The PTA Bullied My Autistic Son For Meds

The PTA meeting had just ended. A woman next to me suddenly leaned in.

Eleanor, those vitamin supplements your son is taking seem really effective. He's been so focused in class lately, she said, her tone overly familiar.

Why don't you grab a bottle for my daughter too? I won't let you do it for free. I'll bring you some organic wine from my family's vineyard as a thank you. We should look out for each other.

I looked at her smiling face and felt a wave of absurdity.

My son, Xander, has high-functioning autism. Those "vitamins" were actually expensive prescription medications imported from abroad. They were not only incredibly pricey but also dangerous if taken by someone who didn't need them.

I politely declined. "I'm sorry, Melany. That's not really convenient."

The smile on her face stiffened for a second, but she didn't say anything else.

However, from that day on, things started going wrong.

Xander came home and told me that the other kids wouldn't play with him. Even the teacher began to ignore or marginalize him.

Soon, he was being excluded so badly that he was terrified to go to school. Every morning, he would cry and refuse to leave the house.

I gripped my phone, taking a deep breath.

If these people think I'm a pushover, they've got another thing coming.

"Mom, I don't want to go to school. The teacher and the kids don't like me."

"During gym class, nobody would team up with me. They all said they didn't want me. I just stood on the field alone, and the coach didn't even care."

Xander cried bitterly. My heart sank.

To try and smooth things over, I opened the parent group chat on my phone. I offered to buy cupcakes for the whole class out of my own pocket.

After I sent the message, the group stayed silent. No one responded.

I was about to send another message when Melany Vance's profile picture popped up.

"Oh, Eleanor, don't bother spending your money. No one in this class dares to eat anything from your house. Last time I asked you for a simple vitamin, you made every excuse in the book."

I stared at the screen, my knuckles turning white.

"Melany, I told you last time. Those weren't vitamins. They were..."

"Oh, I know what they were," she replied, her tone dripping with even more malice.

"They were supplements for your little slow-mo son, right?"

Those words hit me like a bucket of ice water. I froze in place.

Then, pure rage flooded my brain.

"Melany, watch your mouth! My son is not slow. He just processes things a little differently!"

My eyes stung. When Xander was born, everyone said he was the perfect, quiet baby.

But at two years old, he still hadn't spoken a single word. After a hospital evaluation, we found out he had high-functioning autism.

I sat in silence for an entire afternoon when I got the results.

Since then, countless hours of therapy have drained my energy and my bank account.

I grit my teeth and pushed through for two years. Finally, Xander was able to call me "Mom" on his own.

He's still a bit slower than other kids, but he can attend a regular school.

The doctor said social interaction is his biggest challenge. He needs to keep taking the prescription meds I have shipped in. One bottle costs as much as an average person's monthly salary.

When he first joined this class, I prepared expensive gifts for all the parents and kids. I wanted him to fit in.

I thought a little generosity would buy him some kindness.

I didn't realize that in the eyes of people like Melany, kindness is just a sign of weakness.

I was about to fire back when other parents started chiming in.

"Eleanor, don't get so worked up. Melany's words were a bit harsh, but she has a point."

"Exactly. It's no big deal. Let's not ruin the harmony of the group."

Message after message appeared, all taking Melany's side.

I took a deep breath, ready to let them all have it.

Right then, the homeroom teacher, Mrs. Hunter, finally spoke up.

"Parents, please stay calm. We all want what's best for the children. If there's an issue, let's discuss it privately. Do not argue in the group."

I looked at the message, my fingers hovering over the screen.

Mrs. Hunter seemed like she was playing peacemaker, but she was clearly siding with the bullies.

Xander was the one being isolated. Why was I the one who needed to "stay calm"?

But if I fought back now, Mrs. Hunter would label me as a difficult parent. That would only make things worse for Xander.

"Understood, Mrs. Hunter. Thank you," I typed.

The group went silent.

But I knew this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

I spent a long time comforting Xander before finally getting him to school.

As I was leaving, I saw Melany and Mrs. Hunter at the school gate.

