Chapter 3
782words
The studio was tiny but it was mine—a sanctuary I'd created with my own resources. Here, I wasn't anyone's shadow or servant. I was Lucy Woods, and soon I'd make them all pay.
That first night of true independence, I threw myself completely into becoming "Shadow." Unrestricted by curfews or surveillance, my skills exploded like a thoroughbred finally given room to run. Small-time tech challenges no longer satisfied me; I set my sights on a far more lucrative target—the international financial markets.
With Shadow's growing reputation and my rapidly expanding skills, I became a digital phantom, slipping through the defenses of global financial networks. I analyzed data patterns, identified hidden vulnerabilities, and exploited split-second arbitrage opportunities. I targeted manipulative hedge funds with precision strikes, using aggressive leverage to maximize returns. Each successful operation multiplied my crypto holdings. This digital fortune would become the weapon that would reduce the Woods family to ruins.
By day, I maintained my persona as Saint Cherry's brilliant but quiet top student. My name remained fixed at the top of the class rankings—no longer an achievement I had to downplay, but a weapon in my arsenal. Meanwhile, whispers about Vivian's bullying and her family's mistreatment of me began circulating through the school.
Vivian couldn't stand my newfound independence. She and what remained of her "Cherry Blossom Club" ramped up their smear campaign.
"Heard she robbed her family blind before running off," one would whisper loudly in the hallway. "Always the quiet ones you've got to watch."
"That's not even the worst part," another would add. "Word is she's got some... arrangement with an older man. How else could she afford that apartment?"
Their poisonous rumors spread like toxic waste, threatening to contaminate my reputation once more.
Unfortunately for them, I was no longer their punching bag.
Just as the gossip reached fever pitch, I marched straight into the principal's office.
The principal glanced up with mild surprise, then assumed his practiced authoritative tone: "Miss Woods? What can I do for you?"
I remained standing, my posture military-straight, my gaze steady and unflinching: "Principal Davis, I'm here to formally report Vivian Woods and her 'Cherry Blossom Club' for systematic bullying and defamation. I have evidence of their ongoing harassment and the malicious rumors they're currently spreading about me."
The principal frowned, his hands making placating gestures: "Miss Woods, some friction between students is normal. Perhaps you're being a bit sensitive... and considering Vivian's family's contributions to our—"
"Principal!" I cut him off sharply, simultaneously pulling out my phone and turning the screen toward him. There were the photos of my bloodied palms and knees, the hateful graffiti on my desk, screenshots of threatening messages, and an audio recording of Vivian and her friends calling me "charity case" and "servant girl."
"This is my evidence," I stated coldly. "I understand the school values the Woods family's... contributions." The word dripped with sarcasm. "But I'm the student most likely to win the provincial competition and bring actual academic prestige to Saint Cherry. Is my potential worth less than a check from Gregory Woods?"
Seeing his expression shift, I pressed my advantage: "If the school refuses to address this, I'll contact every major news outlet in the city and file formal complaints with both the Municipal Education Bureau and the State Department of Education. I doubt Saint Cherry wants headlines about 'Elite School Enables Bullying, Forces Top Student into Homelessness.'"
The principal's face drained of color, beads of sweat forming on his brow. He rose quickly from his chair: "Miss Woods! Please, there's no need for such measures! Saint Cherry has zero tolerance for bullying! We'll address this immediately with the utmost seriousness!"
Two days later, a disciplinary notice bearing the school's official seal appeared on the main bulletin board: "Following substantiated evidence of harassment and defamation, Vivian Woods and core members of the 'Cherry Blossom Club' have been placed on disciplinary probation and issued formal reprimands."
The news tore through Saint Cherry like wildfire. Vivian's carefully crafted princess image crumbled overnight. Under the judgmental stares of her peers, her face turned ghostly white, her eyes venomous with hatred. Yet she couldn't say a word in her defense as she fled through the corridors of whispers.
Watching her retreat, I allowed myself a cold smile.
Vivian, this is only the beginning. Your humiliation at school is just the appetizer. That impenetrable fortress you call a family? I'm about to bring it crashing down, brick by brick.
