Punishment isn't for the crime, it's for being caught

It was around 3 am when I finally dozed off but it seemed that I would soon regret falling asleep for the dream I had was very vivid, and also very true. I was coming back to our mansion when I found my belongings outside, it had been neatly packed and as I arrived they were being loaded to a moving van.

I quickly approached the maid who upon seeing me grew deathly pale, she knew very well that I hated it when my privacy was invaded and there could be no show of disrespect greater to me than all my belongings being packed to hell knows where, while I was outside risking my life as I beat yet another one of Father's enemies.

"Sir Arvior I-I was told by Madame Lucia t-to pack your belongings. I am s-sorry if I had not a-asked your permission"

The maid bowed to me regretfully, normally I would have punished her for such a show of disrespect, Father had always told me that to gain respect one must know when to raise his fist and he taught me this firsthand as his cigar burn still marked my left shoulder, a reminder from the one time I had disobeyed him. I cannot harm the maid this instance however for that witch Lucia was the one who instructed her and I know very well that her unrelenting lashings was much worse than any slap I could land and so I left the maid alone and went straight for the monster I call mother.

I went inside and the mansion was bustling as ever with maids and butlers all working about, I went straight for her chambers which I know for sure she sat waiting to see my annoyed reaction to yet again another of her passive-aggressive attacks.

I opened the door with force barely able to keep my temper as I saw earlier my books being burned nearby and my belongings roughly handled, she instructed the servants to do so, I am sure of it.

"Mother, if this is some sort of punishment towards me, you have went too far"

Lucia turned towards me as she caressed her bloated stomach as if sending me a statement. She walked closer looking agitated and slapped me forcefully and her long nails scratched my cheek that left a stinging sensation but one that I was very much used to.

"How many times must I tell you that you must not call me that!" She looked at me with disgust.

I looked back at her looking calm but in my head I have thought of a million ways of killing her right now.

"Very well then, Madame Lucia would you care to explain why you are loading my belongings to a moving van then?"

She smirked sadistically and her bloodshot eyes were showing pleasure from my own rage which I withheld.

"Isn't it obvious? You are moving out...to Delinshire" She was almost beaming with excitement as she told me that she was throwing me out to some suburb by the outskirts of the country. What did I ever do to her? My very presence enraged her and God knows I have tried but there is just no extinguishing the flames of her ill nature, I have only developed a hatred of my own in trying.

"Delinshire? Why? I cannot leave father's side! I am the first in line for the Lu Gastra Estate!"

She scowled at me but found that one slap was enough, besides she knew that I would not be in her sight for much longer. "YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO BE IN MY FAMILY!" her shout echoed throughout the mansion, and each repetition was like another slap to my face, only this time each one didn't just sting but also marked completely, leaving mental scars to my head. "and now you never will" finishing her fiery attack with a cold remark had always been her style and as she laughed towards my demise I couldn't help but want to strangle her there and then but I couldn't...

I walked away feeling more agitated than I have ever been. Just a month ago I was Arvior Lu Gastra, the only heir to the Lu Gastra Estate, the fabled child of the mafia boss but since the arrival of my soon to be step brother everything went to hell. Now I was just an orphan, I was dethroned, stripped of my inheritance, and thrown to some garbage town.

I finally awoke from the nightmare and as I checked my phone, I was yet again reminded that it wasn't a nightmare. "Congratulations, you have been accepted to the Duvangelie University...." The email stated along with some information about the opening ceremony and basic information about the school.

I accidentally squashed my phone under the strength of my knuckles from my anger and the glass pierced my hand and not long after I was bleeding and now I also needed to buy another phone. I sighed but I suppose there was nothing to be done, I left my hotel room and went down the elevator and was practically blinded by the bright sun rays as I exited. When you are in a bad temper everything and everyone seems to be intentionally insulting you, such is life when you are down it kicks you even harder for life is like my step-mother Lucia, a fucking bitch.

A handkerchief was enough to stop the bleeding but I may need to get it checked out later on, that phone of mine had been in the dirtiest of streets in Emric City after all, God knows what sort of disease lie about the drug dens and brothels.

As walk towards a nearby mall and boarded the escalator I came to notice a pervert just a step ahead of me putting his phone in just the right angle to capture the inside of the poor girl's skirt above him. Normally I would have let the bastard be, it isn't my job to keep men like them from roaming free, hell I even work with many perverts like him on a daily basis. Of course I was disgusted by the very being of them but when you see as much as I do, you learn to be desensitized about petty offences like this, that being said I was in a sour mood and I simply could not let this man do as he pleased.

