My Dear Annabelle

Chapter - 6 Fractured Bonds

(In Riya's Office)

The office buzzed with the usual noise of phones ringing, keyboards clicking, and low murmurs of conversations between colleagues.

Riya, seated in her high-back leather chair, tapped her pen against the stack of documents she had just reviewed. Her mind, however, wasn't on the papers in front of her.

It had been an exhausting week dealing with Kuea's outburst at school, and the punishment she had imposed was heavy on her shoulders, though she tried not to let it show.

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. Jeff, Lian's dad, stepped inside with his usual easy-going smile, radiating a warmth that contrasted sharply with the cold, corporate atmosphere of the office. Riya managed a polite smile in return.

"Ah, Jeff, come in," she said, motioning to the chair opposite her. "Let's get started, shall we?"

They spent the next hour going over business details, contracts, and future partnerships.

But as the meeting concluded and the formalities were set aside, Jeff lingered. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to broach the subject weighing on his mind.

Finally, he spoke. "Riya... I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to talk to you about Kuea."

Riya stiffened slightly, but she nodded, her face impassive. "What about him?"

Jeff leaned forward, his elbows resting on the edge of her desk, his voice gentle yet firm. "I heard about the incident at school. Lian told me. I wanted to say... I think you should go a little easier on the boy. He's just a kid, Riya. It's normal for kids to fight sometimes. It happens."

Riya's expression darkened, her fingers tightening around the pen in her hand. "This wasn't just a 'normal' fight, Jeff. You don't understand what I saw. The victims... those boys he fought... they were in terrible shape. Bruises, cuts... one of them had a broken nose. It's not something I can overlook."

Jeff was silent for a moment, taken aback by her intensity. "I get that, Riya, but grounding him for an entire week? No phone, no friends, complete isolation? That seems a bit much. He needs guidance, not... punishment like this."

Riya sighed, setting the pen down and folding her hands in front of her. "You don't know the whole story, Jeff. This isn't the first time Kuea's gotten into a fight. From middle school, he's been involved in scuffles... coming home with scrapes and bruises. Not once did any of those fights reach the principal's office, but this time..." She paused, her voice lowering. "This time it's different. It was brutal. The school had to call me directly, and I saw the state of those kids with my own eyes. It's not something I can brush aside. And... Kuea doesn't even remember what happened."

Jeff frowned, feeling a twinge of concern at the last part. "He doesn't remember?"

Riya shook her head. "He claims he blacked out but I doubt. He says they started it, but... I don't know. He's changed, Jeff. He's not the same boy he used to be. And with his grades slipping, his focus gone, I'm scared for him. He needs to learn discipline, responsibility. This is for his own good."

Jeff rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain of how to continue. "Riya... I understand your concerns, but still, he's your son. He's struggling, and punishing him like this... it might push him further away."

Riya's eyes flashed with frustration. "He needs to face the consequences of his actions, Jeff. I'm doing this for his future. If he doesn't learn now, he'll never learn. I won't let him throw his life away."

The weight of her words hung in the air, and Jeff realized there was no convincing her. He sighed, leaning back in his chair, his hands dropping to his lap. "I just... I hope you're not being too hard on him, Riya. Sometimes, a little softness goes a long way. He's not just a problem to be fixed. He's your son."