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Chapter 3

Penulis: Perfect Timing
The school stepped in to mediate. Each side was allowed to bring only one companion into the room.

Luther sat beside his mother, Ivy Reed. Her hair was curled into careful waves, and her eyes swept over me from head to toe with sharp scrutiny.

I scanned the conference room and spotted a familiar figure by the window.

It was Jackson Shaw. With him there, I did not feel completely alone.

A man in a suit stood. "I am Mrs. Griffith's legal counsel. Based on the evidence we have, you placed unidentified substances into a food delivery. As a result, my client's son suffered acute gastroenteritis and required hospitalization. This satisfies the elements of the crime of placing dangerous substances."

He paused and looked at me as though granting a concession. "Given that you are still a student, Mrs. Griffith is only requesting the following."

He raised three fingers. "First, compensation for emotional distress in the amount of 100,000 dollars. Second, a public apology. A recorded video, pinned to the campus forum for one week. Third, voluntary withdrawal from the school."

The director of academic affairs cleared his throat. "Given that Finnick's usual academic performance is acceptable, the withdrawal clause can be set aside for now."

Luther suddenly covered his face. His shoulders shook violently.

"I didn't steal it!" he cried. "That day, I saw a delivery on the table. I thought my roommate brought it for me… How was I supposed to know it was yours? I didn't do it on purpose!"

Ivy wrapped an arm around him and glared at me as if she wanted to carve me open. "Exactly. Who hasn't eaten the wrong thing before?"

Luther pointed at me, his finger trembling. "If something serious had happened to me, this would have been attempted murder!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Article 232 of the Criminal Law," I said calmly. "The crime of intentional homicide requires subjective intent to deprive another person of life."

I met his gaze. "Now tell me, how was I supposed to predict that you would steal my food?"

His sobbing cut off mid-breath. He clearly had not expected me to know the statute so well.

The lawyer raised a hand. "Even if this does not rise to the level of homicide, it still constitutes intentional poisoning. According to the hospital test results—"

"E. coli levels exceeded the standard?" I cut in. "Since when is that classified as poison? And may I ask, what category does mop water fall under?"

Luther clamped a hand over his mouth and started gagging again. His face drained of color. This time, the nausea looked real.

Ivy's expression darkened.

I reached into my backpack and took out my recorder. "I'd like everyone to listen to a short recording."

As soon as the device appeared, the male assistant behind the lawyer stood and moved toward me.

"Hold on," he said with forced cheer. "We've been talking for quite a while. That must be tiring. Have some water."

He handed me a cup, then tipped it. The water spilled out in a rush, soaking straight into the seams of the recorder.

I snatched it back and pressed the power button. The screen lit up. It still worked. I had just started to relax when someone slammed into my arm.

It was Jackson.

The recorder flew from my hand, sailed through the open window, and shattered on the ground below.

"My bad, my bad!" Jackson said in a panic. "I saw the assistant trying to grab your things. I was trying to block him… I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

Something clicked in my mind, then snapped.

When the assistant spilled the water, Jackson had been sitting to my right. If he truly meant to help, he could have spoken up then. Why wait?

Panic, guilt, and avoidance flickered in his eyes.

Across the table, Luther and his mother wore satisfied smiles.

The lawyer gathered his documents with calm precision. "Three days. If the 100,000 dollars and the apology video are not delivered, we will proceed through formal legal channels."

He added, "At that point, you should prepare to leave the school."

A strange excitement spread through me. I was known for arguing people into corners, and I never backed down when it mattered.
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  • Justice Served over Takeout   Chapter 10

    Three months later, sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my new place and warmed the wooden floors.The apartment sat high in the city center, with an open view that looked out over all of Jouleston.Thomas had kept his word. The transfer paperwork had gone through quickly.The kitchen carried the comforting smell of simmering soup.My mother wore an apron and hummed to herself as she cut fruit. After the liver transplant, her recovery went smoothly. She was better than before, full of energy and color."Finn," she called. "When is Hazel coming? She said she's taking you to pick out curtains."These days, my mother liked Hazel more than she liked me. In her eyes, Hazel was already her future daughter-in-law."Soon," I said. "She's downstairs already."Right on cue, the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Hazel standing there with a huge bouquet of sunflowers, her smile bright and warm. "Hello, Mrs. Lynch! Hi, Finn!"A lot had happened in the past three

