"I won't report this to the police," Sean said. "Just give me back my money and apologize publicly in front of the entire school."
If Duncan did as he said, the humiliation would follow him for the rest of his life. Even if he hadn't actually stolen anything, no one would believe him.
Duncan's throat tightened.
"I won't do that," he ground out. "Call the police and let them handle it."
Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Ronald finally stepped in to mediate.
"That's enough. The school will look into what happened. We'll address this once we have the results."
After the others had left, Ronald sighed. "I know you're a good kid, Duncan, but why couldn't you keep your hands to yourself?"
Disappointment washed over Duncan. So even Ronald thought he'd stolen the money.
"Your certificate for placing in the state competition arrived at school," Ronald continued, waving a hand and taking an envelope from his desk. "The school board had also approved a 20,000-dollar award for you. But given these concerns about your conduct, we'll have to reconsider whether you should receive it."
Duncan remained silent for a long time.
"Mr. Benson, I'll agree to make a public apology and accept a formal reprimand in front of the entire school," he eventually said. "But I have one condition. Could you please help me get a leave-of-absence form?"
The money was his last chance to attend the training program. If he received the award, he could afford to enroll, but the price would be having the entire school label him a thief.
If he refused to admit fault, he'd lose his final chance to attend the program. His future would be ruined.
…
Duncan climbed onto the stage one step at a time, each step feeling like another blow to his pride. He looked at his classmates, some sneering at him, others staring with undisguised disgust.
"My name is Duncan Sadler," he began, keeping his head lowered. "I'd like to apologize to Allison Gray and Sean Caldwell for their missing money…"
As soon as he finished, Lucas shot him a contemptuous look.
"Well, Duncan grew up in Crooksbury, after all," he said, a hint of feigned sorrow in his voice. "Old habits die hard, I guess. There's only so much I can do."
The students' jeers grew even louder.
Duncan lowered his head before the entire class, his fists clenched, then turned and ran out of the school.
He picked up temporary shifts unloading deliveries at the hotel where he'd worked before. Afraid to go back to the dorm, he spent his nights sleeping in the hotel's storage room.
He spent the next three days working to save as much money as he could before leaving for the training program. He wanted to save as much money as he could before leaving.
During his last shift of the evening, he passed a private dining room and heard a familiar voice from inside.
"Lucas, are you really going to confess your feelings to Brianna?"
"Of course!" Lucas replied cheerfully. "It's Bri's birthday today. I want to surprise her."
The others began teasing them, calling them a perfect match.
Meanwhile, Duncan had just finished unloading a heavy delivery. His fingers were rubbed raw and bleeding, and he was left carrying three huge bags of trash by himself.
Inside and outside that room, two completely different worlds existed.
Duncan practically fled from the doorway. Keeping his head down, he hurried toward the stairs until a familiar voice stopped him.
"Duncan?"
Brianna stood there in a spaghetti-strap dress, her face radiant. She looked like a princess on her way to meet her prince.
"Where have you been for the past three days?" she asked with a frown. "Do you have any idea how worried Lucas has been?"
Duncan's expression turned cold as he tried to walk past her. "You've got the wrong person."
"Duncan." Brianna grabbed his hand. "You stole money, ran away from home, skipped school, and now you're working odd jobs. Are you really determined to throw your life away?"
He couldn't believe his ears as he wrenched his hand free. His throat tightened, and his fists clenched as anger surged through him.
But with Brianna standing before him, he forced himself to stand tall, refusing to let her see him break.
"Brianna, I may have grown up in Crooksbury, but I've never stolen anything in my life."
He stepped back, leaving a few feet between them.
"13,000 dollars might not seem like much to you, but I saved every penny through part-time jobs and by going without things I needed," he continued, meeting her gaze. "Every dollar I've earned can be accounted for. You have no right to humiliate me like this."
Brianna's heart skipped a beat when she saw the look in his eyes. Even so, she couldn't stop herself from saying, "You admitted it yourself, remember? Now you're saying you didn't steal anything. Do you honestly think anyone will believe you?"
Her words crushed what little pride Duncan had left.
As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He was the one who had publicly admitted to stealing the money.
Seeing the look on his face, Brianna felt a pang of sympathy and was about to say something when the door behind her opened.
"Brianna, come on! It's time to cut the cake. Lucas has a surprise planned for you!"
Brianna hesitated. She glanced at Duncan one last time before turning and going inside.
From the shadows beneath the staircase, Duncan watched her leave and said his final goodbye.
"Happy birthday, Brianna. And…" His voice trailed off. "Goodbye. For good."
He turned and walked away before she could look back.
That night, without telling a single person, Duncan boarded the train with his leave-of-absence form and training program application in hand.
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