Jeremy looked around the table, his gaze lingering first on his parents, then settling on Arvin.
(Chinese) "You're wondering," he said slowly, "how this connects to today?"
Arvin nodded, while Cynthia continued her role as translator. Jeremy noticed his father's expression had grown more serious, likely having already connected some dots.
"If Theo managed to change things," Jeremy continued, "why did this happen to me? Wasn't bullying supposed to be banned?" He gestured at his injuries. "The answer isn't simple, because the problem never really went away. It just changed form."
After Cynthia's translation, Jeremy leaned forward slightly, adjusting his position to minimize discomfort. "You see, ten years ago, the school operated under an unofficial but strictly enforced hierarchy. At the top were students from wealthy families, especially those whose parents were major donors. Below them..." He gestured vaguely, "everyone else."
Arvin saw Fang Chou's expression darken.
"The thing is," Jeremy continued, "this system wasn't just about money. It was about power, the kind of power that comes from knowing your parents could make or break someone's career with a single phone call."
"When teachers tried to maintain order, to treat everyone equally..." He shook his head. "Those wealthy students saw it as a personal insult. So, they'd try bribing the teachers with extra pay for 'tutoring,' expensive gifts, that sort of thing."
Cynthia's translation remained steady, though Arvin noticed her usual poker face slipping slightly as she conveyed her brother's words, revealing how personal this history was to her.
"But the real problems started when teachers refused these bribes," Jeremy continued. "See, most of our teachers back then were idealistic. They believed in Mark's vision that education should be equal for everyone." A bitter smile crossed his face. "That belief cost some of them everything."
He paused, letting Cynthia catch up before adding, "Cynthia learned this from the older staff, the ones who'd been there through the worst of it. The gardener especially... he's been at the school for thirty years. Saw everything but couldn't speak up. None of them could."
"Why not report to the police?" Christina asked.
Jeremy's laughed darkly. "Because these kids' parents owned half the city. Some were judges, others either own or headed major companies. Who would believe a teacher with modest salary over them?"
After Cynthia translated for Arvin, Jeremy continued, his voice growing darker. "The bullying started small with keying cars, stolen belongings, 'random' accidents. But when teachers still wouldn't back down..." He glanced at his sister, who nodded slightly, confirming the unspoken truth.
"That's when they started hiring people," Jeremy's voice hardened. "Professional thugs, usually. They'd catch teachers outside school, away from witnesses. Beat them just enough to send a message."
Arvin's expression grew increasingly troubled as Cynthia translated. In his culture, teachers were considered second parents, so the idea of students deliberately harming them was beyond shocking.
"One of the worst case happened in '98," Jeremy said, his hands clenching slightly. "Mr. Harrison taught English Literature and had been at the school for fifteen years. He caught some rich kids harassing a student and intervened. Next day, on his way home..." Jeremy's voice trailed off.
"He was found in an alley," Jeremy continued, his voice tight. "Four broken ribs, shattered left hand, and severe concussion. The official police report called it a 'random mugging,' but everyone from the school knew better."
Arvin noticed how both Fang Chou and Christina tensed at these details. Through Cynthia's translation, he caught the underlying message that this wasn't just violence, but a calculated crime and a skewed demonstration of power.
"The student he tried to protect?" Jeremy smiled bitterly. "Transferred out the next day after it happened. The student's parents couldn't risk the same happening to their child. But Mr. Harrison..." He shook his head. "He spent two months in the hospital. His left hand never fully recovered and he couldn't write properly again."
"But surely the school..." Christina started, disbelief coloring her voice.
"The school?" Jeremy cut in. "They fired him. Claimed he'd been 'involved in activities unbecoming of a teacher.' Added insult to injury, literally." He paused, "The message was clear, cross these students, and you lose everything."
Arvin found himself unconsciously touching the small scar on his right hand from his own training accident. If not for his master, this scar would not be here as he'd have lost his hand.
"The worst part?" Jeremy continued, his voice dropping lower. "Mr. Harrison wasn't even the first. Just the most severe case. Between '95 and '98, five other teachers were forced to resign after similar 'incidents.' Some left teaching altogether."
