When you heard the name of my company, you were probably so surprised that you were unable to speak. I organized this reunion in order to hold this man accountable. Joe was the leader of the group who teased and harassed me throughout middle school.
I couldn't put up with him being superior to me, even after we were reunited as adults. I changed from who I was before. "So, which branch are you in?
" "Branch? What do you mean? " "Obviously, I'm in the US branch because I'm American.
" "So you're not at headquarters, then? Are you boasting that you work in a branch office? " Joe hesitated for a second at my answer.
"What? Where do you work, then? " I flashed my teeth and smirked at him.
"This marks the start of my major return. I'm Ken Carter, and I'm 32 years old. My classmates and I used to study together at Lincoln Middle School.
It has been 17 years since I graduated at the age of 15. I now reside abroad, but I visited my hometown for the first time in a long time. Since you need a car to get anywhere in this area, I drove quickly through the streets I knew well, returning to the spots where I used to hang out.
The roads were smooth and pleasant to drive on because they were well-paved. A grand edifice appeared as I swung the steering wheel and turned to bend; the words 'Lincoln Middle School' shone prominently next to the great entrance. I parked in the lot reserved for guests and teachers.
I went outside past the gym and entered the school building where I used to study. Since I had been here, everything had changed—the grounds were well-kept, and the school had undergone a comprehensive renovation. I could hear students excitedly rehearsing for their sports teams when the sun was still high in the sky.
I questioned whether they were having fun in middle school. I visited my former homeroom teacher, Sam Harrison, who is currently the senior year head teacher in the faculty room. After perusing the classrooms, I noticed several teachers occupied at their workstations despite the fact that it was a Friday afternoon.
It must be difficult; I felt a little sorry for them. Sam smiled and got to his feet as soon as he spotted me. I pretended to be someone paying a visit to a longtime beloved mentor.
There were no problems because I had already informed him that I would be arriving today. Tomorrow, I'm heading to the United States. Before that, I wanted to see Joe and the others, so I decided to hold a little reunion in one of the classrooms.
"That sounds fine. You are welcome to utilize the area. These days, the third floor classrooms are unoccupied since there are fewer students.
" That meant I could say whatever I wanted without holding back. I couldn't help but smile; even Sam had gotten older. He had graduated from this middle school, gone on to the top high school in the state, and then attended a university in the city.
He studied education, and upon graduation, he returned to his alma mater as a teacher. In his very first year as a teacher, he became our homeroom teacher. "This really brings back memories.
Haven't you been in the US much? " "No, I've been living overseas the whole time. Coming back after so long, I was shocked by how much has changed.
" "I remember you six were always close. You were always messing around in the hallways, making noise. " I still remember it clearly; hearing that made my body stiffen.
If he remembered so clearly, why didn't he do anything? Calling it being close or just goofing around—what exactly was he watching? And this man is the senior year head teacher now?
Are the current students having a good school life under him? Back in middle school, I didn't know anything about life. I still had the mindset of an elementary schooler, believing that adults were naturally superior and that kids had to obey them.
But now, I understand that even teachers have strengths and weaknesses. The reality is, after finishing college, they go straight into teaching without ever experiencing the real world. Maybe Sam had genuinely tried to be a good teacher in his own way, but does that make my resentment disappear?
In a few days, the state education board will receive evidence of Sam having an affair with a student's mother. What happens after that is none of my concern; I'll be on a flight out of here tomorrow. I made my way to the third-floor classroom where I once spent time with my classmates.
With my left leg not moving the way I wanted, even just climbing up a middle school staircase to the third floor was quite a struggle. When I stepped into the classroom and absentmindedly gazed out the window, Joe walked in with that same smug, nasty grin as always. He looked at me and said, "Hey, long time no see.
You haven't changed a bit; still got that dumb look on your face. " I'm not sure if I still look the same as I did 17 years ago, but Joe has changed a lot. Even though he's only 32, his belly sticks out, and he's balding on top.
