When I tried to enroll my daughter in our newly purchased $500,000 top-tier school district home, I discovered the address's school enrollment spot was already taken. And inexplicably, my property deed now listed a seven-year-old boy as a resident. I furiously tracked down the boy's parents, only for the father to brush me off: "My son's already been going there for a year. Deal with it. At most, I'll toss you two grand." I was losing my mind. While preparing to sue, I used my status as his new legal guardian to transfer his school enrollment to a rundown school in a mountain town a thousand miles away. This time, they were the ones losing their minds. I stood my ground: "He's registered at my address, which makes him my son. What happens to my son is none of your damn business!" 01 My daughter's school application was rejected. The reason? The address's enrollment spot had already been claimed and couldn't be used again. How was this possible?! It's my house; wouldn't I know if the spot was used? I rushed to the elite local elementary school with my deed and demanded to see the enrollment records. The moment I heard the result, it felt like a slap in the face. The records showed the spot had indeed been used last year. Someone had been using my house's spot to attend school for a whole year. And I had absolutely no idea! I was going crazy. My wife and I, with help from both our parents, had saved for years just to afford the down payment on this $500,000 house in a prime school district. All to give our daughter the best education possible. And now you're telling me the spot is gone? These enrollment spots only reset every six years. We'd have to wait five more years to use it again. What about my daughter? I demanded the school immediately provide the other parents' information. But they refused, citing student privacy. "I'm sorry, we can't give you the parents' information directly, but we can try contacting them for you." I swallowed my anger. I told myself to stay calm. A short while later, the school official told me the other party refused to speak with me. "The parent claims their child used their own spot and has no obligation to explain anything to anyone." My temples throbbed. My face was dark with fury. It was a teacher who finally reminded me that if the house was mine, only my child could use the spot. It took my brain a second to catch up. I immediately drove to the local county clerk's office. When the clerk pulled up my property records, I froze. There was indeed an extra person registered at my address! 02 It was a seven-year-old boy named Leo Miller. I completely lost it. I demanded to know what the hell was going on. "The system shows Leo Miller was registered at your address last July." "How is this possible?!" I yelled. "Why is a stranger suddenly registered at my house?" The clerk stammered, "It might just be a clerical error." "An error? Do you have any idea how much damage this 'error' has caused us?!" I was so loud that everyone in the office turned to look. I forced myself to calm down. "I demand you remove this Leo Miller from my address immediately!" "Since it involves a minor, we need a consent form from the new legal guardian." That made me even angrier. So someone can register their kid at my address without me knowing, but I have no right to remove them unilaterally? The clerk's office was right next to the police station. I immediately filed a report. I provided all my evidence and stated that the registry change was absolutely not an internal family matter. The police told me to wait while they contacted the family listed on Leo's original records. Those few minutes felt like years. Eventually, the police told me that Leo's parents were out of town and we'd have to wait for them to return for questioning. Impossible. They were clearly dodging me! The school enrollment window was closing soon; I couldn't afford to wait. My anger reached its boiling point. Leaving the station, I called a friend in the education consulting business. I refused to believe this. I have the kid's name and school; how hard could it be to find his parents? 03 My friend suggested I contact a lawyer first, while he tracked them down. I rushed to a law firm. But after the consultation, my heart sank. The lawyer told me this kind of enrollment fraud wasn't isolated. Even if I proved they wrongfully used the spot, the compensation I'd get would likely be far less than my actual losses. "A lawsuit takes a long time. I suggest you find another school for your daughter right now, just so she has a place to go." I was silent. My wife had taken a much harder job just to help with the mortgage. My daughter was so excited, proudly telling everyone she was going to be a first-grader. Our four elderly parents had emptied their savings to help us. How was I supposed to tell them? I was burning with anger but had nowhere to vent it. But regardless of how terrible I felt, I had to act fast. I called my wife. "Honey, I have some bad news. Brace yourself." Her tone turned serious: "What is it? Don't scare me." I explained the situation briefly. Like me, she was furious and panicked: "How could this happen? That's our spot! They have no right!" "The priority is getting Lily into a school. I've already gone to the police and a lawyer. Whoever stole our spot, I won't let them get