Crack
The sound of Cynthia's knuckles popping as she clenched her fists drew everyone's attention. Her usual composure cracked slightly as she translated this part, her voice carrying a hint of contained anger.
"This was the school's darkest period," Jeremy said. "The time when Rick's 'improvements' showed their true cost. Money flowed in, sure, but the soul of the school, what Mark, Albert, and Johan had built..." He trailed off, looking at his father. "It was dying."
"But then," Jeremy's voice lightened slightly, "something happened that no one expected. Theo came back."
He shifted in his chair, carefully adjusting his position before continuing. "You see, like I said before, everyone thought Theo was just studying abroad at Oxford. But he'd been watching, gathering evidence. Those weekly reports I mentioned earlier? They included everything about Mr. Harrison's case."
Arvin noticed how Jeremy's earlier tension began to ease as he moved into this part of the story, as if the mere mention of Theo brought hope to the narrative.
"When Theo took over," Jeremy continued, "he did something nobody expected at his inauguration. He invited Mr. Harrison to attend." He smiled slightly. "Nobody knew, not even Albert and Johan. The rich parents were there, board members, everyone important in school politics, and alumni donors."
Cynthia's translation carried the same anticipation that had crept into her brother's voice.
"Imagine their shock," Jeremy said, "when Theo stopped his speech mid-way, stepped down from the podium, and walked straight to where Mr. Harrison sat in the back row." He paused, glancing at his father. "Dad, you were there, right?"
Fang Chou nodded slowly. "I was. Nobody knew what was happening when Theo suddenly stopped talking. Then..."
"Then," Jeremy picked up the thread, "Theo did something that changed everything. He bowed, not just a slight nod, but a full, formal bow to Mr. Harrison. Right there, in front of everyone."
Arvin's eyes widened as Cynthia translated. In Asian culture, such a gesture in public from an authority figure was extremely powerful.
"Theo apologized," Jeremy continued, his voice soft but clear. "Not just for Mr. Harrison's injuries, but for the school's failure to protect its teachers. He offered to reinstate Mr. Harrison with full benefits, promised to cover all his medical expenses, everything."
"The room went dead silent," Fang Chou added quietly. "You could've heard a pin drop."
Jeremy nodded. "That silence? It was the sound of Rick's system cracking. Because Theo wasn't just apologizing to one teacher, he was declaring war on everything Rick had allowed to happen."
"But," Jeremy's voice grew serious again, "changing a system isn't like flipping a switch. Especially when the rot has seeped so deep."
He glanced at Arvin, who was listening intently through Cynthia's translation. "Think of it like... treating a wound. You can clean it, bandage it, but the infection underneath? That takes time to heal. Sometimes it leaves scars."
Christina leaned forward slightly. "So even after Theo's changes..."
"Right," Jeremy nodded. "The obvious stuff stopped. No more teachers getting attacked, no more open harassment. But the mindset? That's harder to change. The wealthy students just got smarter about it. More subtle."
Arvin noticed Cynthia's hardening expression as she translated.
"By the time we started at MRS," Jeremy continued, "things were better than during Rick's time, but..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Let's say the discrimination just went underground. Instead of open attacks, it became whispers, 'accidents,' things that couldn't be easily proven. That's why it's never blown up to the public."
"Until Elena Hopkins," Cynthia added quietly, speaking both in English and Chinese.
Jeremy's face darkened at the name. "Yeah. Until Elena's case..." He looked at his parents, then at Arvin. "That's when everything exploded again. And honestly, it explains why I'm sitting here looking like this."
Fang Chou straightened in his chair. "The Elena Hopkins case? From two months ago? About the expulsion of some students because of misconduct?" His eyes narrowed. "Is this connected to that Tery person Cynthia mentioned?"
"Tery?" Christina asked, concern evident in her voice. "Who's Tery?"
Jeremy went quiet for a moment, looking troubled. He glanced at Arvin, then his family. "Well, that's right but it wasn't the full story. It was covered up."
Jeremy sighed, "I'll tell you both the truth but since we have a guest, maybe I should skip some details. It's not exactly..."
