I've Become Rich And I Want Revenge

05. This is just the beginning

Leon looked at the principal with a cold smile on his lips, enjoying the moment of total control. His eyes, now full of confidence, stared at the woman who had once humiliated him. 

The principal, for her part, was visibly disconcerted. Shocked. Flabbergasted. Her crimson-painted lips trembled with rage and her eyes were injected with pure hatred.

Juan Alvarez remained silent, calmly observing the scene. He didn't need to say anything; the documentation in the briefcase spoke for itself. Leon's father's serious expression contrasted with the satisfaction on the boy's face.

"What's this? What did you do? How..." stammered the principal, trying to understand the turn of events.

"How? I mean how. The last time I was in this room, you basically said that money changed the course of things, even changed judgments. Losers and winners, strong and weak. I was weak, Mrs. Parker. But now, I'm stronger than you."

"But-"

"Was I not clear enough? Get your things and get out of my school before I call the police."

The woman, now clearly panicked, stammered out a few more words, but Juan didn't let her continue.

"I think the situation is already terrible for you, ex-director. Don't make it any worse."

Trembling more than seemed possible, the principal, as if on the verge of her own death, began to slowly rummage through a cupboard attached to the back wall. Leon noticed that there were some of her personal belongings.

"It will take me some time to get everything," the woman warned, her voice breaking.

"Take only what you need," Leon replied.

"But... But the room has a lot of belongings and-

"I told you," interrupted Leon, raising his voice. "To take only what's necessary. It's not as if you, on your own, can take everything out of here with your bare hands."

"I can call on other students to help me, or the staff-"

"The staff answer to me now. So I say no, they won't help you."

Emotionally shaken, she picks up a black bag and a cream-colored briefcase before turning incredulously to Leon:

"But Leon-"

"Still complaining? My patience is wearing thin. Get on with it."

She showed him the objects she was holding.

"These are my personal belongings."

"Your strictly necessary personal belongings?"

"Yes."

"Very well."

Keeping her head down, the woman started walking quickly towards the door, but stopped when Leon said:

"Wait a minute."

Parker turned to him, expecting yet another humiliation.

"How rude I was to my students! How could I have been so forgetful?"

Then the young man came closer to her, his hand in the pockets of his dark pants.

"You're going to announce to everyone what happened here in this room. Who's in charge here now?"

The girl's pallor gave way to redness.

"I'm not going to-"

"You will. And you're going to do it now."

She swallowed dryly before returning to her own desk and turning on the sound system's microphone.

"Tell them to gather in the sports hall now. All the students, without exception."

Sighing, the woman gave a subtle nod before saying into the microphone:

"Attention. All students must come to the sports field."

"And the teachers and staff too," Leon added, grinning like a demon.

"And the teachers and staff too," added Parker, his eyes moist with tears.

The news spread like wildfire through the school. Students, teachers and staff flocked to the sports field, curious and apprehensive at the unexpected call-up. Leon and his father watched them from afar in the corridor, waiting for the right moment to enter.

The court was now full of students, all whispering amongst themselves, trying to understand what was going on. 

Observing the crowded stands, the former principal began to move to the middle of the gym, to a strategic place where everyone could see her. A microphone was in her hand, connected to the sound system.

At the sight of her, everyone began to whisper and murmur, waiting for the all-important announcement that couldn't wait until the end of classes. 

"Good morning, everyone," she began, in a low voice, and then looked back. 

Leon, standing next to his father, watched from afar, waiting for her to make the announcement.

"I'm here to announce a significant change in this school," she continued, hesitantly. "From now on, a new leader will take over."

The audience stirred, murmuring in confusion. Then Leon entered the court, accompanied by his father.

Silence fell over the place and all eyes turned to the boy who, just a few days ago, had been the target of humiliation.

"The new leader of this school is Leon Alvarez," declared the principal, slurring her words. "He and his father, Juan Alvarez, have taken ownership of the school. Please respect the new guidelines."

Silence.

And then...

Laughter.

General laughter, not just from the students, but from the staff too. 

Leon's smile faltered. He clenched his fists at his sides.

Like hyenas, the whole court continued to stare at the boy, pointing at him as if he were the funniest clown in the circus.

Furious, the boy snatched the microphone from Parker's hand, who was doing little to hide his smile at the students' reaction.

Then Leon said in a deep voice:

"That reaction was completely inappropriate."

More laughter.

"I think you can lift a man out of poverty, Leon, but you can't lift poverty out of a man," mocked the former principal.

But the boy already had a card up his sleeve.

"Kneel."

The amusement in the principal's eyes wavered.

"What?"

"Kneel."

She looked at the students who were still laughing.

"Don't make me say it again," threatened Leon.

Again pale, muttering with hatred, Parker slowly began to kneel.

Seeing this, some of the laughing sounds subsided. Especially among the teachers and staff.

Little by little, the whole gym fell silent, staring at the woman prostrate in front of Leon.

The boy, for his part, spoke again to the crowd:

"This woman has had her life destroyed by me. I bought this school, just as I made it clear to her that if she tried to get into another school, no one would hire her."

Leon started walking, glaring at everyone as he continued:

"Not only that. But I'll be watching every move that cretin makes. No one in this town will go near her, not if they don't want to be my enemy. Because now I'm a partner and deputy director of the richest company in town."

Dead silence.

"I haven't spent the last month like you, laughing, gossiping and bullying others. I improved myself. I invested a lot of money. And I became powerful. More powerful than you. So powerful that none of your mommies or daddies will dare touch the empire I'm building now."

Then Leon looked at Dean, who was standing petrified next to Brittany.

"You two. Get down here, now."