As the final step came and we reached the second floor I took the unwitting man's phone and threw it away. He was enraged by my doing so and called me out instantly.

"What the hell are you doing!" He shouted at me. Since he wanted to make a scene I might as well have fun in shaming him and give him just treatment.

"You Pervert! I saw what you did! You were filming the bottom of that poor girls skirt! You should be ashamed of yourself!" I spoke loud enough for many to hear and soon people were gathering and talking amongst themselves, some even started filming with their phones. Ha! what irony that the very same method you used to do your crime would now cause your end.

The man grew red from a mixture of anger and embarrassment as more and more people gathered towards us. I couldn't help but show him a dark grin, insult to injury just as Lucia likes to do. He soon had enough and started running towards me about to attack. The man was thin and weak, plus his attacks were far too predicatble so with relative ease I dodged each attack and just with a counter punch from me he fell down and groaned from pain. He should be thankful my right hand was wounded, if it wasn't then he would be in much more pain right now.

I started to walk away satisfied that I blew off a little bit of steam, but then the man just wouldn't let up, he then shouted threats and all sorts of things he could say. He knew very well he couldn't use his fist against me so he just barked instead.

"You broke my phone! That's damage to property! You have any idea how much that cost?" He kept ranting on and on even as more and more disgusted looks peered towards him.

I suppose I did take his phone away. I turned around and took my wallet, then taking a handful of money threw it at him as the paper flew.

"Keep the change" I told him as I walked away finally. Before I could completely walk away however the girl stopped me and thanked me heartily.

"You're like some kind of hero! Do you mind if I get your name?" The girl looked at me with her eyes almost twinkling. Now that I managed to look at her closely she certainly was attractive. Her chiseled and symmetric face was very well suited for her straight ginger hair and also her very fit body was something that could hold a man's heart just from a glance. I couldn't quite understand why she would take such an interest me but the ways of women are something that will always be a mystery to me.

"I didn't do all that much, please don't look at me that way my heart might burst" I joked a little which in any other circumstance might have fallen flat and might even get a "Creep" remark from a girl with her looks but she smiled gleefully at my remark and grew more persistent.

"You can at least let me take you out to dinner as a thankyou my knight in shining armor" Wow asking me out already? I mean I get that you're thankful but I'm not quite sure I can trust a girl who calls me "Knight in shining armor" besides I am the farthest she could pick from anyone here even the pervert to being a noble knight.

"You best not be so trusting, especially of men like me" I warn her with a serious look. Get the clue girl! I mean you're cute and all but I cannot be distracted right now.

She wasn't too pushy thankfully and she eased up on me but she wouldn't let me leave until I tell her my name and I hesitated at first because I don't know if I can still even call myself by that name but still legally I am their child and I can at least not be ashamed of it even if Lucia obviously is.

"Arvior Lu Gastra" I told her as I walked away without looking back to her. I was starting to feel bad of how highly she saw me. I was no better than a common thief after all and I have hurt so many people, I'm not a noble knight, I am just a dirty bandit.

After some time I took the creep's phone from my pocket, it was only through a sleigh of hand that it made it seem like I threw away his phone, I couldn't just take his phone then put it in my pocket now can I? How would that make me look? I scrolled through his phone and it wasn't long until I found incriminating evidence against him, if he was caught it would be 20 years in prison for him even more maybe for all the harassments against women, the petty crimes, hell he was even involved in drugs which seemed to explain how he acted so brave as to do what he was doing in public and in quite and obvious manner for someone who knows where to look.

I first thought of just deleting everything and just using his phone as my own but no, I am not quite done with the creep just yet. His social standing, pride, and confidence has been broken down by me in just this encounter but I am not easing up on him, it had been a thrill attacking him like that and in this suburban life, that thrill might just be what I need to keep going. I will break you until you have nothing left, Timothy Lombe and it's not because your very being disgust me, or because you deserve it after all the victims in your phone but because you were foolish enough to get caught.

I hummed the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata as I came to thinking what other things in this town might come to interest me, suddenly things don't seem too dull now. I quickly did what I needed to and bought the newest version of the trendy phones nowadays, then went to a nearby clinic to have a checkup. As I went back to my hotel room my mood was much better but I was still feeling quite bitter. I might visit Timothy's druggie friends soon and if I don't well it's probably because the school wasn't as terrible as I expected, well either way tomorrow would prove to be an interesting day from me.

I put Timothy's phone in a locked box that used to have my other blackmail ammo but now the phone was the only thing occupying the box that had once brought me so much entertainment, I click my tongue as I tried not to think about it for much longer. This is my new life now whether I accept it or not and I may go back to the bustling town of crime soon but for now I will just have to make do of what is there.