Chapter 5: Breaking Point

I wanted to keep hitting her until she stopped screaming.

A part of me wanted total silence, to erase every trace of her voice from my memory. I could feel my fists aching, blood pounding in my ears.

But the more I hit, the more she screamed.

Her shrieks only fueled my rage, each one a reminder of what she’d taken from me. The line between justice and vengeance blurred.

The more she screamed, the more irritated I became, and the harder I hit.

It was like the noise was eating away at my self-control. Each punch became easier, more automatic.

It became a vicious cycle.

I lost track of time. The world narrowed to the sound of my fists and her screams. I was both there and not there—a passenger in my own body.

After a short while, Natalie was beaten beyond recognition.

Her face was swollen, blood trickling from her nose. The sight should have horrified me. Instead, I just felt empty.

Bang—

Tyler Morgan kicked open the door and burst in.

The door slammed against the wall, splinters flying. Tyler stormed in, fists clenched, jaw set.

I grabbed Natalie by the hair, slowly turned my head, and flashed a chilling smile: "You finally showed up."

My words dripped with sarcasm, my eyes never leaving his. The room felt electric, charged with old hatred.

I had thought about secretly recording everything, then throwing the evidence in the assistant principal's face to prove my innocence.

For weeks, I’d imagined wiring myself with a cheap recorder, playing back the audio in the principal’s office while teachers squirmed in their seats. But in a place like this, evidence was just another thing they could ignore.

But when I thought about it, in the face of money, the truth didn't matter much.

I knew how these stories ended. The rich never faced consequences. Justice was for people who couldn’t afford lawyers.

Even if I showed proof of Natalie and Tyler bullying classmates to the school administrators, they might never get the punishment they deserved.

I remembered the smirks, the knowing glances teachers exchanged. Nobody wanted to rock the boat—not when donations and reputations were at stake.

After all, with their family backgrounds, it didn't matter whether they studied or not—their families had already arranged for them to go to Ivy League schools and build a golden resume.

Their futures were set, engraved in gold. I was just collateral damage.

With the Morgan family's power, if I missed this chance, I might never get revenge.

The thought sent a fresh jolt of energy through me. This was my only shot to flip the script—to reclaim even a shred of dignity.

This was my only shot.

I squared my shoulders, bracing myself for what came next.

Thinking of this, I felt a surge of energy, like I'd been reignited.

My muscles tensed, focus sharpening. I could feel every heartbeat, every breath, as if the world had slowed down just for me.

"Help me—"

Natalie struggled to spit out the words.

Her voice was a broken whisper, drowned out by her own sobs. She reached for Tyler, but he was already charging at me.

Tyler Morgan gritted his teeth and charged at me like a linebacker.

He moved with all the confidence of someone who’s never lost a fight. I saw the flash of his letterman ring, the snarl twisting his mouth.

But he wasn't that strong. When he bullied other students, it was only because of his family's power—people were too afraid to fight back.

He relied on intimidation, not skill. I could see the uncertainty flicker in his eyes as I stood my ground.

Tyler barreled toward me. I sidestepped, and he couldn't stop in time, slamming into a desk with a loud crash, knocking over a pile of desks.

The desk screeched across the floor, metal legs scraping. Tyler cursed, trying to untangle himself. I didn’t give him a chance.

Tyler snarled, "You think you’re tough now, freak?"

I smirked, heart pounding. "Try me."

I seized the moment, lunged forward, and kicked him in the back.

My sneaker landed solidly between his shoulder blades. He gasped, arms flailing. The pile of desks collapsed beneath him with a clatter.

Tyler cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Before he could get up, I kicked him again, hard, right in the butt.

He let out a yelp, scrambling to his knees, clutching at the floor. For once, he looked less like a golden boy and more like a scared kid, just trying to get away.

Tyler lay sprawled on the floor, groaning. Natalie whimpered in the corner. I wiped the blood from my lip and stared at the shattered door. For the first time, I wondered—how far was I willing to go?