Chapter 4 Proof

I loosened my grip, and the shard fell with a crisp crack. I sauntered away while the bodyguard was still in shock. Darlene's curses pierced the air, but I ignored them and went right into my dorm to pack my stuff.

I got a text from the state that hit my phone at 5 p.m. sharp, "Applications for 2024's higher learning institutes will no longer be entertained."

Then, the quiet group chat blew up into life.

The class nerd asked, "Did you hand in my application, Carrie?"

Carrie replied right away, "Yep. Felham University, journalism, just like you wanted."

"Nice! Thanks, Carrie!"

The class athlete followed, "What about me?"

"Northern Academy of Athletes, your dream."

"You're an angel, Carrie!"

My deputy texted soon after, "What about me, Carrie?"

Carrie replied instantly as well, "Kinsley University, computer science. You know you love it."

"You're a saint!"

Carrie didn't hesitate to answer their questions. The chat was spammed with thank yous and emojis of gratitude. Everyone's mood was more buoyant with every passing moment.

Chris joined in the fun. "Thanks for everything, Carrie. And what about mine?"

Carrie texted a teasing emoji. "Harland University, finance. You have a business empire to take over."

Chris sent her a nice meme. "You know me so well."

Yves quickly followed, "And what about me?"

"Artemisia's Academy of Arts, oil painting too, your favorite."

Yves posted a smug emoji. "I knew I could count on you."

That was making Henry anxious. "And me, Carrie?"

"National University of Defense. You've always wanted to be a military officer!"

That moved Henry, and he kept spamming. "I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you!"

Things were going fine, but then someone asked sarcastically, "So what'd you apply for our cold-blooded class president?"

That changed the group chat's tune, and malice flooded the screen immediately.

"Hah, farming academy in the northwest, of course. She's rearing pigs there!"

"I think the state's top scorer should be scooping dung in the mountains!" someone added.

"She deserves it for shrugging off the Grays after all they've done for her!"

The look in my eyes turned colder with every passing comment.

I texted right away, "You think you're clever?"

"Hey, class nerd, you tried to cheat in Grade 11's finals and nearly got it on your record. I dealt with it for you."

"And you, athlete, you fractured your bones during practice and took a month off school. I burned the midnight oil sorting out every single subject's notes for you."

The group fell silent for a short moment, only to be followed by mortification masked as fury.

"You're not the victim here, and what you did was barely any help to us! You're just ungrateful!"

"You disgust me! You should go to hell!"

Chris came in high and mighty. "Don't push your luck. Carrie only wanted to help. She's sending you to the bottom rung so you'll learn how to be grateful!"

Yves followed, "Ignore her, Carrie. So where'd you send her to?"

Everyone played along. "Yeah. I bet we'll have a good laugh. Tell us!"

Unlike her earlier replies, Carrie didn't text anything right away. Everyone wouldn't stop tagging her.

A cold laugh slipped out of my lips, so I decided to answer in her stead, "Stop. She doesn't know either. She can't even get into my application page."

That struck a nerve. "What? No way! You're bluffing!"

I didn't argue. I showed them the stamped admission letter. Sure enough, the group fell into stunned silence.

I had sent them the IP address logs I'd spent a good fortune buying in my previous life to the group, along with the chat history between Carrie and a shady academy's admissions office out there.

"I'll sabotage their applications."

"20 grand per person. 50 grand for high scorers. They'll never get into the academies they want. You'll be their last and only choice."

The proof was full and clear.