Chapter 3
Principal Mercer denied everything.
He denied ordering records changed.
He denied protecting wealthy students.
He denied calling Richard before anyone had finished interviewing me.
He even denied knowing what was on the flash drive.
The secretary, Mrs. Flores, stood near the door trembling.
“I watched you do it.”
Mercer pointed at her.
“You are confused.”
“No.”
Her voice strengthened.
“You told me to mark Avery’s incident as student aggression instead of victim assault.”
My stomach dropped.
Dad looked at Mercer.
“When?”
“Twenty-three minutes ago,” Mrs. Flores said.
Mercer’s forehead glistened.
“She misunderstood.”
Mrs. Flores gave a bitter laugh.
“I’ve misunderstood a lot for six years, apparently.”
Dad looked at his security director.
“Daniel, secure the drive.”
Daniel took it.
Mercer protested immediately.
“You cannot remove school property.”
Mrs. Flores shook her head.
“It’s my personal drive.”
Dad glanced toward Richard.
Richard was staring at the floor.
That bothered me.
He wasn’t surprised enough.
I turned toward him.
“You knew.”
His head jerked up.
“Knew what?”
“That they changed records.”
Madison stopped crying.
Richard’s expression became careful.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Dad studied him.
Then Dad’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His chief legal officer.
He answered.
“Go.”
We all listened to one side.
“Yes.”
A pause.
“How many?”
Another pause.
Dad’s face changed.
“Send me everything.”
He ended the call.
Richard’s mouth was dry.
“What is it?”
Dad ignored him.
He looked at Mrs. Flores.
“How long have you worked here?”
“Seven years.”
“How many complaints were changed?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I don’t know.”
Mercer scoffed.
“Because none were.”
Mrs. Flores turned on him.
“That’s a lie.”
Her voice cracked.
“You made me rewrite reports when donor families were involved. You made teachers remove witness statements. You told parents that camera footage had been overwritten.”
Mercer shouted, “Enough!”
Dad’s security officer took one step forward.
Mercer stopped again.
I watched Mrs. Flores.
She looked like someone who had been scared for years and had finally become more afraid of silence than consequences.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” I asked.
She looked at me.
The question sounded harsher than I intended.
Her face crumpled.
“I have two children.”
I immediately regretted it.
She continued.
“My husband died three years ago. This job carries their health insurance.”
I swallowed.
“I’m sorry.”
She nodded.
“You shouldn’t have to be.”
Then she looked at Madison.
“Neither should the others.”
Madison’s expression changed.
“What others?”
Mrs. Flores didn’t answer her.
She looked at Dad.
“Last spring, a sophomore named Elena Ruiz reported being locked in the equipment room by three students.”
Mercer snapped, “That incident was investigated.”
Mrs. Flores kept speaking.
“One of those students was Madison.”
Madison’s entire body stiffened.
Richard stepped in front of his daughter.
“This is defamatory.”
I stared at Madison.
“You locked someone in a room?”
“She’s lying.”
Her voice came too quickly.
Chloe looked nervous.
Sienna started backing toward the door.
Dad noticed.
“No one leaves.”
Sienna froze.
“I didn’t do anything.”
Mrs. Flores looked at her.
“You signed a statement saying Elena locked herself inside.”
Sienna began crying.
“I was told to.”
Madison whipped around.
“Shut up.”
That one sentence changed everything.
Sienna covered her mouth.
Chloe stared at Madison.
Richard grabbed his daughter’s arm.
“Do not speak.”
Dad looked toward Daniel.
“Separate the students.”
Mercer objected.
“You have no authority to interrogate minors.”
“Correct,” Dad said. “And I’m not going to.”
He looked at me.
“We’re leaving.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“I’m taking you to urgent care.”
Only then did I realize the burning on my neck had become worse.
Adrenaline had hidden it.
Now my skin throbbed.
Dad saw me touch it.
His anger returned.
Richard stepped forward.
“Mr. Harrison, please. We can resolve this privately.”
Dad stared at him.
“There is nothing private about a cafeteria full of phones.”
Richard lowered his voice.
“I’m asking as an employee who has given your company twelve years.”
Dad’s answer came instantly.
“You’re asking as a father.”
Richard’s eyes flickered.
Dad continued.
“I understand that.”
For one second Richard looked hopeful.
Then Dad said, “Which is why I can’t understand what you were willing to do to someone else’s daughter.”
Richard’s hope vanished.
I looked at Madison.
She was staring at me with tears running down her face.
I expected hatred.
Instead I saw fear.
Not fear of punishment.
Fear of what else might come out.
As Dad guided me toward the hallway, Madison suddenly called my name.
“Avery.”
I stopped.
Dad didn’t.
“Keep walking.”
“Avery, wait.”
Something in her voice made me turn.
Richard hissed, “Madison, don’t.”
She ignored him.
“If you tell them everything, you’ll regret it too.”
The hallway went silent.
Dad turned slowly.
“What does that mean?”
Madison looked at her father.
Richard looked furious.
She stared at me.
“You think your dad is different?”
My stomach tightened.
“Different from what?”
She laughed through her tears.
“All our parents know how this place works.”
Richard grabbed her shoulders.
“That is enough.”
Madison shoved him away.
“No! You said none of this could ever touch us.”
Chloe whispered, “Madison.”
She spun toward Chloe.
“Why should I be the only one getting blamed?”
Dad watched carefully.
Madison pointed at the principal.
“He knows.”
Mercer looked ready to collapse.
“He knows what?”
I asked.
Madison’s eyes moved back to me.
“Why do you think students like you never last here?”
Dad’s hand tightened on my shoulder.
“Students like her?”
Madison’s face twisted.
“Scholarship kids.”
I almost laughed.
She still thought that was what I was.
Then I realized that was exactly why this mattered.
“What happens to them?”
Madison looked toward Mercer.
He said her name like a warning.
“Madison.”
She ignored him.
“They get pushed out.”
My skin went cold.
“How?”
“Write-ups. Suspensions. Cheating accusations. Whatever works.”
Mrs. Flores covered her mouth.
Dad became completely still.
“Who told you that?”
Madison hesitated.
Richard shouted, “Don’t answer.”
Dad looked at him.
Richard seemed to realize he had exposed himself again.
Madison whispered, “My dad.”
I heard Richard inhale sharply.
“That is not what I said.”
“Yes, it is.”
“You misunderstood.”
“You told me Westbridge protects the families who keep it alive.”
Dad’s phone rang again.
This time he answered on speaker.
His attorney’s voice came through.
“Ethan, we ran an initial comparison against Harrison Foundation scholarship records.”
Dad’s eyes stayed on Mercer.
“And?”
“Fourteen scholarship students have withdrawn or been expelled in three years after disciplinary incidents.”
My heart began pounding.
“How many of those incidents involved children of major donors?”
A pause.
“Thirteen.”
No one moved.
Then Dad asked the question that changed everything.
“And where did the unused scholarship money go?”
The attorney hesitated.
“We don’t know yet.”
Dad’s eyes narrowed.
“Why not?”
“Because according to our records, Westbridge continued requesting full scholarship reimbursement after several students were no longer enrolled.”
Mercer sank into his chair.
I stared at him.
Dad’s voice dropped.
“How much?”
“We’re calculating it now.”
Richard closed his eyes.
Madison looked at her father.
And I finally understood why he had wanted me expelled so quickly.
May you like
This wasn’t just about protecting his daughter.
Someone had been making money when students disappeared.