Back in the day, there were girls who used to swoon over him, but I'm sure they'd be disappointed now. "It's been a while; I'm glad to see you," I forced a smile as I said something I didn't mean. I have nothing but bad memories of Joe.
He was the golden boy of our class, the leader among the boys with his four henchmen: Tom, Jack, Dave, and Mike. He bullied anyone he didn't like, and he did it in a way that made it look like we were just messing around. Whenever a teacher.
. . I was watching during breaks; they would drag me into the hallway, jab me with mops, hold me down, and kick me in the stomach.
Our homeroom teacher, Sam, and every other teacher saw Joe as their favorite student. Seriously, what were they even looking at? I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and soon the rest of them appeared: it was Tom, Jack, Dave, and Mike.
The teachers always thought we were part of the same friend group. As soon as they saw Joe, they greeted him with nostalgia. “Joe!
Long time no see! You've put on even more weight since last time! ” “Yeah, being in sales means lots of client dinners.
I've been to almost every top restaurant in the city. ” “That sounds great! You should take us sometime.
We go way back after all! ” From what I remembered, Joe, Tom, and Jack all left town when they went to college; meanwhile, Dave and Mike stayed local, attending university here. “Have you five kept in touch since middle school?
” I asked. “Yeah, we all went to different high schools, so we've barely seen each other. Well, we all went to pretty good universities, but that's no surprise; we've always been special.
” Jack's words made me let out a dry laugh. Did they really think being special meant they could do whatever they wanted? Joe was the one who fixated on tormenting me, but Tom and Jack weren't much better.
Dave and Mike just followed along, hoping to stay on Joe's good side. Back in middle school, Joe was dazzling to everyone; both guys and girls admired him. Tom and Jack saw themselves as Joe's closest friends.
Dave and Mike idolized him and followed him around. And me? I was nothing more than a punching bag for their amusement.
I had hoped that after middle school, they had struggled a little in life and gained some empathy. If they had acknowledged their past and apologized, I was willing to forgive them. But instead, they all started bragging about their careers.
“Actually, Mike and I started a business together. It's tough, but being our own bosses is worth it. ” “Dave and I have been tight since middle school; we get along great, and since we both stayed in town, we make the perfect business partners.
” Joe barely paid attention to their conversation, staring out the window instead. He was probably waiting for someone to ask about him. Hearing about other people's success wasn't exactly his favorite topic.
With no one else bringing it up, I decided to do it myself. “So, Joe, what are you up to these days? All I know is that you went to college in the city.
” Joe's eyes lit up; he grinned, clearly thrilled that someone had finally asked. “Well, I work at Ford Pharmaceuticals. I've been at the top of my division since I joined, and I'm on track to become a manager soon!
” Tom and Jack, who already knew, nodded and smiled proudly. Meanwhile, Dave and Mike, who had stayed in town, looked surprised. “Seriously, that's amazing!
I just read the company's French headquarters has started full-scale research on a potential cancer cure; it's all over the news! ” “Joe, you're working for an incredible company! ” Joe nodded smugly at their praise.
Then he looked at me, who didn't respond to anything. “You must be shocked hearing my company name, huh? So stunned you can't even speak!
” The whole reason I planned this reunion was to knock him down a peg. Back in middle school, Joe led the charge tormenting me. Even now, as an adult, he still looks down on me, and I refuse to tolerate it any longer.
I am not the same person I was back then. “So, which branch are you at? ” I asked.
“What do you mean? ” “I'm American, so obviously, I work in the U. S.
branch. ” “So you're not at headquarters? You really think working in a branch office is worth bragging about?
” Joe hesitated at my remark, looking flustered. “Ed, then where do you work? ” he asked.
I flashed a confident grin, bearing my teeth. This is where my comeback begins. “I work at the same company as you: Ford Pharmaceuticals, but not at the U.
