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Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Consequences
Liam sat outside the principal’s office, his bloodied hands resting on his lap, his fingers slightly curled as he stared at them, lost in thought. The crimson stains on his knuckles had begun to dry, forming dark patches against his pale skin, and yet, even as he looked at them, he felt... nothing.
No regret.
No satisfaction.
Just emptiness.
His mind kept replaying the events from moments ago, as if trying to make sense of what had happened, as if trying to understand how he had lost control so completely. He had been in fights before—plenty of them—but no matter how bad they got, no matter how angry he was, he had never fully lost himself the way he did today.
Even when he had fought those thugs at Amanda’s house, even when his anger had been boiling over, even when his rage had consumed him, there was still a part of him that remained in control. He had been reckless, but he was still him. He could still think. He could still decide when to stop.
But this time... this time was different.
This time, there had been nothing but a void.
The moment Kane had spoken about his mother, something inside him had snapped, and suddenly, it was like he had been shoved into a dark abyss, like he had been locked inside his own mind while someone—or something—else took over his body.
He couldn’t remember what he was thinking while he hit Kane.
He couldn’t remember thinking at all.
All he could remember was the rage.
The blind, uncontrollable rage that made everything else disappear.
The only thing that had pulled him out of it was her.
Amanda.
Her voice had cut through the madness, had pulled him back from whatever dark place he had fallen into, had made him see what he had done. The moment she had touched him, the fog had lifted, and for the first time, he had truly seen the damage he had caused—the blood, the horror in everyone’s eyes, the fear in Amanda’s face.
But that didn’t change the reality of the situation.
None of it mattered.
Because what people would remember wasn’t his loss of control, wasn’t the way Kane had provoked him, wasn’t the fact that his mind had gone completely blank.
What they would remember was what they saw.
And what they saw was Liam nearly beating a student to death.
Liam sighed, leaning back against the chair, his head tilting slightly upwards as he stared at the ceiling.
He knew what was coming.
Expulsion. That much was obvious.
There was no way the school would keep him after this. He had broken the disciplinary officer’s arm and had put another student in the medical center—possibly in the hospital. There was no way they would let him off with just a suspension or a warning.
But that wasn’t the part that concerned him.
What did concern him was whether or not the police would be involved.
That was entirely up to Kane’s parents. If they decided to press charges, then this wasn’t just going to be a school matter—it was going to be a legal matter.
And if that happened...
Liam closed his eyes briefly, taking a slow breath.
That would be a problem.
Just then, the door to the principal’s office opened, and someone stepped out.
Liam didn’t bother looking up. He didn’t need to.
The soft scent of vanilla and jasmine filled the air, and he instantly knew who it was.
Amanda.
She stood there for a moment, silent, before stepping forward and sitting down beside him on the bench. The warmth of her presence was something he had always found oddly comforting, but right now, it only made the weight on his chest feel heavier.
There was a pause, a silence that stretched between them, neither of them speaking, neither of them knowing what to say.
Then, in a voice so soft it barely registered, Amanda whispered, "I’m sorry."
Liam furrowed his brows at her words, finally turning his head to look at her.
"Sorry?" His voice was rough, almost hoarse. "Sorry for what?"
Amanda hesitated for a second, as if choosing her words carefully, before finally speaking.
"I’m sorry for the way I looked at you earlier."
Liam blinked.
That was... unexpected.
Of all the things he had imagined her saying, that hadn’t been one of them.
He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head as he leaned back against the chair again.
"It’s fine." His voice was quieter now. "I deserved it."
Amanda frowned at that. "No, you didn’t."
Liam didn’t respond.
Because honestly, he wasn’t sure if she was right.
Maybe he really did deserve it.
Maybe he should be looked at like some kind of monster.
After all, wasn’t that what he was?
Amanda turned her body slightly, facing him fully. Her expression was serious, but not angry. If anything, she looked... sad.
"Liam, anybody would have done the same thing in your situation." She paused, her voice softer. "What Kane said was really over the line."
Liam scoffed. "Yeah, well, that doesn’t change the fact that I nearly killed him."
Amanda flinched slightly at his words.
Because she knew he wasn’t exaggerating.
If she hadn’t stepped in when she did, if she had been just a few seconds later... Kane wouldn’t have been breathing right now.
"That’s not the point." Amanda sighed, shaking her head. "The point is... you’re not a bad person, Liam. You lost control, yeah, but you weren’t wrong for being angry."
