry friend, feeling even more weary. No matter what Leanne did, she had lost. Her plan now was to leave at 18 and cut contact with them forever. But hurting them specifically seemed like too much.

"I don't think I can do that," Leanne breathed, her throat tightening. Alana lost her anger then and wrapped her arms around her friend.

"Okay, I'll back down."

Later that day, the laughter inside her house made Leanne pause on the porch. They're here. Those people are here! All the fiery rage that should been in her system while talking to Alana rose. But she maintained a poker face and entered.

The noise quieted for a few seconds as the adults turned to her. They were having a delicious feast at the dining table, based on the smell.

"Lea! Do you want to join us?" her mother asked, delighted. Once again, she was acting like nothing was wrong in the world.

"No, thank you," she said silently to avoid making a scene.

"It's time for you to meet our friends, Leanne," her father added, smiling.

"Your friends who stole my college fund?" Leanne quipped. "No thanks."

The adults went quiet again and didn't speak until she was out of sight. Leanne reached her room and was ready to burst at the seams, so she quickly texted Alana: Let's do it.

***

It didn't take long before Leanne and Alana had something ready to post. They only debated whether they should make a video or write everything. In the end, they decided on a lengthy, detailed statement to post on several places, including social media and the school's board.

They also shared it with their classmates, who were eager to share it more, and the post reached the entire student body. The comments came in immediately. People were outraged by the scandal of Leanne discovering her father in a compromising position, but the revelation about her college fund was even worse.

One comment in particular had Alana yelling, "I told you so! I told you so!"

An anonymous account in the school's board posted that Mr. Boyle and his wife were part of a particular risqué group. That alone wasn't a problem, but that person also suspected cult activity and finished by writing, "When they asked my friend for money, we all knew it had to be a cult."

The next day at school was pandemonium. People came to Leanne and wanted to know even more, although she had revealed everything in the post. She hated the attention, but people were outraged for her.

However, it seemed that the story didn't reach Mr. Boyle, who parked in his regular spot. Leanne and Alana waited to see what would happen. When others saw him, they screamed obscenities at him.

Her teacher looked around in confusion until his eyes went to her. Leanne only stared blankly back, but she saw his nostrils flaring. As if you have the right to be angry. The commotion grew. The students didn't let him through.

The other teachers were shocked and upset, too. But the calmer students showed them the post. Soon, the principal, Mr. Cabrera, arrived, and along with other teachers, they corralled everyone inside. Leanne knew she would be called into his office soon, so she didn't bother.

Alana stayed by her side, and when Mr. Cabrera's assistant came, she refused to let Leanne go by herself. The girls also declined to be in the same room with Mr. Boyle, so the principal decided to talk to them first.

"Everything in that post is the truth, Mr. Cabrera," Leanne said as soon as they sat down. "I'm ready to answer anything. But I will not take it down."

"This is not how you handle things, Miss Harris," the principal sighed. "Other parents have already called about Mr. Boyle's inclinations. This could affect his entire livelihood."

"Hey! Lea is the victim here," Alana complained. "That sick man and his wife had tricked her parents into giving over her entire college fund. They've alienated her from them. She considered them her best friends before this."

"Miss Cambell, calm down."

"I will not calm down!"

"Mr. Cabrera," Leanne interrupted serenely. "I don't care what happens to him because he has taken almost everything I ever held dear. I'm pretty sure they lied to my parents about that money. So, if exposing him starts an investigation from the authorities, good."

Mr. Cabrera sat back on his chair. "Very well. You girls go to class. We'll have to deal with this."

Leanne and Alana stood and exited the office. Mr. Boyle was outside, waiting. Leanne ignored him.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Leanne's mother's voice bellowed from the school's entrance. Her father echoed a similar statement.

Alana immediately took a protective stance in front of her friend because Olivia looked ready for murder. "Mrs. Harris, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

"This isn't any of your business, Alana!" Olivia screamed.

"It is my business! You have treated your daughter like a stranger for two con artists!" her friend screamed, and Leanne touched her shoulder.

"Leanne! Take down that post now!" Zachary demanded once they were near the girls.

"No," the teenager said. "I will not."

"If you don't take it down, you won't be welcomed back—"

"In our house?" Leanne asked and started laughing. "I already moved out. I've been at Alana's for two days! You two didn't even notice!"

"We'll report your car stolen. You'll get in trouble!" her dad continued, trying to be intimidating.

"I left the car in the garage. I don't want or need anything from you anymore."

"You're 16! You can't make this kind of decision!" Olivia scolded, her eyes full of ire.

"Well, I'm confused," she continued sarcastically. "Dad was just about to kick me out. And you can bet I'm not taking that post down. I want those perverts investigated! I can make a video and have it go viral, so the whole world knows that they have brainwashed you two or something! Because you're not the parents who raised me! You aren't the same people! You took from your own daughter to give to STRANGERS!"

Leanne was breathing hard, realizing that the previously empty hallway now had people peeking from schools, and some were recording.

Just then, Patricia came running to join Zachary and Olivia, her face concerned.

"Oh, good," Alana said and made her voice louder. "Everyone, this is the other con artist that stole Leanne's college fund!!"

Mr. Boyle's wife looked around, ashamed and scared, and rushed into the principal's office. Zachary and Olivia stared at each other briefly before returning to their daughter. "Please, take it down," Olivia pleaded.

"That's really all you care about," Leanne shook her head. "Goodbye, Mom and Dad."

Leanne took Alana's hand and walked away. The crowd cheered for them and soon were yelling at her parents. That night, the teenager cried in Alana's arms because she knew she had lost her nuclear family forever.

But soon, the entire town found out about the post. The news trickled to everyone else in Leanne's family, and everyone started reaching out. Her grandparents were furious at Olivia and Zachary. They wanted to take Leanne with them, but she didn't want to leave her school. They lived in another state. Her aunt, Olivia's sister, Ella, offered to house her, but she was in a different district.

Ultimately, Alana's parents convinced everyone to let Leanne stay with them until she left for college. Someone online started crowdfunding, to which the rest of her contributed, and soon, Leanne had a college fund again. Mr. Boyle was fired due to the protests of students and their parents alike.

And surprisingly, someone had connections at the police department. A rumor started at school that the claims of cult activity were real. But no one knew if it was true. Leanne hoped it was and that those people would be punished.

However, a month after the big scandal, a classmate revealed that Mr. Boyle and his wife had skipped town. He was their neighbor and saw them sneak into their car in the middle of the night. No one knew where they went. The suspicions of their behavior got worse after others learned of their disappearance.

A few days later, Leanne and Alana drove by Olivia and Zachary's house and saw them there.

"They didn't go with them," Leanne murmured from the passenger seat.

"I bet they were ghosted," Alana smirked vengefully.

"Let's go," Leanne breathed. "I don't care about these people."

They later learned that Leanne's parents tried to file a police report against the Boyles. But it was in vain because they had given them the money willingly. The cult investigation would continue, and the police would use that report against them, but it could take years before anything was uncovered.

On her 17th birthday, Leanne received an apology message from her mother. She didn't read it and finally blocked them.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a mother who abandoned her disabled daughter to her stepdad and didn't recognize her years later.

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