away with it!" 04 My wife and I frantically contacted the public schools in our zoned area. But the news plunged us further into despair. Their enrollment was already full. Even the schools we wouldn't have considered before had closed enrollment. My wife cried, "What are we going to do about Lily's schooling?" I was silent for a long time. "There's one other way." "We wait a year." And during that time, we fight the lawsuit or use other means to force them to return the spot. But the lawyer had warned that litigation is exhausting and the outcome is rarely satisfactory. If we lost, my daughter wouldn't just miss out on the elite school; she'd waste a whole year. A massive wave of helplessness washed over me. Then, my friend called. He'd found the address and names of Leo's parents. I jumped up excitedly: "Who is it?" "The dad's name is Greg Miller. They live in the Rainbow Apartments, Building 5, Apartment 301." Rainbow Apartments... that's right near my house! Perfect. I wanted to see exactly what kind of scum could do something so shameless. Holding my breath, I rushed to Rainbow Apartments. I knocked for a long time before a mean-looking woman with curly hair opened the door. "Who is it?! Knock, knock, knock! Do you know what time it is?!" I kept my temper in check: "Are you Leo Miller's parent?" "Who are you? What do you want?" I couldn't help but raise my voice: "Your kid is using my house's school enrollment spot! What do you think I want?!" The curly-haired woman's face changed. The next second, she slammed the door in my face. 05 I was so angry I nearly fell backward. I kicked the door hard. "Get out here! Don't think you can hide from this! Screw you! Aren't you afraid of karma for doing something like this?!" My yelling alerted the other tenants on the third floor, who peeked out to watch the drama. I didn't care anymore. In ten minutes, I swore more than I had in my entire thirty-plus years of life. The door to 301 finally opened again. This time, it was a heavy-set man with a face full of flab. The moment he stepped out, he yelled at the nosy neighbors: "What are you looking at?! Keep staring, and I'll end you!" The neighbors seemed afraid of him. They all obediently shut their doors. I narrowed my eyes: "You're Greg Miller, right? Have you no shame? How can you sleep at night stealing someone else's spot?" Compared to my agitation, Greg was surprisingly calm. "I paid someone to get my son into that school. I don't know how they did it, and I don't care. Take your complaints somewhere else." I swore again: "Bullshit! Your son is registered at my address, and you dare claim you didn't know?" A fleeting look of guilt crossed Greg's face. "So what do you want?" "Remove your son from my address! Return the spot immediately!" He flatly refused: "Impossible. My son needs an education." I wanted to punch him. Your son needs an education, but my daughter doesn't?! Just then, a chubby kid appeared behind Greg, looking exactly like him. This must be Leo. Leo pointed a realistic-looking toy gun at me. "Daddy, I'll help you shoot the bad guy!" A sharp pain hit the corner of my right eye. Seeing me cover my eye, Leo cheered: "Oh, oh, oh! Gotcha! You're dead!" 06 I was furious and terrified. A fraction of an inch closer, and that plastic pellet would have blinded me. This wasn't a joke! But instead of stopping this dangerous behavior, Greg gave him a thumbs-up. "That's my boy! Good job!" I was so angry I moved to discipline the little brat myself. His wife rushed out and shielded him. Greg pointed a finger in my face: "What do you think you're doing?! Don't you dare touch my son!" I was shaking with rage. If murder weren't a crime, I might have killed him right then and there. Seeing I was on the brink of exploding, Greg suddenly softened his tone: "Look, man, to be honest, my kid has been there for a year already. Compulsory education laws mean they can't just kick him out. You being upset won't change anything. Tell you what, I'll pay you some money, and we call it even. How about two grand? That's a lot of cash." Two grand. The audacity. "In your dreams!" Greg's face darkened: "What, were you expecting twenty grand?" His wife spat at me: "Dressed all nice, but you're just a filthy extortionist!" I had anticipated various reactions before coming here, but never this level of victim-blaming. Accusing me of extortion? I said, "I've already called the cops and a lawyer." "Do whatever you want! My son is registered at your address, so using the spot is perfectly legal! Even God can't help you!" "Enough, honey. Don't waste your breath on him. We've been too nice." The family slammed the door shut. It took me a while to calm down and avoid passing out from anger. Dealing with shameless scumbags like this, legal weapons clearly weren't enough. It was true; Leo couldn't be expelled. But the law doesn't say he can't be transferred. Early the next morning, I went to the clerk's office and got a new copy of my property records. Looking at it differently, I was now Leo's legal guardian. Is it too much for a guardian to send his unruly kid to a rundown mountain town to experience some hardship? 