S. branch. ” “I've never seen you around the office,” Joe muttered.
“That's because I work at the French headquarters. That's why we've never run into each other. ” Joe and the others were completely stunned when they heard I worked at the headquarters of a world-famous multinational corporation.
If they found out I was actually on the executive board, their jaws might just hit the floor. Enjoying the moment, I took my time looking at each of their dumbfounded faces. This was exactly why I had invited them back to our old school; I wanted to see these clueless expressions.
Tom, who was the closest to Joe, finally spoke up. “Hey, why are we even here right now? ” “Joe, you sent me an email about a great investment opportunity, saying we should meet up since we’d all be back home for the holidays.
” “Same here. I live near the city, so I figured this was a rare chance to catch up with everyone. And from what I heard, Joe's been making a fortune off investments and living the high life.
” “What? I never sent any emails! ” Joe snapped.
“I got a message from Dave saying he and Mike started a business and made a killing in investments; that's why I came,” Tom added. Dave and Mike both shouted at the same time, “Same here! ” The five of them exchanged wary glances, suspicion growing on their faces.
Being summoned back to their old high school by an email none of them actually sent, it was only natural that they'd be confused. I smirked, amused by their reactions. “Well, of course!
That's because I was the one who sent those emails. You Ed my name to trick them into coming here, so…” "It wasn't Dave who called me; it was you," Joe said, his voice sharp. "That's right.
I figured investment would be the perfect bait for you, and I also happened to know each of you has your own little problems right now. " None of them could understand why I had gathered them here in this classroom, but for me, this was the only place where I could settle things once and for all. Back in middle school, I suffered endlessly under their bullying and harassment.
The only thing that kept me going was the thought that once I graduated, I could finally escape from them. But just before graduation, during one of their so-called wrestling matches, they injured my spine. The left side of my body was paralyzed, and I could barely leave my house.
I couldn't even attend my own graduation; it was one of the lowest points of my life. I had to take a year off from the high school I was supposed to attend, spending that time seeing doctor after doctor. Eventually, a doctor in New York recommended treatment abroad, so my parents and I moved to France.
I endured three major surgeries and managed to regain my ability to walk, though some paralysis remained in my left leg. While still in the hospital, I transferred to a local high school in France and continued my studies there. Technically, I should have graduated a year later than my peers, but I took advantage of an accelerated program and ended up in the workforce at the same time as everyone else.
I landed a job at one of the world's top pharmaceutical companies, Ford Pharmaceuticals, and quickly built a strong track record. Having spent so much time in hospitals, I deeply understood both the doctors' desire to heal and the patients' desperate hopes for a cure. I worked with that perspective every day, and eventually, Adam Ford, the CEO himself, took notice of me.
Adam had a habit of giving what seemed like impossible assignments, but I always found a way to accomplish them. At one point, I even traveled to African nations where medicine was hard to come by, working alongside volunteers in makeshift clinics. All my efforts paid off, and last year, I was finally promoted to the executive board.
Then, by pure chance, I discovered that Joe, my old tormentor, was working at the U. S. branch.
For a moment, I wondered if he had changed, but when I spoke to people at the American office, I found out he was still the same, bullying those who were weaker than him. When I heard that, my anger boiled over. From that moment on, I swore I would make him pay.
I contacted the U. S. branch director and got my hands on Joe's company profile; his company email address was listed there, so I used it to carry out my plan.
I also started looking into what had happened to Joe after high school. He had gone on to a state high school known for its strong sports program, where he lived his best life playing soccer. While I was suffering in a hospital, he was busy chasing a ball, even making it to the national tournament in his senior year.
He got a sports scholarship to a private university in New York, but life didn't go as smoothly as he expected. Even though he played soccer for all four years, he never made the starting lineup once. His grades weren't great either, but an older teammate who took a liking to him secretly helped him get through.
When he landed a job at Ford Pharmaceuticals, his parents acted like they had won the lottery. To be fair, in terms of making them happy, he was a model son. If he had just focused on his job, he probably would have climbed the corporate ladder and continued making his parents proud.
