A parent in my son's preschool group chat tagged me out of nowhere.

"Theo's dad, your son's lunches always look pretty nice. Starting tomorrow, pack one for my daughter too."

"I'm not asking for free food. I'll give you ten dollars a day. That adds up. You can make a little extra on the side."

I stared at the message, almost laughing from how absurd it was.

My son has severe food sensitivities and a fragile stomach. Every ingredient in his meals is specially sourced, and a single lunch costs far more than five hundred dollars to prepare.

And this man thought ten dollars could buy it?

I replied with two words: "Not happening."

The next day, my son came home crying. His lunch had been taken by another child, and the teacher had scolded him for being selfish.

Fine.

Since they wanted to push this far, I would show them exactly how far I could go.

The preschool parent chat kept lighting up, and the more I read, the more ridiculous it became.

The man sending the messages had a profile picture of himself with his daughter. He was Mia's dad, Mark Donovan.

When I did not answer immediately, he sent several more messages in a row.

"Ethan, did you see my message? Mia hasn't had much of an appetite these past two days, but she seems to really like Theo's lunch.

"You're already cooking anyway. Making one extra portion shouldn't be any trouble.

"Ten dollars a day is fair. A fast-food meal costs about that much. You're raising a kid on your own, right? Think of it as grocery money."

The condescending charity in his tone made my skin crawl.

I had no idea where he heard that I was a single father. I did usually handle school drop-off and pickup myself, and I dressed casually most days, so maybe he had decided I was an easy target.

My son, Theo, was allergic to a long list of common ingredients. His stomach was unusually sensitive too, so I personally handled everything he ate.

His ingredients came from specific farms and specialty suppliers. A small piece of premium wagyu alone cost over a hundred dollars, never mind the carefully selected organic produce.

Ten dollars would not even cover the container.

I had no patience for the man's nonsense, so I typed directly in the group chat.

"Sorry, I don't have the time. Also, my son's meals are very expensive to make. Ten dollars won't cover it."

I thought that was clear enough.

Apparently, it was not.

He immediately sent a string of voice messages.

"Oh, come on, Ethan. We're all parents in the same class. What happened to helping each other out?

"It's just a few pieces of meat and some vegetables. How much could that possibly be worth? You're acting like your kid is eating at a Michelin restaurant.

"Boys don't need to be pampered like that. Girls are different. My Mia is growing, and she needs proper nutrition. Don't you have any sense of priorities?"

By the time I finished listening, my temper had shot straight up.

What decade was this man living in?

I was about to tear into him in the chat when Ms. Walker, the classroom teacher, suddenly jumped in.

"Ethan, Mark is only thinking of the children. Our class has always encouraged sharing.

"Since Mia likes Theo's lunch, perhaps you can help out a little. It will also help the children build a closer friendship."

Reading her blatantly biased message, my expression went cold.

I had just transferred Theo to this preschool because it advertised itself as an elite bilingual academy. I thought the standards would be better.

Clearly, I had been wrong.

I ignored the rest of the messages and tossed my phone aside.

They could say whatever they wanted. I was not making lunch for some stranger's daughter.

The next afternoon, I went to pick Theo up from school.

The moment I reached the classroom door, I saw him standing alone in the corner, his eyes red and swollen like he had been crying.

My heart clenched. I rushed over and pulled him into my arms.

"Theo, what happened? Who hurt you?"

As soon as he saw me, he burst into tears. His small hands clutched the front of my shirt.

"Daddy, I'm hungry... Mia took my lunch..."

My head buzzed.

I prepared Theo's portions carefully every day. They were exactly what he needed. If he had not eaten lunch, that meant he had gone hungry for an entire day.

More importantly, with his condition, skipping meals could trigger low blood sugar and stomach cramps.

Holding back my anger, I turned to look for Ms. Walker.

She was chatting and laughing with a few parents. When she saw me coming, her face immediately hardened.

"Ethan, good. I was just about to talk to you.

"During lunch today, Theo behaved very poorly. Mia only wanted to taste his food, but he refused to share and made her cry.

"I already corrected him. You should continue the lesson at home. Children can't grow up selfish."

For a second, I could not believe what I was hearing.

My son's lunch had been taken from him, and somehow he was the one at fault?

"Ms. Walker, that lunch belonged to my son. Why should he have to give it to someone else? Is this how you teach children?"

My voice was loud enough that the nearby parents all turned to look.

Ms. Walker clearly felt embarrassed. Her tone turned sharper.

