THE GREATEST REVENGER SYSTEM

Thenma rushed to the other room in his small, dilapidated apartment. His hurried steps caught his sister, Adeline's attention, making her glance up suspiciously from the sofa.

"Thenma, what are you doing?" Adeline asked, noticing Thenma with her makeup kit. "Are you covering up bruises with my cushion again?"

Adeline anxiously forced Thenma to face her, inspecting the bruises on his face. "I only used a little, Adeline. I'll buy you a new one when I get my paycheck," Thenma said.

Adeline gently touched the bruises and outs on his brother's face, saddened by the sight. It wasn't the first time

"I don't care about the cushion. Were you beaten at work again?" Adeline's voice was direct, and Thenma's silence gave her away. "What else did those pigs do to you? The bruises from that bastard, Evan, and his friends haven't even healed yet."

"I was just slacking off a bit, so they only gave me a warning." Thenma replied.

"You call this violence a 'warning?"

"That's just how the thing works, Adeline," Thenma said with a resigned smile, as though he had no other choice. He was always like that—weak and helpless. As an orphan, he was often bullied and made into a joke. Still, he endured it because, in his mind, he was weak and foolish, unlike Adeline.

"Well, then I'll show them how I deal with things! To those pigs, and Evan!" Adeline snapped, grabbing an old baseball bat near the door, anger fueling her actions. Thenma rushed to stop her.

"Adeline, stop! You're not going to do anything to them!"

"Why? Because I'm a girl? You always hold me back, but do you think I'll keep standing by while they play with you? Especially that jerk, Evan! Just because he's rich and famous at university, you won't let me lay a finger on him?"

Thenma remained silent. He couldn't bring herself to respond to his sister's outburst.

"And don't you ever want to hit him back? Haven't you heard the rumors about your oh-so-great girlfriend being involved with Evan?"

"Penelope?" Thenma asked, shocked.

"Yes, Penelope, the prima donna! Should I go ruin that pretty face of hers?"

"Whoa, what's going on here? I heard yelling from outside!" A young man, Collin, entered the room calmly. He was Thenma's close friend—and had a soft spot for Adeline.

"So, why are you so mad, Addie? And what happened to your face, Thenma?" Collin gently pushed Adeline away from the door and put himself between them.

"This is why I'm angry, Collin! Why are you stopping me? Let me teach those people a lesson for constantly belittling Thenma! It's getting worse because I've kept quiet all this time!"

"Evan? I understand how you feel, but you can't do that, Adeline," Collin said

"Why? Because I'm a girl?" Adeline shot back.

Collin smiled awkwardly, "Addie, It's not about being a girl. It's about the fact that you won't win against them. It's not about physical strength; I'm sure you could wrestle a rhinoceros and win but..."

"You want to die?" Adeline snapped fast.

"Listen to me, Adeline," Collin continued calmly "what's terrifying about them are not their physical strength, it's their money. We all know who Evan Clauster is. His parents can do anything with their money and influence. I'd be scared for you if something happened."

"Collin's right," Thenma added. "I'd love to punch Evan, the guy who never lets me have a peaceful day at university. But I know my limits, Adeline. I can't win against them, and if i try, I'm afraid you'll get hurt."

Adeline was somewhat understanding, but the sight of Thamma's bruised face reignited her anger "Are you going out?" she asked.

Thenma smiled, hoping to soften his sister's heart, "Penelope just had a birthday, and she invited me to dinner. I've prepared a gift, so..."

"Thenma, that bitch's birthday party ended a week ago! Everyone knows it because everyone was Invited except you! And you still want to go to her trap?"

"Trap?"

"Yes! Didn't you realize she's dating you for a joke? How can you not see it, Thenma?"

"I've stayed quiet all this time, but I'm going to say it now, Adeline. Stop accusing Penelope of terrible things! She loves me!" Thenma defended, but Adeline couldn't help but let out a frustrated laugh. "And stop accusing her of cheating with Evan! She could date anyone, but not Evan! Even if it's just a rumor—not Evan!"

Thenma left, determined to keep his promise to Penelope, who had been avoiding him lately. He hoped the gift would soften her heart. Though poor, Thenma always tried to meet Penelope's expectations by working multiple part-time jobs. It was the price of loving the school's prima donna. Penelope was renowned for her flawless beauty, and every man desired her. Being her boyfriend was a miracle that Thenma cherished, and he wanted to prove his love by giving her the best he could.

Arriving at the address Penelope had given him, Thenma found himself standing outside a nightclub Penelope frequently visited, instead of a restaurant. He was unsure but entered anyway, distracted by the club's loud and chaotic atmosphere.

"Look who showed up!" A voice called out, and someone wrapped an arm around Thenma—it was Kato Montgomery, one of Evan's friends. "Looking for some new fun?"

Thenma felt uncomfortable. The noisy club, combined with Kato's presence, made him uneasy. Kato was one of Evan's friends and often bullied him.

"I can't talk to you right now, Kato..."

"What's the rush? Sit, have a drink with us." Julian, another of Evan's friends, appeared, pointing to the chaotic VIP section upstairs and inviting Thenma to join them. How ridiculous.

"Or are you here for Pene?" Julian noticed the large bouquet of roses in Thenma's hand. "I saw her earlier. She said if you arrived, go to VIP Room 3 upstairs. She's waiting for you there."

Though Thenma despised Kato and Julian, he was grateful for the information. He eagerly made his way to Room 3, imagining Penelope's smile, but as he opened the door, his happy vision was violently shattered.

"Pene...?" Thenma stood frozen in disbelief. There, on the bed, Penelope lay naked beneath Evan, who was exploring her body without hesitation. Their heated kisses and mutual moans left no doubt about what was happening. Penelope was cheating on him—with Evan, the one who bullied him the most!

"Oh, Thenma, you surprised me," Penelope said casually, unbothered by Thenma's shock as his hands trembled.

"Damn, I should've locked the door," Evan chuckled, pulling up his pants, laughing alongside Penelope. Their laughter made Thenma question their sanity

"What are you doing with Evan, Pene?" Thenma asked, barely containing his emotions.

"You know what, Thenma," she replied coldly, "I got bored waiting for you, so I had a little fun with Evan."

"A little fun? You betrayed me, and you call it a little fun?!"

"Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?"

Thenma couldn't hold back anymore. He threw the roses onto the bed. "Everyone talked about you and Evan, but I believed you wouldn't betray me! Now you've proven me wrong!"

Penelope put her tight dress back. Even after such a messy scene, she remained flawlessly beautiful. Now, Thenma hated that beautiful face that had deceived him. She approached him, mocking him right to his face.

"You're the fool, Thenma. You should've known your place, you orphan! Did you think I was happy dating you? I endured six months of humiliation for a bet, but I was choking every time I saw you!"

"A bet? You dated me for a bet?"

"Did you really think I'd date a broke loser barely surviving out of love? Don't be ridiculous, Thenma! Did you actually believe I'd lower my standards to date you ah!"

Thenma gripped her shoulders tightly, pushing her against the wall in anger.

"Pene... Pene... PENE! You've shown how low your standards really are with this cheap betrayal!"

"Thenma, you're hurting me!" Penelope cried, but Thenma, blinded by rage, didn't care. It was only the blow of a wine glass to his head that snapped him out of it.

"She said you're hurting her, you bastard!" Evan said in sharp and loud tone, showing his anger.