Chapter 2
David slammed his hand against the steering wheel of his grey sedan, the loud honk startling a pigeon off the hood. His phone was propped against the air vent, the video feed transmitting every agonizing detail of the classroom nightmare. He watched in disbelief as Mrs. Albright’s scissors closed mercilessly around another thick lock of Clara’s brown hair. The girl on the screen was hyperventilating, begging for mercy while the teacher acted with the cold detachment of a machine.
"No, no, no! Stop it!" David shouted at the screen, his voice cracking with panic.
He didn't care about the red traffic light ahead or the angry honking of the truck behind him. He threw the car into reverse, tires screeching against the asphalt as he carved out a reckless U-turn. His heart hammered violently against his ribs. This wasn't just a harsh school punishment; this was targeted psychological warfare. He knew Mrs. Albright’s reputation for running Saint Jude Academy like a correctional facility, but mutilation crossed every legal and moral boundary imaginable.
On the tiny screen, Clara caught sight of the phone in Mia's hand. Her eyes widened in pure terror.
"Please, my dad..." Clara choked out before Mrs. Albright coldly slapped the device out of Mia's grip, cutting the video feed mid-sentence.
The screen went black, leaving David staring at his own pale, sweat-slicked reflection in the dark glass. A cold sweat broke out across his forehead. He slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, the engine roaring as he tore down the highway toward the school gates. But as he drove, a deeply unsettling realization began to take root in his mind. Saint Jude Academy was a private institution funded entirely by the town council—a council that David, as the lead investigative journalist for the local gazette, had been quietly investigating for financial corruption over the past six months.
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Was Clara’s horrific punishment actually a deliberate warning shot aimed directly at him?
David’s hands shook on the steering wheel as he checked his rearview mirror. A black SUV had pulled out from a side street three blocks back and was tailgating him aggressively, matching his every erratic turn.
