Harsh Punishment For A Small Crime

The two followed Mr Ambrose to his office. As they entered nervously, Mr. Ambrose motioned for them to take a seat.

Mr Ambrose stared at both of them for a while, “ Okay, Alexander and Blake. I've brought you here to listen to both sides of the story. Blake, would you like to start and explain what happened?" He said, Breaking the silence.

Blake, with a look of determination, launched into his version of events, detailing how Alex had allegedly caused harm to him for a minor issue.

After Blake was done, Mr. Ambrose, with a thoughtful expression, nodded and turned towards Alex.

 “ Alex, it's your turn now. Please share your side of the story."

Alex, with a mixture of nervousness and sincerity, recounted the events from his perspective, emphasizing that it was a moment of misunderstanding and unintended consequences.

 "Mr. Ambrose, I deeply regret my actions and I am willing to accept any consequences." He said sincerely.

“Hmm I see,” Mr Ambrose nodded thoughtfully, he noticed that Alex's story was different from that of Blake's.

He realized that both sides were wrong in one way or the other, but given the fact that Blake was from an influential family, it made the situation tricky.

“After hearing both sides of the story, you both will be punished according to the rules of this institution…”

“Uh Mr Ambrose, can I speak to you privately?” Blake interrupted Mr Ambrose before he finished his sentence.

Mr Ambrose paused and took a deep breath before he turned to Alex,”could you give us a moment alone? Thank you."

Once Alex left, Blake wasted no time in expressing his demands.

 "Mr. Ambrose, I insist on Alex's expulsion. If you refuse, you should consider the implications for the reputation of the school and the consequences for you as well."

Mr. Ambrose, aware of Blake's family background and the potential impact of going against his wishes, felt a pang of reluctance. He weighed his options carefully.

"Blake, expulsion may be a harsh punishment for this situation. Let's try to find a resolution that honors both sides."

Blake, unyielding in his demand, pressed on. "Think about it, Mr. Ambrose. What if my father were to find out about this? It's best not to test the waters."

Feeling the weight of the situation, Mr. Ambrose let out a sigh and called Alex back into the office.

 "Alex, based on the circumstances and the severity of the incident, it has been decided that expulsion is the appropriate course of action for you."

Alex's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he couldn't believe his ears. Just a few seconds ago, Mr Ambrose was about to make a fair decision. And now, Alex was left wondering what Blake had said to him to make him take such a rash decision.

"Please, Mr. Ambrose, I didn't mean for things to escalate this far. I'll do anything to make things right, but please give me another chance." Alex pleaded with his head bowed low.

Mr. Ambrose, with a heavy heart, relayed the difficult reality to Alex.  "I understand your regret, Alex. However, the only way to reconsider your expulsion is if you pay a significant sum of ten million dollars as a form of restitution."

Alex's shoulders slumped in defeat as he realized the impossibility of meeting such a demand.

He hadn't completed his tuition f*e which was just fifteen thousand dollars, talk less of coming up with such a huge amount of money.

 "I... I can't afford that, Mr. Ambrose. What am I going to do?" Alex asked in a low tone.

With a somber nod, Mr. Ambrose indicated that the decision was final.” I am sorry, Alex.”

 Alex left the office, his footsteps echoing hollowly in the hallway.

He went to his locker and grabbed his stuff, then he left the campus. 

But before he left, he sent one last glance at Bianca who stood there unaffected, meanwhile Blake had a satisfactory grin on his face.

“Uh Bianca, don't you have even the slightest regret for what you did?” Serah, Bianca's best friend asked, feeling irritated at her best friend's attitude.

Bianca chuckled, “Should I? I don't feel a thing for that loser… I wonder what made me fall for him in the first place.” She shrugged.

Serah couldn't believe her ears. “You are so shameless, Bianca. You are not the same person I used to know. This is a very big mistake you are making.” She pointed out.

“And who are you to lecture me? My mom? Just so you know, I don't have time for losers, and if you choose to be one, I won't think twice about leaving you.”  Bianca replied.

“You don't need to think about it, because I am already leaving you. Goodbye Bianca. Today you lost both your boyfriend and your best friend.” Serah stated as she turned to leave.

“Hmm, suit yourself. I have a rich guy by my side to provide for my every need. I wasn't born with a silver spoon like you, so you can never understand. Geez, why does everyone sound so annoying?”  Bianca burst out, feeling pissed.

….

Meanwhile, Alex slowly made his way back to his low cost apartment which he had rented out of school, since he couldn't afford to pay for a dorm room. But today, the road seemed longer than usual.

He was totally lost in thoughts as the day's events kept replaying in his mind.

He wondered when his life had gotten to this extent, and what was the way forward.

He had been working so hard to complete the university in order to secure a better job and take proper care of his only sister, Leah, who had a heart condition, and was in serious need of constant medical attention.

But now everything seems to be lost. Even while crossing the highway, Alex was hardly aware of his surrounding environment.

“Get out of the way. What is wrong with this young man? Does he have a death wish or something?”

The angry drivers yelled out, but Alex was so lost in his thoughts to pay attention to them.

He finally reached his small apartment, and upon stepping in, the house was quiet and empty, as Leah was still in the hospital.

Suddenly the fixed phone of the apartment started ringing. He quickly rushed to it and picked up the call.

“Hello,” he greeted.

“Hello, is this Alex?” The unknown caller inquired.

“Yes, this is Alex. Who is this?”

“I'm calling from the General hospital. Your sister, Leah, Her case is getting more critical every passing second, she  needs to be operated upon in an hour's time, or she might die.” The caller's tone sounded urgent.

“Okay, please you guys can go ahead with the operation, I am looking for a means to get the money.” Alex said in panic.

"I am sorry to say this, Mr Alex. We cannot begin the operation without you first depositing a million into the hospital's account. If we don't see you in an hour, we'll have no choice but to discharge her from this hospital.” With that, the caller dropped the call.

As Alex ended the call, he knew he had to act fast. Racing to his room, he grabbed his piggy bank and smashed it open, and counted out the five thousand dollars he had painstakingly saved from his part-time job, and stuffed it into his pockets before sprinting out the door and into the bustling city streets.

Arriving at the hospital, Alex's heart sank as he saw his sister Leah, lying in the hospital bed, her face pale and eyes filled with fear. "Am I going to die, Alex?" she whispered weakly.

Alex knelt by her side, taking her hand in his. "No, Leah, you're not going to die. I won't let that happen," he vowed, his voice filled with determination.

Approaching the doctors and nurses, Alex presented the money he had brought, hoping it would be enough to save his sister's life. 

But the medical staff shook their heads, dismissing the amount as insufficient.

” What is this? A total  of three million is needed for your sister's operation, and you came here with five thousand dollars? Is this some sort of a joke?” The Chief doctor asked.

Frustration and desperation welled up inside Alex as he pleaded with them to reconsider. "Please, there must be something you can do. She's my sister, she's all I have," he implored, tears welling up in his eyes.

The doctors and nurses exchanged looks of annoyance and impatience. "This is not a charity hospital, young man. We need real money to perform life-saving procedures," The Chief doctor stated coldly.

 “You should be thankful that she is even lying on that bed. But if you don't come up with the money, she will be sent out of this hospital.” He added.

Feeling defeated but determined not to give up, Alex turned to Leah and promised her he would be back soon. "Hold on, Leah. I'll find a way to get the money." he whispered before rushing out of the hospital in search of a miracle.