Arvin noticed Cynthia gripping the table edge, her knuckles white. Whatever happened clearly affected both siblings deeply.
(Perhaps some stories are better left untold), Arvin thought, but before he could suggest moving on, Jeremy took a deep breath and began speaking again.
"Elena Hopkins," Jeremy began, his voice softer but clearer, "started at MRS Academy the same year as us. She came from a lower-middle-class family and got in on partial scholarship, but after our freshman year..." A genuine smile crossed his face. "She had proven herself brilliant. So when we returned for sophomore year, Theo upgraded her to full scholarship and even refunded part of what her parents had paid."
Arvin noticed how Jeremy brightened when talking about Elena, unlike his earlier darkness.
"You see," Jeremy continued, "Elena reminded Theo of someone, that genius from '73 he mentioned in his speech. Both came from similar backgrounds, both had that same spark." He glanced at his father. "Theo couldn't give her additional money directly beyond the scholarship since it would've caused problems with the school's reputation. So instead, he offered her something else at the start of our sophomore year, a manager position. Or, well, to be exact an assistant position."
"Manager?" Christina asked. "For what?"
"The school's sports clubs, which I heard would earn her some money as she was considered a part-time manager." Jeremy explained.
"Soccer, volleyball, basketball, martial arts, football, and so on. Theo let her choose and she could observe each one before deciding." His voice carried a hint of admiration. "Elena was thorough. During the first weeks of sophomore year, she spent two days with each club, learning everything she could."
"She chose women's volleyball in the end." Jeremy continued. "Had zero experience with it, but within a month, she knew as much theory as any regular player. She got close with everyone there. The players, coach, and everyone loved her.
"Then came her biggest achievement. Last November, there was a high school volleyball competition. With Elena's input, our team placed tenth nationwide." He looked around the table. "Might not sound impressive, but for MRS? We usually barely made top fifty. We're not a sports-focused school like the usual top teams."
"This achievement made Theo ecstatic," Jeremy added. "He even ordered a celebration. But..." His voice trailed off, his expression darkening.
"But that's when Tery noticed her," Cynthia finished coldly, translating her own words for Arvin.
"Tery," Jeremy's voice hardened at the name, "was an upperclassman with..." He paused, searching for appropriate words.
"A bad reputation," Cynthia cut in, her usual composure cracking. "He was a bully, though never at school where Theo could catch him. Always outside, where school rules couldn't touch him."
Jeremy nodded as Cynthia translated for Arvin. "That's the first thing about him. The second..." He glanced uncomfortably at Arvin.
"He was a womanizer," Cynthia stated flatly, then repeated it in Chinese.
(Chinese) "Womanizer?" Arvin's confusion was evident. (Chinese) "What does that mean?"
The question caught Cynthia off guard, a slight blush coloring her cheeks as she struggled to explain the concept in Chinese terms Arvin would understand. Her explanation made Arvin's eyes widen in shock.
(Chinese) "Teenagers here do such things?" Arvin couldn't hide his disbelief.
"Sigh Kids these days," Fang Chou shook his head. "Back when I was young, even holding hands in public was considered shameful."
Christina nodded in agreement. "In my hometown, such behavior would've had both families meeting to discuss marriage intentions immediately."
Jeremy waited for the discussion to end before continuing, his expression darkening. "After sophomore year started, Tery made his move. Being football team captain gave him status, and his father's position made him untouchable."
Seeing Arvin's questioning look, Cynthia explained, (Chinese) "His father was head of physical education, overseeing all sports clubs. People called him Head Coach."
"But Elena did something no one had ever done before. She rejected him."
"For Tery," Jeremy continued, his hands clenching slightly, "this was unthinkable. Someone like Elena, a scholarship student from a modest background, daring to reject him? His team members actually laughed about it, saying he'd 'lost his touch.'"
Arvin noticed both siblings tensing at this part of the story.
"Those jokes," Jeremy's voice grew bitter, "that's what set everything in motion. Tery started targeting Elena. Not to ask her out anymore, but to break her."
