The Rise of John Raymond

Showdown in the Shadows: A King Among Pretenders

Anna and Collins returned to John’s classroom with big smiles and a food pack in hand. They had stopped by a nearby restaurant to pick something up for him, hoping it would brighten his day after everything he had been through. But as they stepped into the class, the chairs were empty. The place was silent. No sign of John.

Just as Anna turned to leave, a student walking by casually said, “You’re looking for John? They just arrested him. School security carried him to the HOD’s office for questioning or something like that.”

Before he could even finish, Anna had already pulled out her phone. Her fingers were trembling slightly as she dialled John’s number.

“John, where are you?” she asked immediately.

“I’m home,” John replied calmly.

She frowned. “You’re not serious. We were told you were arrested. Prove it—send me a video now.”

John, still in his lounge, quickly switched the camera to selfie mode and recorded a short video, waving at the camera with a smirk. He sent it to her.

Anna watched it, then exhaled deeply. “Okay… but what happened? Were you really arrested?”

John sighed. “Yes, I was. I’ll explain everything when we get back from school.”

“No, tell me now!” she pressed.

Not wanting her to worry too much, John shared just enough to cool her off. “Rose accused me of stealing $5,000 after I finished cleaning her lounge. She made me give her half of every payment before now, so I guess it was bound to get ugly. But Mr. David showed up and handled things.”

Anna was silent for a few seconds. “She… she really accused you of theft?”

“Yes,” he said. “But I’m fine now. Don’t worry.”

Before she could say anything more, a group of students came running toward her. One held out a phone. “Anna! Have you seen this? The HOD and Rose have been arrested!”

John overheard the commotion and immediately ended the call.

By the time the school day ended, the story had already gone viral. Every student on campus knew. The school’s news station was running it non-stop, and social media platforms like F******k, I*******m, X, and even school W******p groups were on fire with the update. Everyone had their own version of what the HOD had done—embezzlement, blackmail, extortion. The rumours grew louder with every passing hour.

Still, the Theatre Arts Department moved on with preparations for the Car Show Event scheduled for that evening. Despite their HOD’s arrest, the event couldn’t be cancelled. The show was too massive, with major figures—including the state governor—expected to attend. It was funded by the three most influential male students on campus: Noel, Jerry, and Daniel, who were also the lead actors in the department.

Two hours later, luxury cars began to arrive—models many students had never seen outside of social media. The entire school buzzed with excitement and envy. Students from other departments were invited to spectate, and everyone wanted to be part of the action.

Collins called John, urging him to come outside.

“Bro, come check out these cars,” he laughed over the phone. “You won’t believe what’s out here.”

As they joked around, Collins reminded him of his earlier words.

“Don’t forget what you said about entering the car show,” he teased.

John paused. His smile faded a bit, thoughtful. “Hold on,” he said, then walked off to make a phone call.

Moments later, a sleek car pulled up in front of their hostel.

Anna stepped out, radiant in a casual outfit, but her presence was as striking as always. She held her key fob like a trophy.

“Nice ride!” Collins called out, clapping his hands.

John stepped outside and smiled. “Congrats,” he said.

“Get in,” she replied. “We’re going shopping.”

They all got in and headed to one of the campus’s most exclusive boutiques. Collins had been there once before, but for John, it was his first time. As they walked in, the scent of luxury filled the air. Anna led the way confidently, greeting the staff like old friends.

Meanwhile, just outside the boutique, Anabel and her boyfriend Daniel arrived in separate cars. As they stepped out and noticed John entering, they exchanged glances.

“Let’s go see what the pauper is doing in a place like this,” Daniel whispered.

They quietly followed them inside.

John, unaware of their presence, picked two pairs of trousers and two T-shirts. Collins did the same, while Anna grabbed a few family-sized items and accessories. Once they had everything, they headed to the cashier.

The salesgirl smiled warmly and calculated the bill. Anna handed her card over with confidence.

Swipe.

“Transaction declined: Insufficient funds.”

She frowned. “Try again, please.”

Swipe.

“Declined.”

Everyone in line began to murmur. Some laughed. Others stared. A few recorded.

Daniel and Anabel, now in the queue, couldn’t contain their glee.

Anna, now visibly anxious, asked them to try another machine.

“Declined.”

The laughter grew louder.

Daniel took this as his cue. He stepped forward and shoved John out of line. “Thief! Still pretending, huh? Search him!” he ordered the security guards. “You’ll see what I’m talking about. Recalculate everything he picked!”

Anna tried to stop them. “That’s unnecessary! She already did the calculation!”

But Daniel waved her off.

John calmly turned to Anna. “Let them do it. It’s okay.”

The security began to go through the items. As they reached the bottom of the basket, they pulled out a gold wristwatch and an expensive body spray that hadn’t been listed.

Gasps echoed around the boutique. The guards immediately grabbed John.

“Wait!” Anna shouted. “None of us picked those. Something’s not right.”

Daniel laughed louder now. “I told you he was a thief!”

Anabel was already live-streaming the scene. Phones were raised. The whispers were getting uglier by the second.

John, calm as ever, turned to the security guards. “Here’s what we’ll do,” he said. “I’ll pay for everything we picked. If I can’t, arrest me. And double the charges.”

Laughter erupted. Daniel clutched his stomach, amused beyond words.

“Stop wasting time. Swipe the card!” he shouted.

The salesgirl took John’s card, inserted it into the terminal, and the screen began to load. A long pause.

Everyone held their breath.

BEEP!

Transaction successful.

Silence.

The entire room went still.

Anabel, frozen mid-recording, slowly put her phone down.

Daniel stared at the screen, dumbfounded. “Check again,” he ordered.

“It’s confirmed,” the cashier said firmly. “Payment successful.”

John gently retrieved his card and walked away with his items. Collins and Anna followed.

As they reached the parking lot, Daniel stormed out behind them.

He shoved John against a car bonnet.

“You think money makes you somebody?” he hissed. “Show up at the Car Show if you really think you’ve arrived.”

At that moment, one of Daniel’s friends blocked Anna from helping.

Daniel slapped an event invitation on John’s chest. “Let’s see if you can stand against me in public.”

He got into his car and sped off.

John, still calm, adjusted his shirt. He turned to Anna and Collins.

“I’ll be there,” he said. “And I’m not just showing up—I’m winning.”

Then he smiled, got into Anna’s car, and they drove off into the setting sun, leaving behind whispers, doubts, and a brewing storm of anticipation.