Five years ago, I received a case about campus bullying. The perpetrator was only 13 years old and used extremely cruel methods, including eating feces, drinking urine, and sexual assault. This led to the victim suffering from severe depression and eventually committing suicide by cutting their wrists. When the situation escalated, the bully's parents tried to settle the matter with money. They not only threatened me to make false testimony but also boasted, "My child is a minor. Even if he killed someone, he wouldn't have to go to jail, let alone bullying."
Chapter 1
[1]
Five years ago, I worked on a heartbreaking case of school bullying.
The bully was shockingly just a 13-year-old child.
His actions were incredibly cruel, subjecting the victim to severe and degrading abuse.
This led the victim into a deep depression, ultimately resulting in them tragically taking their own life.
As the case gained public attention, the bully's parents tried to use their influence to escape consequences.
They not only pressured me to give false testimony but also arrogantly declared, "Our child is a minor. Even if he did something much worse, he wouldn't face jail time!"
[2]
I received a familiar emergency call and quickly arrived at the scene.
In the school playground, I had just pushed through the crowd when I saw a young man lying unconscious in the middle of the lawn. His body was convulsing uncontrollably, and his forehead was drenched in cold sweat.
I hurriedly knelt down, applied pressure to the area between his nose and upper lip, checked his pulse and breathing, and tried to call out to wake him up. But he showed no response at all. It was clear he was in a deep coma and needed to be taken to the hospital immediately.
This was a university, and many students had never seen a police officer in real life. When they saw me arrive, they weren't scared; instead, more people gathered out of curiosity.
They started discussing among themselves: "Didn't Brayden faint while running the 800-meter test? It's not a murder case, so why are the police here?"
"Exactly, calling the police for this? The school is overreacting."
I frowned as I listened, thinking to myself, "Shouldn't they have called an ambulance first in this situation? Why did they call the police?"
But due to my emergency response training, after dialing 911, I quickly waved my hand, signaling the surrounding students to disperse. Their crowding here would affect the airflow, which was not good for the unconscious Brayden.
At this moment, a somewhat flashily dressed female teacher ran up to me with a malicious expression and said, "No one called the police. How did you get here?"
I glanced at her and felt a wave of disgust, knowing she had advanced her career through questionable relationships. My words carried a hint of sarcasm.
"Oh, isn't this Joyce? When did you get promoted from a middle school English teacher to a college counselor?"
Her face changed instantly at this, and she quickly raised her hand to signal me to shut up.
I shrugged helplessly, full of mockery. "Alright, even if I don't say anything, plenty of people already know about your little secrets."
Just then, my phone rang, and I quickly answered it. On the other end was a woman's voice, thick with sobs.
"Sergeant Sullivan, how is my son?"
The caller was Jenifer, Brayden's mother. Her husband, Phil, was one of the top entrepreneurs in our city. The couple not only funded the construction of schools but also donated to many welfare institutions. So, everyone respectfully called her Mrs. Olson.
"Mrs. Olson, he is still unconscious, but the ambulance will be here soon."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Olson's voice rose sharply, carrying a tone of undeniable authority.
"Sergeant Sullivan, this is Jeffrey's revenge. He is retaliating against my son for causing his son's death. You must arrest him immediately, or my son will really die!"
Her words left me stunned. Her tone was as casual as if she were picking out groceries: "This one looks good, pack it up for me to take home."
Considering she had always lived a pampered life and didn't understand legal procedures, I cleared my throat and said seriously, "Mrs. Olson, arresting someone requires sufficient evidence. Do you have any evidence to prove that Jeffrey harmed your son?"
"You might say he has a motive, but that's not enough to draw a conclusion."
"And from what I can see, Brayden is simply unconscious. We need to wait for the hospital's examination report."
At this point, the ambulance arrived. I had to hang up the phone and help the paramedics lift Brayden onto the stretcher.
Just as I was about to get into the ambulance, Joyce suddenly grabbed my arm, her face dark and threatening. "Connor, we're both implicated. I advise you not to go against Mrs. Olson. If your taking bribes gets exposed, your career will be over!"
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."
Sophia Drake braced herself for the worst when she was forced to move across the country in the middle of her junior year. Desperate to escape her shattered home as soon as she turns eighteen, her plans are disrupted by the enigmatic and captivating Ashford twins. Sophia can't fathom the intense attraction she feels for the twins and tries to avoid them at every turn. As she's thrust into an unfamiliar world, her past demons resurface, making her question her true identity. Will Sophia flee from her past's secrets, or will she embrace her destiny and take control of her future?
Rose looked at the reports in her hand and was in shock... The reports said that she was one month pregnant, however, how can she get pregnant when she didn't have any man in her life... "Was it because of that dream? Could I get pregnant because I have sex in my dream?" She thought... She didn't have any mental problems, however, except for this she can't able to think about anything... However, she still didn't get out of her surprise when she met the man in her dream... Kevin Davis looked at the reports in her hand and asked, "Is this child mine?" However, Rose didn't answer but asked... "Was that night not a dream?" Kevin was angry because it was his first time and she thinks it was a dream... Kevin forced her to marry him however, Rose didn't want it... She wanted to abort the child but he didn't let her... In the end... Rose agreed to marry him... She looked at Kevin's blue eyes and said, "I will marry you, however, I had two conditions..." "First, after marriage, you can't control my freedom, I still had the right to do whatever I want. Don't worry I won't harm the child." "Second, if I ever found out that you had cheated behind my back then I will leave with my child and you can't stop me..." Both of them got married... However, after she falls in love with him... She found there are hidden secrets in his past...
The day Lilah found out that she was pregnant, she caught her fiancé cheating on her. Her remorseless fiancé and his mistress almost killed her. Lilah fled for her dear life. When she returned to her hometown five years later, she happened to save a little boy's life. The boy's father turned out to be the world's richest man. Everything changed for Lilah from that moment. The man didn't let her experience any inconvenience. When her ex-fiancé bullied her, he crushed the scumbag's family and also rented out an entire island just to give Lilah a break from all the drama. He also taught Lilah's hateful father a lesson. He crushed all her enemies before she even asked. When Lilah's vile sister threw herself at him, he showed her a marriage certificate and said, "I'm happily married and my wife is much more beautiful than you are!" Lilah was shocked. "When did we ever get married? Last I checked, I was still single." With a wicked smile, he said, "Honey, we've been married for five years. Isn't it about time we had another child together?" Lilah's jaw dropped to the floor. What the hell was he talking about?