07 I quickly found someone to help me contact new schools. My only requirement: the farther, the better. I finally settled on a school across four states, over a thousand miles away, nestled deep in the mountains. Transportation was incredibly inconvenient. The conditions were exceptionally harsh. The school official was very surprised when I called to transfer a kid from the city. He asked me repeatedly if I was sure. "You need to think this through. Our policies are unique here. Once a student is transferred in, transferring them out is very difficult." Wasn't that exactly what I wanted? "Transfer him!" I said firmly. To facilitate the out-of-state transfer, I even did a short-term rental in the local town. Using the lease, my property records, and the transfer application, I smoothly obtained the school's acceptance letter. There were only a few days left until the school year started. Despite my wife and I trying our best to hide it, my mom noticed something was wrong. "Why have you two been moping around lately?" "Also, the neighbor upstairs went to a parent-teacher meeting today. Didn't you get the notice?" My daughter hugged me: "Daddy, what class am I in? I want to be in the same class as Emma!" My heart ached. My wife said, "Honey, we can't hide this from Mom forever. Just tell her." My mom immediately got anxious: "What are you two hiding?" I looked conflicted: "Mom, Lily... might not be able to start school right now." "What did you say?!" My mom yelled. My daughter burst into tears: "Daddy, why can't I go to school? Emma and I promised to be classmates!" After I explained everything, my mom wanted to go confront the Millers immediately, even suggesting we drag them to the Board of Education for an explanation. My daughter cried until she was hoarse. My wife and I spent half the night comforting them before they finally went to sleep. 08 The next day, sporting dark circles under my eyes, I went to the elite elementary school and submitted Leo's transfer application as his guardian. I had done some digging. This kid wasn't just a terror at home; his school record was atrocious. Being at the bottom of his class was the least of it. Using his size, he constantly bullied his classmates, openly disrespected and swore at teachers, and repeatedly ignored discipline, resulting in his parents being called in multiple times. But Greg and his wife had no intention of properly disciplining their son. Every time, they caused a scene at the school, claiming that since they sent their son there, educating him was the school's problem. So the school was eager to get rid of this problem student. However, transfer procedures are complicated and take time. Next, I went back to the law firm. "Mr. Davis, based on the evidence you provided, your chances of winning are very high. We can file the lawsuit today. As for compensation, that will depend on the judge's ruling." I didn't care about the compensation. Even if that awful family was willing to pay, it wouldn't be the result I wanted, nor would it quell my anger. I suddenly asked the lawyer: "What happens if there's a custody dispute between a guardian and biological parents?" The lawyer looked at me in surprise but answered seriously: "Generally, courts rule based on the 'best interests of the child' principle. This includes comparing financial situations, relationships with the minor, etc. Of course, the minor's own wishes are also a very important factor." I was deep in thought. Just then, my wife called. "Honey, it's bad! Mom got into a fight with the Millers!" 09 I rushed toward Rainbow Apartments, my heart pounding the whole way. I knew exactly how awful that family was. My mom is elderly and has high blood pressure; she can't handle stress like this. But the scene I arrived at was nothing like what I expected. I thought my mom would be fighting alone against three. Instead, over a dozen elderly men and women were surrounding the Millers, fighting them. Their door, shoe rack, and walls were covered in bright red paint. Greg's clothes were torn, he had several bloody scratches on his face and neck, and a clump of hair had been ripped from his forehead. His wife was screaming obscenities at the crowd. Only to be slapped hard across the face by an old man with a catheter bag. "I've lived a long time and seen plenty of shameless people, but your family takes the cake!" Greg's wife was stunned by the slap. When she recovered, she lunged at the old man like a madwoman. But the crowd held her back. The old man held up his catheter bag: "Come on! Hit me! You better beat me to death right here! I've lived long enough! Taking down two menaces before I go is worth it!" On the other side, my mom was twisting the brat's ear, scolding him. His smashed toy gun lay on the ground. "You little brat, shooting people in the eye? If your parents won't teach you, I will!" The kid wailed in pain, crying for his parents. It was utter chaos. My wife was on the sidelines, completely unable to stop them. Greg, red-faced and furious, yelled that he had called the police. Suddenly, my mom sat down on the ground, and the dozen other seniors followed suit in perfect synchronization, groaning in pain. The old man with the catheter bag was the loudest. Greg jumped up and down in anger: "You old farts! Don't try that fake-injury scam on me!" Then he saw me. All his rage instantly focused on me. 10 "You idiot! Extortion didn't work, so you sent your mom to cause trouble?!" He pointed at Leo, who was sobbing uncontrollably: "If my son is