They were chatting like old friends. Mrs. Hunter was nodding and practically bowing to her.

I narrowed my eyes and slowed my pace.

Melany turned her head and spotted me. She let out a contemptuous sneer.

"Oh, look, it's Xander's mom. Did you just drop off your little dummy?"

"I really do pity you. A single woman having to drive back and forth in this weather without a husband to help."

I stopped and turned to face her.

"Whether I have a husband or not is none of your business."

"Maybe you should worry about your own husband. It seems you have plenty of time to be a nuisance to everyone else."

Melany's face darkened. "What is that supposed to mean?"

I looked at her coldly. "I'm suggesting you mind your own business and stay out of mine."

"That's enough!" Mrs. Hunter stepped in to mediate. "Melany, you go ahead. I'll handle this."

Melany gave me a nasty glare and walked away.

Mrs. Hunter turned to me, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Eleanor, you know Melany is our class parent representative. Her husband is the CEO of Landon Global."

"You should be careful. If you upset her, it won't be good for Xander's situation in class."

Landon Global?

I paused. That name was very familiar.

I own several commercial buildings in the city. One of the floors is currently leased to Landon Global.

My accountant told me last month that the company is months behind on rent. They are facing serious financial trouble.

CEO? He's more like a CEO who can't even afford to pay his employees right now.

I felt a cold laugh rising in my chest.

Mrs. Hunter saw my silence and thought I was intimidated. She stepped closer.

"Actually, Eleanor, the issue with Xander being excluded is easy to fix."

"If you could... you know... show a little appreciation, I could make things a lot smoother for him."

She rubbed her thumb and forefinger together in a clear gesture for money.

I looked at her, completely disgusted.

An elementary school teacher was openly asking a parent for a bribe?

"Mrs. Hunter, preventing bullying and isolation is your job and your responsibility."

"Are you seriously trying to extort me for doing your basic duty?"

Her smile vanished. "Now, now, you've got it all wrong. I didn't mean it like that..."

"I don't care what you meant. I've recorded this entire conversation."

I pulled out my phone. "If you don't start handling things properly, I'm taking this straight to the school board."

Mrs. Hunter panicked instantly. "Eleanor, please! Don't be hasty. I will take care of Xander's situation!"

I didn't say another word and walked away.

As I reached my car, I gripped the steering wheel tight.

Relying on someone like her was useless. I had to take matters into my own hands.

I immediately sent a text to Landon Vance.

You're letting your daughter bully my son at school. Is this your way of asking for a rent reduction?

Before he could reply, my phone rang.

It was Mrs. Hunter.

"Eleanor, you need to get to the school right now! Xander just hit another student!"

My head spun. I grabbed my keys and sprinted back.

Xander is usually too scared to even speak loudly. There was no way he would hit someone.

I burst into the office, my heart pounding.

Mrs. Hunter was standing there with a stern face. Yvonne Vance was sitting in a chair, crying her eyes out.

Xander was standing in the corner, his small fists clenched, his whole body shaking.

Mrs. Hunter glared at me as I entered.

"Eleanor, finally! What is wrong with your son? How could he use violence in the classroom?"

I ignored her and went straight to Xander. I knelt down and took his small, cold hands in mine.

"Xander, baby, tell Mom what happened."

Xander opened his mouth, his lips trembling, but no words came out.

The more frustrated he got, the harder it was for him to speak. He could only shake his head violently.

I knew he was overstimulated. His verbal skills were temporarily shut down.

Before I could calm him, Yvonne started wailing. "I just wanted to see what his vitamins looked like, and he hit me..."

Mrs. Hunter jumped in. "Eleanor, your son used violence over a small misunderstanding. As his teacher, I demand that you and Xander apologize to Yvonne immediately."

I didn't listen to her. I grabbed Xander's backpack and flipped it open.

The medicine bottle was gone.

Every morning, I put the day's dose in his side pocket so he can take it after lunch.

The bottle is small. I could find it with my eyes closed.

But the pocket was empty.

I turned and stared at Yvonne. "You said you just wanted to look. Where is it?"

