THE BULLY 1

The bully 1.

"Please, just leave me be. I have no interest in engaging in any such behavior with you," Emmanuel boldly said to Desmond, who tried to silence him.

"No one will find out. It's just us in this dormitory room. Don't make me force you into this, you won't like it," Desmond warned Emmanuel, who continued to resist his inappropriate touches.

Desmond had been pressuring Emmanuel, a younger student at the school, to sleep with him. Despite Emmanuel's consistent refusals, Desmond didn't stop. On this particular day, when everyone had gone to the dining hall, Desmond called Emmanuel aside, insisting on having a private conversation. And in the dormitory room, with just the two of them, Desmond resumed his advances.

Shining Star Secondary School was well-known in the city, catering mainly to the rich class. Bullying was common among the students, yet the teachers cared less to addressing the issue. Reports of Desmond's bullying behavior had been brought to the teachers, but they ignored it. "Don't dare scold Desmond or face being sacked. His father's contributions are important to this school. Let's focus on teaching and let them behave as they wish," Mrs. Deborah, the school owner, often say to her staff.

Emmanuel was still there, desperately trying to prevent Desmond from making inappropriate advances towards him. In a moment of panic, he pushed Desmond, causing him to hit his head on the wall. Quickly, Emmanuel attempted to run out of the dormitory room, only to be stopped as Desmond caught hold of his legs.

"Where do you think you're going?" Desmond's voice was harsh as he pulled Emmanuel close, his intentions clear as he started undressing. Spotting a pen on the nearby bed, Emmanuel grabbed it and pen stab Desmond with it, hoping to run out. Angered by Emmanuel's resistance, Desmond lifted him and forcefully threw him to the ground.

The pain was unbearable as Emmanuel cried out, but Desmond continued his assault, raining down punches to make him stop screaming. Each blow weakened Emmanuel until the final blow to his face that made him lose his breath, causing him to die.

Mrs. Deborah was making her usual rounds around the dormitory when she came across a troubling scene. Desmond was desperately trying to wake up Emmanuel, who seemed to be in a deep sleep. Concerned, she approached Desmond and inquired about the situation.

"What's going on here? What happened to Emmanuel, and why are you so sweaty?" Mrs. Deborah asked, her voice filled with worry. Desmond proceeded to narrate all that had happened to him.

"You realize you could go to jail for this, right? How am I going to explain to Emmanuel's parents on what killed their son?" she exclaimed, reaching for her phone to contact Desmond's father.

Upon learning of his son's actions, Mr. Arinze wasted no time and drove to the school immediately.

"How much do you want to keep quiet about this? Name your price," Mr. Arinze proposed to Mrs. Deborah, who responded with a smile.

"You know the drill. 10 million naira, and this incident will remain a secret," she stated with assurance as Mr. Arinze quickly transferred the money to her. Mrs. Deborah then instructed Desmond to join the other students in the dining hall to avoid suspicion.

Meanwhile, Mr. Arinze drove back home, seemingly unaffected by the gravity of the situation.

"Oh my God! What happened to Emmanuel? Everyone, come here now!" Mrs. Deborah's voice echoed through the halls as students and hostel staff hurried to where Emmanuel was laying lifeless on the ground.

Desmond, fully aware of his actions, remained silent as Mrs. Deborah faked her tears, calling Emmanuel's parents, who drove to the school upon hearing the saddening news.

Arriving at the scene, Emmanuel's parents were devastated to see their son's lifeless body with visible bruises on his face. "Who could have done this to our son?" Emmanuel's father demanded, his voice filled with anger and desperation for answers.