Liam didn’t answer.
Instead, he just stared at the ceiling, his jaw clenched.
He wasn’t thinking about Kane.
He wasn’t thinking about the punishment he was about to receive.
Right now, the only thing on his mind was what was going to happen next.
Because no matter how much Amanda told him it wasn’t his fault, no matter how much she tried to justify his actions—
The truth was, none of that mattered anymore.
----
Just as Liam sat there, staring blankly at the ceiling, the door to the principal’s office suddenly swung open again, the sharp creak of its hinges breaking the heavy silence in the hallway. His name was called, firm and cold, leaving no room for hesitation. He exhaled slowly, lowering his head and letting his gaze fall on Amanda, who was still sitting beside him, her hands gripping the edge of the bench as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words.
Their eyes met for a brief moment, and in that second, Liam saw a mixture of worry, frustration, and something else—something deeper, something she wasn’t saying out loud. But there was no time for that now. Without another word, he stood up, straightened his shoulders, and walked toward the office, stepping past Amanda without looking back.
The moment he entered, the atmosphere inside was suffocating.
A heavy, unbearable tension filled the room, pressing down on him like a weight. He could feel multiple pairs of eyes burning into him, their stares sharp and unforgiving. All the teachers were there, their expressions filled with disapproval, some with outright disgust, others with quiet disappointment.
They were glaring at him.
Maybe they thought if they all stared hard enough, it would make him feel guilty.
Maybe they wanted him to squirm under their judgment.
But inside, Liam just laughed.
Idiots.
If they thought their looks could shake him, they were sorely mistaken. He had seen worse. He had lived through worse. Their disappointment meant nothing to him.
His gaze finally landed on the principal, who was sitting at his desk with an unreadable expression. Unlike the teachers, the principal wasn’t wasting time with glares or silent accusations. Instead, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, exhaled heavily, and without any unnecessary delay, got straight to business.
"Liam," he began, his voice firm and steady, "due to every problem you have caused in the past week, the school has decided that you will be suspended."
Liam didn’t react. He had expected that much.
"Your suspension will last until exams," the principal continued, "which means you are not allowed to attend any classes. However, you will still be permitted to come back solely for the purpose of writing your exams."
Liam remained silent, waiting for him to continue, because he knew that wasn’t all.
And sure enough, there was more.
The principal sighed and removed his glasses, setting them down on the desk before looking Liam straight in the eye. His expression was grave, as if he knew exactly how unfair his next words would sound.
"Since your test scores this week will be marked as zero," he said slowly, "you will only have the exam to determine your final grades."
Liam blinked.
Once.
Twice.
It took him a moment to fully process what had just been said.
They were cutting out thirty marks from every subject.
Every test carried thirty marks, and the final exam carried seventy. By completely removing his test scores, they were basically setting him up to fail.
He would have only the seventy marks from the exams to rely on, and the principal had just made it clear—if he scored anything below fifty in any subject, he would fail that subject.
Liam let out a slow breath, resisting the urge to scoff.
Suspension was one thing. He had already accepted that.
But this?
This was pure punishment.
They weren’t just suspending him; they were trying to make sure he suffered for it academically too.
He glanced at the teachers sitting around the room. Some of them looked away, avoiding his gaze. Others seemed satisfied, as if this was exactly the kind of retribution they wanted for him.
Bastards.
Still, Liam kept his face blank. He wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing any reaction from him.
But then, just when he thought the worst of it was over, the principal spoke again.
And this time, Liam’s entire body went still.
"There’s one more thing," the principal said, rubbing his temple as if this was causing him a personal headache. "Kane’s father... is the Mayor of this state."
Liam’s fingers twitched slightly.
The Mayor?
Of the entire state?
The principal let out another sigh, his voice a little softer this time, but still serious.
"I have already spoken to him and tried to reason with him," he continued, "but he said that until he sees the condition of his son, he won’t make any decisions."
Liam clenched his jaw.
So that meant Kane’s father hadn’t decided yet whether or not to press charges.
But if Kane’s condition was worse than expected...
Liam didn’t need to hear the rest.
He already understood what was happening.
This wasn’t just a school issue anymore.
This wasn’t just about detentions or suspensions or failed tests.
No.
Now, things were moving into a different territory. A dangerous one.
If Kane’s father wanted to, he could ruin Liam’s future entirely.