But then came a problem: he got caught up in the recent investment craze and poured a huge amount of money into it. That was his weak spot; that's why I set up this whole investment scheme to lure him here. While tracking Joe, I also dug into what the other four were up to.
Tom had gone to the same high school as Joe but wanted to move to the city, so he attended a private university in New York. His family ran a large liquor store back home, and his parents had hoped he would take over the business. But Tom had completely adapted to city life and never returned home; instead, he landed a job at a major trading company.
Up to this point, Tom's life had been going smoothly, but in his third year at the company, he faced a major setback: his biggest workplace rival married the boss's daughter. From that point on, his rival kept getting promotions and is now at the head of the sales department at the corporate headquarters. On the other hand, while Tom was part of the flashy sales department, I heard he was constantly brushed aside by his rival and struggling in his daily work.
Jack, who was especially close to Joe and Tom, hit a roadblock when applying to high school. He had studied hard to get into the same school as the two of them, but on the day of the interview, he came down with a terrible cold and failed. In the end, he attended a private backup school and spent relatively fulfilling years there.
As one of Joe's devoted followers, Jack was determined to follow the same path; he took a year off to reapply and finally got into the same university and department as Joe. However, Joe didn't see the friendship the same way Jack did. Since Jack was now a year behind, they barely took any classes together.
Even when Jack went to support Joe at soccer games, Joe rarely played. Over time, Joe started avoiding. Jack and their friendship faded back in middle school.
Jack believed that he, Joe, and Tom shared a special bond, but Joe never thought of Jack as that important. When Jack received an email from Joe this time, he was probably overjoyed. When I sent the message, he even replied with a long email full of gratitude.
I was actually looking forward to seeing his reaction once he realized the truth. Now that I was watching it unfold, Jack looked more than just disappointed; he was genuinely in shock. Serves him right.
Tracking what happened to Dave and Mike was even easier. Neither of them had ever left town, unlike Joe and the others who moved to the city. These two had lived completely different lives.
Mike's family owned an auto repair shop. Born as the son of the owner, he grew up without any real struggles; however, he was never particularly bright, and his grades had been poor since middle school. He started high school, but since the school was full of rough students, he ended up transferring to an online high school.
After that, he shut himself away at home for years. His parents and relatives were deeply worried about his future. That's when his old friend Dave reached out.
He proposed that they pool their money together and start a business. More than Mike himself, it was his parents who jumped at the idea, funding the venture. Finally, there was Dave.
His story was even more unique. Like Mike, he was never good at studying, but he came from a long line of city council members and was raised without many restrictions. He got into a decent high school and, out of the five of them, was the only one to attend a university in Spain.
But it was more of a language study program, and it didn't give him much of an advantage when it came to finding a job. He landed a position at a well-known construction company but quit after three years and drifted aimlessly for a while. Eventually, he was inspired by a college friend who had started a company and decided to do the same.
He borrowed some money from his parents and pitched the idea to his old middle school buddy Mike, who came from a wealthy family. Mike's parents, already anxious about their son's future, were even more enthusiastic about the idea than he was. That's how their company came to be.
But from what I heard from people in the industry, they were barely staying afloat. That's why I used Joe's name to send them an email, pretending to offer an investment to support their business. Completely falling for it, Dave and Mike showed up at this reunion full of excitement.
In the end, out of all of us, I was the one who had risen the highest. Compared to me, the rest of them were nothing but losers. I held back a laugh and calmly spoke, "Sounds like life hasn't been too kind to you guys.
Joe, sorry to say, but I have no intention of investing in your plans, and I'm not going to fund Mike and Dave's company either. You can go ahead and fail on your own. " "So you knew we were all struggling and called us here anyway.