Thump
Christina's hand hit the table lightly. "Break her?"
Jeremy nodded grimly.
"It started in January," Jeremy explained, "two months after the competition. Small things at first, her things would go missing, someone would 'accidentally' trip her in the hallway. But Elena..." A hint of admiration crept into his voice. "She was tough. Endured it for a month without breaking."
"Eventually," Jeremy continued, "Theo heard what was happening. He stepped in immediately, but he could only protect her on school grounds."
"So the harassment moved outside," Cynthia added coldly, translating her own words.
"But again," Jeremy said, "Elena was stronger than anyone expected. This drove Tery to the edge. Until three months ago, when..."
He glanced at Arvin grimly. "Those guys you beat up? They were Tery's accomplices when he committed the... um... assault...." Jeremy couldn't finish the sentence properly.
The room fell into heavy silence as everyone understood. Arvin suddenly remembered his master's words. Sometimes, enemies must be dealt with completely.
"They were stupid enough to do it in the afternoon," Jeremy continued, controlling his anger. "After most people had left, but student council and clubs were still around. They..." He paused, looking at his parents and Arvin. "Let's just say Tery forced her into the storage room, did some terrible things, but before he could go further..." Jeremy stopped, unable to continue.
Cynthia's translation carried the same fury, her usual calm completely gone.
"Elena managed to scream," Jeremy said after collecting himself. "Thank God Cynthia was just finishing her student council work nearby. She heard a sound from the storage room but found it locked."
"I had Theo's number," Cynthia added in both languages. "Being vice president has its perks. I called him immediately. Luckily, he was still in his office."
Jeremy nodded. "All these coincidences saved Elena from something worse. When Theo arrived, he didn't waste time with keys. He just took a running start and kicked the door in."
Arvin noticed how Christina reached for Fang Chou's hand, his knuckles white with tension.
"What Theo and Cynthia saw inside..." Jeremy's voice dropped. "It sent them both into a rage. Theo especially, he just charged at Tery, knocked him down, started punching. Didn't stop until Tery was unconscious."
Arvin sensed the barely contained violence in Jeremy's words. A school headmaster losing control like that spoke volumes about what they must have seen.
"The other three just froze," Jeremy continued. "They knew who Theo was, knew what it meant for them. Meanwhile, Theo took off his suit jacket to cover Elena, then called the police."
Jeremy looked at everyone around the table. "Originally, only a few people knew. It was of course Elena. Then Tery and his gang, both sets of parents, Cynthia, and some police officers. I know it later from her."
"So, Theo apologized to Elena and her parents and expelled all four boys." He smiled bitterly. "He considered firing Tery's father too but decided to wait until after the legal process finished. He was fired in the end."
"Elena though," Jeremy's voice softened, "she had such a big heart. She accepted Theo's apology, said it wasn't his fault. Said she should have told him sooner instead of handling it alone."
Arvin noticed Cynthia's translation carried respect and sadness for Elena's forgiveness.
"Her parents were furious, of course," Jeremy continued, "They initially wanted to press charges, as was their right. But seeing their daughter shake her head, they followed her wishes. Theo was moved to the point he broke his own rules and gave them a check, not to buy their silence, he made that clear. It was his way of showing genuine remorse that this happened under his watch. He also promised to increase school security to prevent any similar cases."
"So they agreed to keep it quiet," Cynthia added in both languages. "To protect Elena and the school's reputation."
Jeremy nodded. "For a month, everything seemed fine. Elena came to school like usual, continued her manager duties. It was almost like..." He paused, his expression darkening. "Like it never happened."
Christina leaned forward. "But it blew up, right?"
"Yeah," Jeremy's voice turned bitter. "Out of nowhere, someone uploaded a video of what happened in the storage room to the school network."
Seeing Arvin's confused look at the word 'network' and ask about it. Cynthia explained the concept briefly about phones, school monitoring systems, and how students could connect to share information. Arvin found it confusing but decided to listen on for now.
