LET'S BREAK THEM

CHAPTER 03: FIRST BLOOD

Step 1: Make them underestimate me.

Step 2: Cut off Ben’s reputation.

Step 3: Take everything Arya has.

Time to start with Step 2.

Two days after "the fountain incident", the video had 50k views.

#CharityCaseKudo was trending in our school group chat.

People were making memes of my face.

People were making TikToks with the audio.

People were laughing in the halls when I walked by.

Good.

Let them laugh.

Laughter makes people careless.

Because while everyone was laughing at me...

I was working.

I spent the last 48 hours digging.

No sleep. Just coffee and library computers after class.

Ben Carter's family owns half the city.

Buildings. Hospitals. The new science wing with his name on it.

But even kings have dirty laundry.

Even gold gets tarnished if you scratch hard enough.

And I found it.

Buried in public records.

In old news articles no one reads.

In one email Daniel "accidentally" forwarded me last week.

"School Announcement!" The principal's voice came over the speakers during 3rd period.

Static. Then his voice. Shaky.

"Due to new information, we will be investigating the Carter Group's recent donation to the school."

The hallway went silent.

Lockers stopped slamming.

Conversations died mid-sentence.

Ben froze mid-step by the stairs.

His jaw ticked. Once. Twice.

Arya grabbed his arm. Panic in her perfect eyes. "What is she talking about?"

"Not me," he said. Too fast. Too loud. "It’s a mistake."

I didn't look at them.

I just kept walking, backpack on one shoulder.

Head down.

Like I didn't hear anything.

Like it had nothing to do with me.

Later that day, the student forum exploded.

Anonymous post at 1:14pm:

"Did you know Carter Group's 'donation' was actually money laundering? My dad works at the bank."

Screenshots.

Bank statements.

Red circles.

Timestamps.

Wire transfers.

It looked real. Because it was real.

I didn't post it.

Daniel did. My new "friend".

The one who owed me a favor after I covered for him in Math.

By 2pm it had 200 comments.

By 3pm, Ben was called to the principal's office.

I saw him walk past my classroom. No Arya. No guards.

Just him and his lawyer dad on the phone.

By 4pm, Arya's dad was calling the school board.

By 5pm, Ben's i********: lost 2k followers.

Comments turned off.

Bio deleted.

Sponsors started pulling out.

Revenge is quiet.

Revenge is patient.

Revenge doesn't post selfies or captions.

It just sits and watches the cracks spread.

I saw Ben after school. Alone. For the first time in years.

No bodyguards. No Arya. No car waiting.

Just him by the bike racks.

Hair messy. Tie loose.

He looked... angry.

And tired.

And scared.

"Kudo." He said my name like it was poison. Like it burned his tongue.

"Did you do this?"

I stopped in front of him.

Three feet apart.

The boy who said "Who are you?" on my birthday.

The boy who held my hand in secret.

The boy who chose her in public.

I looked him dead in the eyes.

No tears. No shaking.

"Who?" I smiled. Slow. Sweet.

"Me? I’m just a charity case, remember? What would I know about donations?"

And I walked away.

Behind me, I heard his phone ring.

One ring.

Then another.

His dad.

The name lit up on the screen.

First blood.

A crack in the armor.

A rumor in the water.

A name getting dirty.

But I’m not done.

Not even close.

Because Step 3 is coming for Arya next.

And she’s not ready.

No one is.

`Chapter 3.

They laughed at me.

Now the school is asking questions.

-K`