"The award for best improving student in the 9th grade goes to Daisy Eddington!" announced Vice Principal Catherine Davis, to polite applause in the cavernous auditorium of St. Ignatius Academy.
It was the end of the academic year and the school held a special awards ceremony to reward the highest achieving students. Daisy walked confidently up to the dais and gratefully accepted the shining gold medal and rolled up certificate.
"Congratulations my dear you've earned it" said Catherine in a low voice as Daisy politely curtsied and left the stage. Unbeknownst to Catherine and Daisy, Sarah Clarke was looking at Daisy with barely suppressed rage.
Michael Eddington lay quivering on the cold concrete floor of a basement. His naked body covered with welts and bruises. Sarah Clarke stood over him with a thick, mean-looking leather bullwhip in her hands. "Let this be a lesson to you. My Emily does not get upstaged by the daughter of a filthy limey servant! Know your place!" she spat in cold fury, unleashing another barrage of lashes on him.
Michael's screams of agony echoed futilely around the concrete basement.
After what seemed like an eternity, Sarah finally got tired of whipping him and left him bleeding and quivering on the floor.
Michael painfully staggered to his feet and stumbled for the basement door. His eyes shining with resolve. He will take Daisy and escape this horrid country.
Aaron, Ivan and Daisy were just getting ready to drop Daisy off at the Clarke estate, when a large black limousine pulled up in front of the house.
The rear door opened and Michael staggered out, supported by his wife Linda.
"Mom! Dad! Is everything OK?" asked Daisy in concern. Michael looked like he was in great pain.
"I-Inside! I'll explain inside" panted Michael. With Ivan's and Linda's support he staggered into the house.
"Those girls are evil!" said Daisy. Her face a mask of pain and anger. She was horrified to see the angry welts and scars on her father's neck and back. At first Ivan had urged Michael to call the police, but Michael refused, saying that the police were in Sarah's pocket. There was no way they'd arrest her when she directly controls their funding.
Feeling powerless, Ivan had called Father Abel who came immediately, along with a friend of his who was a lawyer.
"I'm afraid this employment contract is pretty well-designed. While it is certainly possible to fight it in court, it will be a very long and very expensive process." said Andre Esposito, Father Abel's lawyer friend.
"If I didn't have crippling debt, I would have left as soon as Emily started bullying poor Daisy" gasped Michael as Father Abel dressed his bleeding wounds with a first-aid kit.Andre's eyes lit up. "I think that's the best option! This employment contract also states that she buys your debt. If you get deported, the debt falls on her!" he said excitedly.
"Deported? But I'm an American citizen!" said Michael wincing as Father Abel applied antiseptic on an open welt.
Andre beckoned them over excitedly, and told them his plan.
"I have a friend in ICE who can make arrange for your citizenship to be revoked, and you to be deported. We stick you on a plane to England, and you'll be able to start fresh. Unfortunately, that would also mean you would be declared a persona non-grata and be banned from entering the US" he explained.
"Does that apply to just me or to my entire family" asked Michael.
Andre's face fell and looked sadly at Aaron and Daisy. "Unfortunately that means your family as well, at least until Daisy turns 18" he said.
Tears welled up in Daisy's eyes as she processed this information.
"Can you apply it to just me and Linda? Daisy was born here. With us out of the picture Daisy can stay here and finish her education without worrying about us" said Michael.
Linda nodded. "It doesn't matter where we are as long as Daisy is safe and protected" she said.
But Daisy shook her head. "I hate this! I hate Sarah and Emily! Why do they want to destroy my family like this?" she wailed.
Michael and Linda hugged Daisy tightly. "It's my fault Daisy. I led our family to ruin with my bad investments. If I hadn't been so carried away by the cryptocurrency boom, we would have been safe, happy and comfortable" sobbed Michael.
"I'm at fault as well. I thought working as Mrs. Clarke's personal assistant was a wonderful opportunity and I foolishly asked her to help us. If only I knew what a horrible witch she was!" cried Linda.
