Chapter 3
Aurora Kindergarten, where Daisy went, was the best private kindergarten in the city.
It wasn’t uncommon for elite families to send their children there, and of course, some ordinary families bit the bullet, scraping together every penny to get their kids in.
Getting into this kindergarten meant guaranteed admission to Aurora Group’s affiliated middle and high schools, and studying abroad would also be much simpler later on.
I specifically chose it for the opportunities and benefits behind it, which is why I enrolled Daisy.
Before this incident, I was quite satisfied with the kindergarten.
Not only because of the school’s excellent faculty, but more so because of how well they protected student family privacy.
That was until this semester started.
Daisy’s original class teacher went on maternity leave, and a young new teacher took her place. Ms. Thorne.
The first thing she did was send out a survey form, asking kids to take it home for their parents to fill out.
It was all questions about parents’ jobs, annual income, and so on, saying she wanted to “understand the students better.”
My husband, Mr. Evans, and I are both well-known entrepreneurs, each with our own ventures. We knew that standing out too much could draw unwanted scrutiny.
So, we just filled out that form casually and handed it in.
I hadn’t thought much of it, but now with this new incident, I couldn’t help but suspect this teacher had ulterior motives.
Daisy was going to elementary school next semester, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, she’d also be attending Aurora.
I wanted her to finish her kindergarten years happily, and I was afraid she’d be discriminated against again in the future.
So, I called Mr. Harrison, the principal.
The phone rang less than twice before he quickly picked up.
Mr. Harrison’s overly eager voice came through the receiver. “Ms. Sterling, why are you calling me personally? Is there a problem with the investment?”
I stated calmly, “I always believed your school highly values student privacy. Yet, with these survey forms and drawing assignments about family cars, what exactly is your school trying to investigate?”
There was a distinct pause on the other end; he stammered for a moment. “Wh-what?”
“My daughter was unfairly scolded by her teacher because of this assignment. I do not want this to happen again. Otherwise, I will have to reconsider investing in your school.”
Mr. Harrison quickly said, “Your daughter attends our school too? Ms. Sterling, there must be some misunderstanding. I will investigate this thoroughly and give you a satisfactory explanation.”
I didn’t want to talk any further and hung up.
These past few years, the education sector has been booming, with private schools springing up rapidly.
Aurora had also faced quite a bit of impact because of this and had been seeking corporate funding.
Because of Daisy, and also because my company specializes in AI, fostering talent is fundamental.
So, I decided to invest in Aurora, and one of Aurora’s shareholders was Mr. Harrison, the principal of Aurora Kindergarten.
I chose to deal with him regarding the partnership.
Adhering to a strict boundary between my professional and personal lives, I had never disclosed my private information.
So, he had no idea my daughter was actually attending Aurora.