Yvonne's eyes darted around. She started crying even harder. "I just looked! I didn't take it! He hit me! Waaaah!"

I ignored the drama and looked at the other kids standing near the office door.

A little boy in the corner couldn't keep quiet. "I saw her take it! She pulled a bottle out of his bag."

"Xander tried to get it back, but she hid it behind her back. He got upset and accidentally pushed her..."

I turned to Mrs. Hunter, whose face was turning a sickly shade of gray.

"Well... the boy must have seen it wrong," she stammered.

I didn't have time for her games. "Mrs. Hunter, my son's medication isn't a vitamin. It's a specialized prescription. One pill costs hundreds of dollars."

"I put five pills in there this morning. At current market value, the total exceeds the limit for a felony theft charge."

I watched the color drain from her face. "If you don't find that bottle right now, I'm calling the police."

Mrs. Hunter's lips trembled. Before she could speak, the office door slammed open.

Melany Vance stormed in, screaming. "Call the police? Go ahead! They'll arrest you for fraud!"

"Hundreds of dollars for a vitamin? Are you insane, or do you think the police are idiots?"

"Vitamins?"

My anger reached its boiling point. "Listen closely. Those aren't vitamins! They are custom prescriptions from top neuro-specialists!"

Melany let out a mocking laugh, looking me up and down.

"A woman without a husband? Where would you get the money for high-end specialists?"

She pulled out her phone and started filming me and Xander. "Everyone, look! This scammer just got caught, and now she's trying to threaten us!"

"Check this out, parents! This is Eleanor. She's so broke and desperate that she's claiming her cheap vitamins are imported drugs to extort my family!"

"We need to make sure our kids stay far away from her son. Who knows what kind of mental issues a kid from a family like this has!"

My phone started buzzing like crazy. The parent group was exploding with messages.

"Melany is right. We need to expose people like this!"

"God, thank goodness Melany caught her. We were almost fooled."

"We need to get her son out of this school. He's a bad influence!"

I couldn't take it anymore. I lunged forward and snatched Melany's phone.

She screamed and lunged at me.

I stepped aside, and she stumbled. Enraged, she tried to grab me again.

I grabbed her wrist and twisted it firmly.

She doubled over in pain, still cursing. "You bitch! You stole my phone! Do you have any idea who my husband is?"

Her insanity was making my blood boil. I tightened my grip.

She winced but didn't stop. She turned to her daughter. "Yvonne! Hit that little freak! Hit him!"

Following her mother's orders, Yvonne charged at Xander. She shoved him hard, and he fell to the floor.

"Xander!"

I tried to go to my son, but Melany grabbed my waist from behind, trying to drag me back.

I turned and slapped her across the face.

The room went silent.

Melany touched her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"You hit me? My husband is the CEO of Landon Global!"

"Just wait! He's on his way! I'm going to make sure you rot in a cell!"

I looked at her twisted face and laughed through my teeth.

"Landon Vance? You think I don't know him?"

Melany grew even more arrogant. "Then you should be shaking! My husband runs a massive company! He has more money than you could dream of! You're just a pathetic loser!"

I stared into her eyes. "You clearly haven't looked at your husband's books lately. A month ago, he was begging me to lower his rent."

Melany froze.

"You're full of shit!" she screamed.

"Who do you think you are? My husband would never beg you for anything!"

Mrs. Hunter quickly joined in. "Eleanor, this is too much. You shouldn't hit people, and you definitely shouldn't tell lies."

Seeing me surrounded, Xander scrambled up and ran toward me.

"Oh, look, here comes the little dummy!" Melany snarled, shoving him aside again.

Xander's head hit the corner of a desk. A red mark appeared instantly.

"Xander!"

My heart broke. Just then, the door opened again.

A man walked in. Melany rushed to him like he was her savior.

"Landon! You're here! This crazy woman hit me! Call the security and have her arrested!"

But when Landon saw me, his face turned ghost-white.

"Ms. Reid! I am so sorry! My wife is an idiot. Please, don't take this personally!"