PARENT NIGHT WITH TWO MUMS
The schedule of Golden bridge parent night was printed on gold-trimmed stationery. The activities included a:
1. Welcome Champagne Toast – for the "parents of pedigree"
2. Childhood Excellence Slideshow – Photos of the kids doing rich people things like painting ponies or learning Mandarin from a tutor flown in from Beijing.
3. Art Gallery Walk – Paintings and crafts by the children. Parents are expected to loudly fake-cry over finger paint.
4. Parent-Teacher "Speed Check-Ins" – 3-minute chats with each teacher (aka time for rich moms to name-drop therapists and ballet instructors).
5. Fundraising Silent Auction – All proceeds go to a new koi pond or some nonsense.
After reading the event schedule Davina clutched the steering wheel of a car for a moment.
Wearing a simple but elegant navy-blue dress, her red hair tied in a low bun, she looked like a queen in exile. Her lipstick was flawless—she put on courage with it. Little Prince, who was in a tiny blazer then patted her hand breaking her trance.
"Are you sad, mummy?" he asked
"No, baby. I'm just… practicing my rich face", Davina said with a soft smile.
After prepping herself up Davina got down from her car with Prince and walked towards the glowing gates of judgment, with her stilettos clicking against the pavement…
A figure leaning casually against a lamppost caught her attention and when she looked closely she was surprised to see Janis.
"Sleek coat. Dark shades. Holding a black clutch like it's a weapon ... Heading into the pit alone?" Janis asked.
"What are you doing here?" Davina asked back surprised.
"Spotted a lioness walking into a den of poodles. Thought I'd tag along." Janis replied
"But how did you know about the parents night?"
"The day we went shopping I saw the notification on your calendar and saw how you put a skull emoji right on top it... I figured you could use my help "
"You really don't have to—"
"Not here for you. I'm here for Prince. Someone has to clap for his macaroni art", Janis replied before she could finish her sentence.
Janis locked her arms with Davina and held Prince with her other hand before she could protest. She was coming. Resistance was futile.
All eyes turned when Janis and Davina walked in—two women, one scandalous, one mysterious but both drop-dead stunning.
The rich mothers, in pastel gowns with clutches shaped like fruit began to whisper upon seeing them.
"That's Lucius Graham's ex. Still thinks she belongs here", Eunice a mother said.
"And who's the one beside her?" Paulina another mother asked.
"Looks like money. Smells like danger", Eunice replied.
Only Miss Freda, Prince's kind-hearted homeroom teacher, came over to meet the women with a warm smile.
"Prince has been such a joy. I'm so glad you're both here", the woman said nicely.
Davina smiled gratefully while Janis nodded her head like she was silently evaluating everyone for worthiness.
One teacher barely acknowledged Davina. She preferred talking to a mom in Louboutin heels.
Another teacher looked at Davina and casually said, "We were wondering if Prince might be more comfortable in a… less accelerated class?"
Janis smiled at the teacher like a panther and responded,
"He's four. He knows five languages and empathy. What does your child know? How to gatekeep juice boxes?"
The room fell silent and Janis picked up a juice box. She silently sipped the juice and stared at everyone. As she did so everyone pretended to read the brochure.
The teachers escorted all the parents to the art gallery section. All the parents complimented their children's paintings no matter how ugly they looked.
Davina stared at Prince's art and was a little bit surprised to see a picture of him, her, and Janis—he drew Janis in sunglasses. When did he have time to draw this?
"Is that... a second mother?" A snobby teacher asked.
"Nope! That's my mummy's friend. She's scary but nice!" Prince replied cheerfully.
Janis smiled at his words and knelt down beside him.
"I'll take that as a compliment, little man", she said and Prince smiled happily.
After the art gallery walk the parents sat down on their well arranged chairs. The lights dimmed slightly in the posh auditorium of Golden Bridge Preschool, where a massive projector began to cast images of the children on a silk screen.
The room was then filled with laughter and soft applause as a photo of Prince pops up. The photo showed him holding a certificate with his signature toothy grin.
From the back, Davina watched with a soft smile. She clutched her purse tighter than her nerves and tried not to notice the side-eyes. The click of stilettos on marble which she heared coming towards her signalled trouble.
"Darling, there you are!" cooed Mrs. Priscilla George, dressed in designer green, diamonds dazzling under the low lights. "We were just looking for you."
Besides her were her pastel bodyguards Eunice Matthews (in icy blue) and Terrie Davidson (a walking Gucci mannequin). Their eyes were kind… their smiles were not.
"Such a beautiful picture of Prince up there," Eunice said sweetly. "He looks so happy—despite… everything."