"What kind of attitude is that? Children sharing food is perfectly normal.

"Besides, Mark already mentioned it in the group yesterday. If you didn't want to pack an extra lunch, fine, but what is the problem with Mia taking a few bites today?

"Where is your sense of community?"

I was shaking with anger. I pointed straight at her.

"Don't use 'community' to pressure me. My son's food is a medically restricted allergy-safe meal. That child stole it, you did nothing, and now you are accusing my son of being selfish?

"Let me be very clear. This is not over."

I picked Theo up and left.

At home, I made him another meal. Watching him eat like he had been starved made my heart ache so badly my eyes burned.

Then I opened the parent chat and tagged both Mark and Ms. Walker.

"I want an explanation for what happened at lunch today. Since when is stealing another child's food acceptable?

"Tomorrow morning, I will be at the preschool. If my son does not receive an apology, this will not end quietly."

Mark replied almost immediately.

"Wow, playing the victim now?

"My daughter eating a few bites of your son's food was a compliment. Don't get full of yourself.

"Tomorrow, then. You think I'm scared of you?"

The parent chat was unusually active that night.

After those arrogant messages, Mark began working the crowd.

"Everyone, tell me if I'm wrong. This guy couldn't even keep his wife, and now he's raising a kid alone with this weird temper.

"My daughter was just trying to be nice because she felt sorry for his son. She ate a couple of bites to bond with him, and he starts screaming in the group chat.

"Kids from families like that usually have issues. You should all tell your children to keep their distance. Who knows what they might pick up?"

A few parents who were usually friendly with him quickly joined in.

"Exactly. He acts so superior all the time. What, does he think his kid's lunch is made of gold?"

"Children from single-parent homes really can be selfish. I think Ms. Walker handled it correctly."

"Mark, don't waste your time arguing with him. Your wife is a senior executive at a major company. People like you don't need to stoop to his level."

I stared coldly at the disgusting messages on my screen, then typed back.

"Lower level? Senior executive?

"So that is why you think stealing from someone is acceptable?

"Since all of you believe taking another child's belongings is reasonable, let's settle this face-to-face tomorrow. We'll see who actually has no place in that preschool."

After sending the message, I exited the chat.

Anger rolled through my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm.

Mark was throwing his weight around because his wife held some corporate title. The teacher was obviously trying to curry favor with him.

Did he really think that tiny bit of background was enough to cover the sky with one hand?

I walked to the balcony and called my assistant.

"Find out who controls the preschool's security footage. Also look into Mia's family, especially her mother. I want every card they think they have."

After hanging up, I took a slow breath.

I had kept a low profile for Theo's sake. I wanted him to grow up quietly, without people treating him differently. I had even sent my driver to most parent meetings.

Apparently, my restraint had made some people think they could step on my head.

Since they insisted on testing me, I would tear open their little sky for them.

The next morning, I brought Theo to the preschool right on time.

I did not go to the classroom. I headed straight for the director's office, intending to have the security footage pulled in front of everyone.

Halfway there, Theo tugged on my hand.

"Daddy, I left my sketchbook in the classroom. Can I go get it?"

I nodded and let him go in by himself while I waited in the hallway.

Less than two minutes later, his terrified scream came from the classroom.

My heart dropped. I ran.

When I reached the doorway, the scene inside nearly split my vision red.

Theo was sitting on the floor, pale-faced and crying.

Mia, a heavyset little girl, was holding his sketchbook and ripping pages out of it while making faces at him.

Beside her stood Mark Donovan. He was holding a piece of cheap, dry bread and trying to force it into Theo's mouth.

"Eat it! Didn't you little brat like guarding your food so much? I'll make sure you get plenty today!

"My daughter wanting your things is a blessing. How dare you dodge her?"

Theo struggled and coughed. Crumbs lodged in his throat, turning his face red as he gasped for air.

When Mark saw him resisting, he lifted his shoe and stomped hard on the small hand Theo was using to brace himself against the floor.

The hard sole ground down brutally.

"Ah!" Theo screamed.

In that instant, all the blood in my body rushed to my head. Whatever remained of my reason snapped.

I charged in like a madman and kicked over the nearest desk. The crash startled everyone in the room.

I grabbed Mark by the collar, slammed him into the wall, and backhanded him across the face.

The crack of the slap rang through the classroom.

I had used every ounce of strength I had. Mark froze, stunned, blood already seeping from the corner of his mouth.