Better Off Without Him Read Online Free PDF

trap, looming wide ahead of him, and he was trying to steer as clear as possible.
    “Oh, Mr. Arnold, I think it’s exactly the same thing. You can’t place a monetary value on what Bernadette destroyed, because it involved weeks of work, and that’s so hard to calculate, not to mention the affect on both of my girls’ grades. It’s the same thing, isn’t it? Personal property is personal property, and Bernadette deliberately destroyed my daughter’s property. How long were those boys out? A week? And maybe Bernadette should also be required to seek counseling. After all, there may be some deep, underlying reason she sought out this particular science project, and if there are DNA model issues, we wouldn’t want her to repeat the same grave error later on in life, would we?”
    Mr. Arnold rolled his eyes in defeat. Bridget/Britta/Greta clenched her jaw. Bernadette looked clueless. I dared not look at Lauren, because I could feel her shoulders shaking with laughter, and I was afraid if I looked at her, we would both become hysterical.
    “I can’t suspend somebody for breaking a science project,” Mr. Arnold said.
    “Sure you can,” I said, my voice steely.
    “It’s possible,” Lauren suggested in a clear voice, “that Bernadette did it by accident.”
    “And it’s also possible,” Bridget/Britta/Greta said from between clenched teeth, “that Lauren tripped and the project just fell on my Bernadette.”
    Her Bernadette opened her mouth to protest, but got her foot stomped on. Mr. Arnold looked beaten. He took a deep breath and asked, “Does Bernadette wish to withdraw her complaint?”
    Bridget/Britta/Greta nodded.
    “Apparently, then, this has just been a little misunderstanding. Bernadette obviously overreacted, making a false accusation.” Mr. Arnold clapped his hands together. “Okay, everybody, sorry for the commotion. Why don’t we just get back to what we were doing, and forget all about this?”
    Bernadette, still protesting under her breath, got dragged from the room. Lauren had turned to leave, but my hand shot out to stop her.
    “What about the science project?” I asked.
    Lauren looked back in surprise. Mr. Arnold just looked annoyed.
    “Was Mr. Coopersmith able to evaluate the girls’ work before the project was, um, accidentally destroyed?” I pressed on.
    Lauren’s face fell. “No. It was in Mrs. Chambers’s room. Mr. Coopersmith never saw it.”
    I smiled sweetly at Mr. Arnold. “It would be a shame if my two daughters received a failing grade because their project was the victim of a little misunderstanding, don’t you think, Mr. Arnold?”
    Mr. Arnold sighed. “What would you suggest, Mrs. Berman?”
    “Since it was sitting in Mrs. Chambers’s room all morning, and Mrs. Chambers is also a science teacher, perhaps she can recommend a grade for the girls.”
    Lauren grinned. Even Mr. Arnold looked happy. “Excellent suggestion, Mrs. Berman.”
    “Yes,” I agreed. “Isn’t it.” I gave Lauren a quick kiss. “Go back to class, honey.”
    I watched her go with a warm feeling. Kicking ass for the sake of my kids is something I do quite naturally. I don’t send back bad food in a restaurant, and I’ve never returned an appliance if it breaks while under warranty. I even feel bad about telling the sales clerk at Chico’s that she forgot my Passport discount again. But with my daughters, I grow an instant backbone.
    Mr. Arnold put his hand on my shoulder as I started to leave. “Mrs. Berman? “
    I turned. He looked the soul of sympathy and understanding.
    “Is there someone who can be with you today? After that kind of news, you probably shouldn’t be alone. A sister perhaps? Or a neighbor?”
     
    ‘Darling,’ he whispered into her hair, holding her gently, ‘what can I do? How can I help you?’ She leaned back to gaze into the dark tenderness of his eyes. ‘Just love me,’ she said, pulling down his head to meet his mouth with her own.
     
    “Better than