  • Justice Served over Takeout   Chapter 9

    Thomas yanked several strands of Luther's hair on the spot and had them rushed to a testing center.Even with expedited processing, the results would take a few hours. Luther's reaction already told the whole story. He collapsed to his knees and clutched Thomas' leg, sobbing so violently it sounded as if his lungs might tear."Dad! I'm your son! I never meant to deceive you! I was stupid. Please don't kick me out!"Thomas kicked him away. The warmth in his eyes vanished without a trace. What remained was pure disgust. The heir he had always taken pride in turned out to be a bastard of unknown origin. For a family obsessed with genetics and reputation, this was worse than bankruptcy.I sat off to the side and watched the farce with cold detachment. In hindsight, I almost had to thank Luther for his incurable habit of stealing. If he had not taken my takeout, I would never have grown suspicious.I would never have bothered to dig into his background. I would never have noticed the e

  • Justice Served over Takeout   Chapter 8

    Luther was finished. The Griffith family was not.Early the next morning, a call came from the chairman's office of the Griffith Group. It was not a legal notice, but an invitation.Luther's father, Thomas Griffith, wanted to meet. He chose a café across from the hospital.In the private room, Thomas stirred sugar into his coffee. He looked impeccably maintained, cultured, and mild. He bore no resemblance to a man capable of raising someone like Luther."Mr. Lynch, please sit," he said, pouring me a cup with smooth, practiced ease. I've heard everything that happened last night."He sighed. "Luth was spoiled by me. He lacks judgment. He caused harm to you and your mother. For that, I offer my sincere apology."He slid two items across the table: a check and a property transfer contract."600,000 dollars and a fully furnished 900-square-foot apartment downtown. Additionally, the Griffith family will cover all of your mother's future medical expenses," he said.The amount was eno

  • Justice Served over Takeout   Chapter 7

    I looked up. It was Hazel. She wore a simple white dress. Fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead, clear evidence that she had run all the way here.The nurse took the card and hurried toward billing.I opened my mouth, my throat dry. "Thank you. I'll pay you back."Hazel did not answer. She reached out and guided me down onto a bench instead. "Eat something first."As if by magic, she produced a paper bag from a burger joint. Inside were two burgers and a cup of Coke. Only then did I notice how fiercely my stomach cramped. From yesterday until now, I had not taken a single sip of water.I took a bite of the burger. Tears nearly fell onto the bun. When someone was at their weakest, even the smallest kindness could undo them."Why are you helping me?" I asked, my head lowered, afraid to meet her eyes.At school, rumors painted her as an untouchable ice queen, a flower on a high peak no one dared approach. Yet here she was, bringing me food herself. My heart pounded, completely be

  • Justice Served over Takeout   Chapter 6

    The doctor's voice on the other end of the line came fast and sharp, like a countdown. "Are you Lisa Grimes' family? The patient has suffered an acute cerebral hemorrhage. We're in emergency surgery. Her condition is critical."My hand shook. The phone nearly slipped from my grip.After my dad died, my mom developed severe liver disease. She had been living in the hospital, kept alive by dialysis. In her condition, even a strong emotional shock could turn fatal.I stopped caring about the reporters. I shoved through the crowd and sprinted for the exit.A special police officer tried to block me, but I forced my way past him. "My mom's in the hospital. Get out of my way!"…I took a taxi to the hospital. Those 20 minutes felt like the longest of my life.When I reached the operating room, the red light was still on.A nurse handed me a thick stack of forms. "Go pay first. 20,000 dollars up front. It may cost more later."The money Luther owed me still had not come through, and

  • Justice Served over Takeout   Chapter 5

    The courtroom fell into dead silence.Luther's sob caught in his throat.The opposing lawyer froze for a beat, then sneered."Defendant, this isn't the time for jokes. The physical evidence bag clearly contains a delivery receipt with your name on it," he said sharply. "Are you suggesting it's fake?"I stepped away from the defendant's seat with a stack of printouts in my hands. I had prepared them long ago."The receipt showing my name only proves the delivery belonged to me," I said evenly. "It does not prove I ordered it that day."I had the order history projected onto the large screen.The timestamp was unmistakable. The bowl of soup had been ordered at noon the day before the incident."Everyone can see this," I said. "That delivery was placed the previous day. It tasted awful, so I left it beside the trash can outside my dorm room, planning to throw it away."I pointed at the timestamp. "From the moment I ordered it to the moment Luther ate it, a full 24 hours passed. T

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