You just wanted to rub it in our faces! " "That's exactly right. " Tom and Jack seemed to be struggling at work, and I heard Mike and Dave poured a ton of money into their startup, but from what I hear, the industry doesn't expect them to last even a year.
"Serves you all right! " Tom snarled. "You bastard!
" and lunged at me. Just then, a woman's voice called out from the other side of the classroom door, "What are you doing, Tom? Get away from Ken!
" "Olivia! Glad you made it. We're done talking.
Come on in! " A stunning woman with long, flowing black hair stepped into the classroom. The five of them were visibly shocked when they heard me call her Olivia.
"Wait, Olivia? You mean Olivia Miller from middle school? " "That's right, Joe.
You've changed a lot! " "Well, I guess it's been 17 years, so that's understandable. " Back in middle school, Olivia was the girl we all admired.
She was going to play a crucial role in today's reunion. When I explained my plan to her, she immediately responded, "Sounds fun! " and agreed to help.
Olivia and I actually reconnected about three years ago. At the time, I had already started thinking about this plan, but I hadn't considered involving her. After middle school, Olivia attended a prestigious all-girls private high school, part of an affiliated university.
She continued there and studied American literature. Born into one of the most prominent families in the state, she was adored by her parents but had never really developed a sense of independence. She had always assumed she would marry someone from a similarly wealthy background and become a housewife.
In fact, after graduating college, she agreed to an arranged marriage her parents set up, but it didn't work out, and she ended up divorcing. She never had children, but apparently, that didn't bother her in the slightest. My reunion with Olivia happened entirely by chance.
I had attended a New Year's party hosted by her grandfather, former Congressman Edward Miller. As a representative executive of Ford Pharmaceutical, when we saw each other again after so many years, we immediately hit it off. Once we realized we were both single, we naturally started thinking about our future.
Since reconnecting with me, she began questioning the life she had lived, following her parents' expectations, and started actively engaging in society. Now she's part of a volunteer organization, dedicating her time to supporting single mothers. With the five of them looking shaken, I quietly spoke, "We’re getting married soon.
" "How the hell did someone like you end up with Olivia? " "Oh my! I'd appreciate it if you didn't.
. . " "Complain about my future husband?
" Olivia took my arm and leaned against me as the five of them stood there, stunned. At some point, the voices of the students had faded away, the sun had completely set, and I switched on the classroom lights. The cold blue glow of the LEDs illuminated our faces.
Joe, in particular, looked even paler than when he first walked into the room. This middle school reunion, 17 years in the making, had turned into my long-awaited revenge. Leaving the five of them behind, I walked out of the school with Olivia by my side.
Tomorrow, I would take her back with me to France; it would be a long time before I returned to the U. S. again.
"Are you satisfied now? " "Yeah, completely. I can finally move forward with a fresh start.
" Olivia gently took my hand and pressed it against her cheek. Feeling her warmth, I decided to leave the past behind for good. I didn't curse them, but after that day, things only got worse for the five of them.
Joe, who had been struggling with investments, made a desperate pie steak scramble and lost everything; he even had to sell the house he had just bought. Tom, despite his rival being promoted to department head, failed at work and was demoted to a remote branch office. Jack's company went bankrupt due to financial troubles, leaving him unemployed and growing more anxious by the day.
As expected, Mike and Dave's startup couldn't stay afloat, and they found themselves drowning in financial difficulties. And just like that, my long battle with Joe and his gang ended in complete victory. I returned to France with Olivia, and we started a new life in a luxury apartment in Paris.
Olivia, who had been accustomed to luxury, had recently started finding joy in being frugal. On weekends, she made sandwiches and we went to the park together. We never had any financial worries, but with the cost of living in Paris rising rapidly, it was nice to see our savings grow.
If we had children in the future, we would be able to provide them with the best education. Today marked the fifth anniversary of my reunion with Olivia. While she hummed a tune, making sandwiches in the kitchen, I secretly picked up my phone and made a reservation at a high-end restaurant with a view of the Eiffel Tower.