"Yes," Terrie added, "he's doing so well considering he's from, you know, a less structured home."
Davina's jaw clenched.
"Oh!" Priscilla gasped with a theatrical flutter. "How is Lucius? I heard he's in Zerola now with Rachel… such a gorgeous couple. That engagement party in Frankus last year was so tasteful. Did you go?"
Davina blinked. "No, I didn't". How did they expect her to go for an event she didn't even know about until Rachel told her and Zerola? When did Lucius go to Zerola?
"Oh… right," Priscilla said, faux-apologetically. "Of course not. That would've been… awkward."
Eunice giggled behind her hand like she was thirteen. "At least you're working, right? Such an inspiration. I always say, being rich is easy, but being resilient? Now that's a woman's strength."
Terrie nodded. "My husband always says women like you are the backbone of society."
Davina's fingers curled into her palm. She was seconds from snapping—when—
"Oh, there you are."
All heads turned.
In strutted Janis—a vision in heels and confidence, dressed in sleek black satin with a slit high enough to cause scandal and sharp enough to cut egos.
"Ladies," Janis said coolly, "I see the 'Humble Braggers Club' is in full session."
Priscilla's smile faltered.
Janis turned to Davina, looping her arm around hers like a crown reclaiming her queen. "Davina, they have punch at the back. But I hear it's not as strong as the bitterness in this corner."
Terrie blinked. "We were just chatting—"
"Oh, I know," Janis cut in. "That thing you all do. Smiling while throwing grenades. Charming."
Priscilla scoffed. "And you are?"
Janis smiled sweetly. "The woman who doesn't have to drop her husband's title to be relevant."
Eunice choked on her Diet Coke.
"Now," Janis said, voice syrupy sweet, "if you'll excuse us, we'd rather enjoy the evening without a TED Talk on husbands, handbags, and hypocrisy."
She tugged Davina gently toward the punch table, chin raised. Davina was stunned silent for a moment… then finally smiled.
"Remind me to never underestimate you again," she muttered.
Janis winked. "Darling, I don't get underestimated. I get envied."
As Janis and Davina reached the refreshment table, the trio of PTA vipers slithered close behind—like perfume-soaked mosquitoes in high heels.
"Oh my goodness," Priscilla George gasped theatrically, placing a manicured hand on her chest. "I just realized—you're Janis Pedro. The wife of Adrian Pedro?"
Gasps like a soap opera audience rippled through the nearby moms eavesdropping from behind juice fountains and cheese platters.
"Wow," Terrie said with a high-pitched smile. "No offense, but you don't really look like the typical Pedro bride."
Eunice smirked. "No diamond tiara? No baby bump? I was almost sure you were just a... friend."
Priscilla leaned in like a priest delivering bad news. "We were just talking about how wives in that family have to... produce heirs pretty quickly. You know how these old families are with... expectations."
Janis blinked once. Then smiled so slow it was terrifying.
"Oh, darling," she said, her voice dipped in honey but her eyes like twin blades, "I forgot Tybis society still runs on womb-watch gossip and outdated uterus pressure. So retro."
Eunice fake-laughed. "We didn't mean anything by it. I mean, what if something happened? The Pedro family has... history. You could be replaced faster than a nanny with a criminal record."
Janis took a step forward.
"And yet here I am. Still the wife. Still standing." Her tone turned frosty. "Now tell me—does your self-worth also expire after one child, or do you stay relevant by circling women like vultures at a spa brunch?"
Priscilla gasped, one perfectly arched brow twitching.
Janis tilted her head. "Newsflash: I'm not a Pedro accessory. I'm the whole damn vault."
Then, without breaking eye contact, she picked up a crystal glass of punch, sipped it, and turned back to Davina. "Let's go sit. The air here is a little too rich in desperation."
The mothers stood frozen, their smiles crumbling like dry cake.
Janis and Davina sat down together ignoring the stares and whispers from the women around them. Janis was unbothered by their gossiping. There was nothing they could do other than that.
"Thanks for helping me out", Davina thanked her.
"No problem. This was why I came... To help a friend out", Janis said and opened a juice box. The children's drink was really addictive.
"Friend? Do you really see me as one?" Davina asked timidly.
"Of course I do... To be honest with you I don't have any female friends... You're my first one".
"There's nothing surprising about that... You're mean to everyone, especially women", Davina said and laughed softly.
"I'm not mean to just women... You should see me when I'm handling a man". She should have seen her when she was handling Adrian Pedro before she made her way to Golden bridge.
"Trust me when I say that I don't want to see that"
"Do you want a juice box?" Janis asked when she noticed how uneasy Davina still looked.
Davina nodded her head in appreciation and took the juice box.