"I hate to break this up, but blaming yourselves is not going to help right now" said Father Abel firmly. He laid a gentle hand on Daisy.
"Daisy, what would you like to do? Do you want to stay here with Ivan and Aaron, or do you want to go back to England with your parents? It is a horrible thing to ask of you, believe me I know. But the fact is your parents are not safe here." he said gently.
Daisy took a deep breath, dried her eyes and looked at Father Abel with renewed resolve.
"They are my family. They have already made too many sacrifices for my happiness. I'll go with them" she said firmly.
She turned to Aaron and Ivan. "Thank you both for everything. I mean it from the bottom of my heart" she said tears welling up in her eyes.
"You are a very brave girl Daisy. It was a pleasure knowing you" said Ivan gently hugging her.
Aaron's Stoic facade was crumbling. Tears rolled down his cheeks. "Goodbye Daisy" he said softly.
"I'll never forget everything you've done for me. I owe you my life Aaron" sobbed Daisy hugging him tightly.
With their farewells said, Andre acted swiftly to put his plan in action. Plane tickets were booked for Daisy, Michael and Linda. An airport shuttle quickly and efficiently took them to the airport where they boarded the flight to London.
Annette couldn't believe what was happening. She had sat in shock and disbelief as Michael Eddington recounted the abuse he had received at the hands of Sarah Clarke, a woman she looked up to and greatly admired. Fresh worry and anger had coursed through her.
"Ivan. I want Aaron out of that horrible school!" she snapped as soon as Father Abel and the others had left.
"Calm down Annette -" began Ivan, but Annette was past reasoning.
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down! We have been subjected to investigations and scrutiny by the IRS and child services! That little tramp Daisy has brought nothing but trouble to us! And now she just breaks Aaron's heart and runs off to England!" raged Annette.
"That's enough Mother!" shouted Aaron. Ivan and Annette jumped. They had forgotten Aaron was still there, and they had never heard him shout.
"I will be going to St. Ignatius Academy. It is where I feel I belong. The other students can go to hell for all I care. I will not be intimidated into running away!" growled Aaron. A fierce determination shining in his eyes.
Annette broke down into hysterical sobs. "Why won't you listen to me?" she wailed.
Ivan held her gently. "We'll be alright Annette. We'll be alright. Aaron is strong. He feels alive in St. Ignatius. Even without Daisy, he will be alright" he softly assured her as her sobs subsided.
Annette slowly regained her composure. She looked at Ivan and Aaron reproachfully.
"Summer break has started. Please use it to reconsider transferring. That's all I ask" she pleaded.
"Alright." said Aaron stoically.
Aaron strode into the classroom of St. Ignatius Academy. His growth spurt was in full swing, and he already stood at an impressive 178 cm tall.
His perfectly tailored uniform effectively concealed the growing muscular physique that was developing on his 14-year-old frame, due to hard exercise and MMA lessons. He took his usual seat in the middle of the classroom, and pulled out his laptop.Aaron worked on the visual novel he was developing as students slowly trickled into the classroom. His experiences with Daisy's predicament had opened him to a new realization of how people could wield power, and he had already incorporated several violent and graphic scenes based on Michael Eddington's account. However, all of Aaron's VN scenes featured a dominant male and a submissive female.
"Good Morning class! Time for your English lesson" barked Catherine Davis as she entered the classroom.
"Wait. Where is Ms. Eddington?" asked Catherine after attendance was taken.
"Ms. Eddington was deported back to England Ms. Davis" answered Aaron, his voice had lost its childish timbre and matured into a deep, gravely rumble.
"I-I see" said Catherine unnerved by Aaron's cold eyes and deep voice.
"Aww! Poor widdle Aaron lost his girlfriend?" taunted Emily Clarke.
Aaron, for his part refused to respond to her.
"That's enough Ms. Clarke! Now everyone open your books and turn to Act 1 of Julius Caesar!" barked Catherine