Chosen By The System To Play God

Chapter Seven

"What are you doing here?"

Adrian couldn't believe this. Teresa was right there all along and the school authority allowed her to listen in on their conversation? She was just a student like every other person, why allow her such admonition?

"Well, Miss Williams is the victim in this case. She surely deserves the liberty of presence through the entire hearing."

More like Ricardo had paid his way through to allow her interfere in this interrogation. That way they could make sure Adrian lost completely. Why else was she all dolled up like a wedding bride?

"This monster tried to rape me. He should be in a prison somewhere now, I can't even bear to look at him. He is terrifying." She pointed her fingers at him while keeping a safe distance, as though he was some vicious threat she shouldn't be anywhere around.

"What are you talking about? I even bought you a present for Valentine, why would I try to force myself on you?"

"Because I rejected you."

Adrian was silent for a while. She did reject him, and it did hurt him to his bones. But that did not mean he went down the spirals into the most villainous arc of himself. He was never going to do something as disgusting as rape!

"Mr Blood, you are awfully silent. Do you not have anything to say?" Donald wasted no time to note. "Did you not get rejected by Miss Williams here on the 14th of this month?"

"I did..."

"And what did you do afterwards?"

"I... Nothing. I tried to talk but I was attacked."

"Are you sure you were not attacked for a different reason? Maybe something you tried to sneak use on her...?"

"What?" That didn't make sense. What would he try to use on her?

"Like the so called present you bought for her that night." One of the female panels said.

Then they brought out a dirty little box, half wrapped with pink and white foils. Adrian recognised the present he had gotten for Teresa. He must have left it in that smelly wasteland when trying to complete his mission last night.

But something was different, the box had been opened. Donald pushed the box towards him with a long steel, making sure not to touch it.

"This was found by one of our investigators, the present you got for Miss Williams. Will you take a look inside?"

"It's just a diamond necklace..."

"Take a look!"

Confused, he took a look. What awaited him was the little note he wrote for her, the diamond necklace he had gotten with all his savings, and one small unfamiliar jarred container which he had never seen before. It looked like a box of perfume, but he wasn't sure.

"What is this?"

"Are you asking us?"

"Just that I have no idea..."

"This is the substance which you planned to give to Miss Williams, disguised as a deodorant so she would use it on herself. It's a drug. It makes the victim weak and sexually hyper active. That way, you can have your way with her."

"But I have never seen this in my life!"

"But we found this in your box!"

"I haven't seen the box either since I left it on the wasteland..."

"More and more excuses. Cut it, young man. I think this case is decided. You had malicious intent towards Miss Williams. This case is going to the police."

Now Adrian always knew that just like the students, the lecturers and executives of this school did not like students like him who came in on scholarships. They saw them as leeches, parasites, taking knowledge from a place they did not belong. A chance to get rid of such students did not come often. They wouldn't miss this one. Afterall Adrian didn't have rich parents, so there was nobody to help him.

Nobody but the system.

He searched in his mind, calling for help.

"Hey system, if you were waiting for me to ask for help, now is the time. What do I do in this situation?"

"SYSTEM NOT AVAILABLE FOR ANCHOR AT THE MOMENT".

Damn it. He was on his own.

"From now on, you're stripped off the scholarship until further notice. You are no longer a student of this school till this case is settled." Donald declared after consulting silently with the rest of the panel. "Dismissed."

As the panel began to pack their things, Teresa came closer. She whispered in Adrian's ears.

"It was all going fine for you until you dared to think you deserved someone like me. Your entire family's net worth is nothing compared to the greatness I am destined for. That's if we can say you have a family. Hollywood awaits me, why would I stoop so low to your level? Ricardo is rich and influential, you will never catch up. I mean, you had a chance with the scholarship, but now that's gone." A smirk as she departed slowly.

The system came back online just then, whispering into Adrian's mind with a vital information.

"Wait!"

Adrian's voice rang through the entire room as everyone stopped dead in their tracks.

"I studied the school rules when I first got admitted. As a student on scholarship, you can't just strip me off studentship until further notice."

"Well..." Donald stared at Teresa, as if reluctant to affirm the truth. "You can continue to take classes. But that's only if you can pay the sum of a million dollar. You and I know you don't have that."

The entire room erupted in laughter. How could this loser who was pitied with a study scholarship ever amass that amount of money? Not even in a thousand years.

"Is it not time to give up, Adrian? There's nothing you can do. Go back to the slums where you belong." Teresa folded her arms with pride and the panel nodded in submissive agreement.

"Well, I have a million dollar. And I'm willing to pay it right now."

Everyone stood stoned for almost a minute. Then someone broke the silence with a super loud contagious laughter. The rest took suit, wondering if Adrian had suddenly run mad.

"Find your way home, boy." Donald shook his head amidst laughter, trying to leave again.

"No!" Adrian brought out his old ATM card, not joking around. "I want to pay now!"

They looked at one another in shock. Nobody could say another word. Was he really serious? Or was he just being a clown?

"Are you really dumb enough to think that old dirty thing would ever dispense that amount of money? In your dreams." Teresa scoffed.

"I say let's find out." He was so confident.

"Fine!" Teresa signalled to them. "Let him do it. This should be interesting."

Teresa knew how much Adrian struggled. She knew it took his entire savings of an entire year to get a meaningful present for her. She knew he couldn't afford to rent a proper place for himself. She knew he had no true family to call his, that he was adopted by a working maid. She knew there was no way in seven hells he would have that sort of money.

But she didn't know how much had changed since she left him. She didn't know about the system. She didn't know about the mission to save Lyana Rodriguez. She didn't know about the one million dollar reward. She didn't know anything about him anymore. This would be a massive shock.

"Fine! Bring the machine!"

The money machine was hurried in earnestly by the secretary. She took the card and inserted it.

"Your PIN sir..." She requested that Adrian pressed in his four digit code.

Adrian paused.

"What is it, Adrian? You're suddenly getting cold feet? Cold fingers perhaps?" Teresa rolled her eyes.

Adrian only smirked. "No dear. I am just getting started."

Then he pressed the buttons.

"There! The money has been sent." The secretary announced to an unhappy crowd. They all froze like ice stones from the north pole.

"How? How is that even possible?"