"Theo launched an investigation immediately," Jeremy continued. "Turned out the video came from one of Tery's former victims, a classmate he'd bullied outside school. This guy..." Jeremy shook his head in disgust. "He'd followed them that day, recorded everything through the storage room window on the back. Said it was payback for what Tery had done to him. But it was a stupid move. Tery had been expelled a month before."
"He also forgot something crucial," Cynthia added coldly. "He forgot about Elena, the girl in that video."
"The video spread everywhere," Jeremy's voice cracked. "Even after Theo removed it, copies kept appearing. Then, it started. Students whispered in hallways, pointed fingers every time Elena passed by."
"Elena tried to stay strong," Jeremy continued emotionally. "She kept coming to school, kept doing her duties. But the whispers followed her everywhere. Some even blamed her, saying she must have led Tery on."
Christina covered her mouth in shock while Fang Chou's expression darkened further.
"The volleyball team supported her completely," Jeremy added quickly. "They became like her bodyguards between classes. But they couldn't be everywhere, couldn't stop the text messages, the online comments..."
Arvin struggled to understand these modern forms of harassment, but the pain they caused was clear.
"Two weeks after the video leaked," Jeremy continued, almost whispering, "Elena still tried coming to school. But her parents called Theo, said she often cried in her room but wouldn't tell them why. That wasn't the end, though."
Both siblings seemed to be steeling themselves for what came next.
"That day was late into March," Jeremy's voice grew heavy with emotion, "Elena... she went to the rooftop."
Christina gasped softly.
Even Arvin, despite cultural differences, understood the implications.
"I was walking by," Jeremy continued distantly. "Just happened to look up at the right moment. When I saw her standing there... I didn't think. Just ran."
Cynthia's translation faltered, her composure cracking as she relived the memory.
"She jumped," Jeremy said quietly. "I managed to reach the spot below her. Used my body as a cushion but..." He shook his head. "I'm not exactly strong. The impact..."
Arvin's eyes widened. (A fall from that height should have killed them both. Yet here he sits, just weeks later...)
"Elena survived," Cynthia added in both languages, her voice tight with emotion. "But she's been in a coma since then."
Christina's voice cracked. "Then Jeremy, your injuries back then..."
"I lied," Jeremy admitted, meeting his mother's eyes. "About how I got them. Didn't want you to worry more than necessary."
Fang Chou looked straight at his son, but the horror in his eyes was still evident. "Son, those injuries... they should have..."
"I know," Jeremy cut in softly. "Trust me, I know."
Arvin watched this exchange with growing curiosity. (First the beating today, now this story. Normal people don't recover from such injuries so quickly. Could he be...)
"That's why," Jeremy continued, glancing at his sister, "when Cynthia decided to speak up about everything at the assembly last month..." He smiled proudly. "I supported her completely. Even knowing what might happen."
"I'm sorry," Cynthia whispered, her poker face gone.
Jeremy shook his head. "Don't be. What you did was right. Someone had to break the cycle."
The room fell into contemplative silence.
Finally, Jeremy cleared his throat. "That's all from me. Perhaps... it's Arvin's turn now?"
Arvin nodded, but raised his hand politely. (Chinese) "May I ask something first?"
When everyone nodded, he turned to Jeremy. (Chinese) "I'm sorry if my question is insensitive, but I'm curious. How do you know so much about your school's history? Is it required learning? Also, how do you know such deep stories as if you experienced them yourself?"
The question broke the heavy atmosphere. Jeremy sighed, his parents smiled, and even Cynthia's face showed what might have been the ghost of a smile.
∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘
Hey guys!
Back again with another weekly update! Hope you're all doing well!
This week brings us Chapter 22, which marks the final part of Jeremy's narration - the conclusion of what was originally the massive Chapter 19 that I had to split into four parts.
This chapter was about 3k words, so there's plenty to dive into.
As always, I'm incredibly grateful to all of you who continue to follow this story. Thank you for sticking with me through this journey!
For those who want to read ahead, there are currently 3 advance chapters available on my Patreon (patreon.com/ReinScarter).
Hope you enjoy this final piece of Jeremy's Narration. Let me know what you think in the comments!
As always, thanks for sticking with me on this journey. Let's keep enjoying the story together!