traumatized because of you, I'll kill your whole family!" I said coldly: "Don't say I didn't warn you. Your son is registered at my address. Legally, I'm his guardian." Greg sneered dismissively. "You can talk tough all you want, but no matter whose address he's at, my son is my son! If you ask him to call you 'Dad,' do you think he will?" His wife purposely tried to provoke us: "My son being at your address is actually a favor to you! After all, your family only managed to produce a useless girl! Oh my, what if you two suddenly died one day? My son could inherit your property. Doesn't that make you mad?" My mom jumped up from the ground. "You bitch! I'll tear your mouth off!" But no matter how tough my mom is, she's old, and I was afraid she'd get hurt if a real fight broke out. My wife and I quickly held her back. Then the police arrived. Both sides argued their case, leading to another verbal war. In the end, my mom and her group were given a verbal warning. Greg and his wife were not happy. "Why?! They came to our house to cause trouble! Now all three of us have been assaulted! Our house is ruined! And you're just going to give them a talking-to?!" The officer said, "There's a reason for all this, and these are elderly people. What do you want us to do? If you push them too hard and someone has a medical emergency, are you going to take responsibility?" Greg was still furious. As we were leaving, he threatened me: "I was going to pay you off and move his registration when he finished elementary school, but since you had to be a prick, I'm not giving you a dime, and I'm not moving his registration either! I'm going to make your life a living hell!" My mom was still crying angry tears on the way back. "It's just terrible luck. How could the registration get mixed up and let a scumbag like that take advantage?" I comforted her: "Don't be sad. I'll definitely find a way to get the spot back!" 11 The day before school started, Leo's transfer was finalized. The school notified me I could pick up the transfer certificate anytime. But since his registration was still at my address, the spot wasn't freed up, and my daughter still couldn't use it. To distract my daughter and stop my mom from impulsively seeking out the Millers again, I temporarily sent them back to our hometown. The next morning, I deliberately waited early outside the elite elementary school. The entrance was bustling with parents dropping off their kids. I immediately spotted Greg and his son in the crowd. Greg saw me too. He smirked disdainfully: "Are you still trying to cause a scene at the school gate?" Because it was the first day, there were several security guards and teachers maintaining order. Greg patted one of the guards. "That guy is lurking around, and he's not dropping off a kid. Keep an eye on him!" The guard eyed me suspiciously. Greg shot me a smug look and said loudly to Leo: "Go on in, son! Study hard! Don't waste our elite school spot!" He seemed certain I would start a fight out of anger. Too bad for him, I disappointed him. I just smiled and watched Leo's back. As soon as the kid walked in, a female teacher said in surprise: "Leo? I thought you transferred. Why are you here?" Greg heard her. He leaned into the gate and laughed: "Ms. Chen, you must be mistaken." The teacher was firm: "That's impossible. The school notified me yesterday that Leo had completed an out-of-state transfer." "Impossible!" Greg roared, startling the parents and students around him. Ignoring the stares, he asked anxiously: "Ms. Chen, I never transferred my kid!" I cleared my throat. "I did." 12 Greg turned around, completely bewildered: "What did you say?" I raised my voice: "A week ago, I contacted a new school. Leo's records have been successfully transferred. I'm here today specifically to pick up his transfer certificate." All the color drained from Greg's face. He instinctively retorted: "What right do you have to transfer my son?" I said confidently: "Because I'm his legal guardian!" Leo, seemingly missing a few brain cells, suddenly asked excitedly: "Daddy, does that mean I don't have to go to school?" Greg was already furious, and hearing this made him explode. He slapped Leo on the forehead: "You idiot, why are you laughing! You wouldn't even know if someone sold you!" I said softly to Leo: "Come here, kid. This school has nothing to do with you anymore. Your new school is over a thousand miles away. Let's go home and pack!" Greg's eyes shifted from confusion to disbelief, and from disbelief to sheer rage. "Motherfucker!" He roared and lunged at me. The surrounding students were terrified and scattered, screaming. The parents turned pale and quickly shielded their children. Thanks to Greg's earlier "warning," the security guards had been watching me the whole time. Seeing Greg strike first, they reacted swiftly. Before Greg's hands even reached me, they had him pinned down. His face was contorted, like a vicious dog on a chain, barking at me: "Who the hell do you think you are?! What gives you the right to transfer my son! Transfer him back right now, motherfucker!" I said nonchalantly: "You better get your facts straight. Leo is registered at my address. The paperwork clearly states he's my son. What happens to my son is none of your damn business!"
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