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หน้าหลัก / Emotional Realism เรื่องสั้น / Justice Served over Takeout / บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

บททั้งหมดของ Justice Served over Takeout: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

10

Chapter 1

They were not just fining me. They were canceling the yearly subsidy too, worth 4,000 dollars.We had already sold our only apartment to pay for my mom's treatment. I was a junior, and that scholarship was my only plan for next semester.I forced my voice to stay steady. "Officer, can you tell me who filed the report?"The older police officer shook his head. "Regulations. We can't disclose that."I clenched my fist under the desk until my knuckles burned.My deliveries had gone missing seven or eight times. Each time I filed a complaint, the school responded with the same boilerplate policy statement. The footage was unclear, they said. They could not confirm who was responsible.But the one time I put a little "extra" in my food, the thief ended up in the hospital. Suddenly, responsibility was crystal clear, and it was mine.Nice."The person stole my food and got sick. Why am I the one paying?" I said.Edwin Wilson, whom everyone called Mr. Wilson, let out a tired sigh. "No

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Chapter 2

When I returned to the counselor's office, I opened by playing pitiful."Mr. Wilson, this really feels unfair," I said. "Why am I the only one being punished? What about the person who actually stole the food?"Edwin sighed and spread his hands, helpless on the surface."Someone higher up will want to talk to you eventually. At least between us, there's still some teacher-student goodwill." The threat underneath was obvious. He leaned back in his chair. "I advise you to accept the penalty now. If this goes up to school leadership, they will not be nearly as easy to deal with."It was a good thing I had a habit of collecting gossip. It looked like time to increase the dosage."If you don't want to help me, then the thing between you and Maisie… We might accidentally let that slip," I said quietly. "And her comprehensive evaluation score clearly failed. You still gave her an A."Edwin's eyelid twitched.Maisie Quinn was the business school's campus belle. Last semester, her eval

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Chapter 3

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,

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Chapter 4

An apology was never an option.The moment I recorded that video, I would be branded a poisoner for life. My record would carry a stain I could never erase. Even if I ended up delivering food for a living someday, platforms would worry that I might tamper with the meals.That left only one path: fight it to the end.The Griffith family moved faster than I expected. They no longer bothered with courtesy.The next morning, I woke up as a nationally reviled figure. The instant I unlocked my phone, headlines flooded the screen.[Male College Student Poisons Roommate out of Jealousy.][Top Law Student Breaks the Law, Methods Cruel and Calculated.]Someone even dug up the fact that I once failed to turn in a homework assignment in high school and paraded it as "proof of moral corruption."Paid commenters swarmed every platform and forced the narrative in one direction.They claimed Luther had only grabbed the wrong delivery by accident. They painted me as vicious by nature, the sort

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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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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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