After my granddaughter is bullied by her classmates, the bully's family not only refuses to apologize but behaves arrogantly as well.

Since they have connections in the city, the school doesn't dare intervene. I turn to the police, but they only urge me to let it go.

The bully's family even boasted that they have people in the court, daring me to sue them.

With every path to justice cut off, I have no choice but to take out the two Medals of Honor left behind after my son and daughter-in-law died in service, and kneel at the gates of the military compound.

Six years ago, when the general personally delivered those medals to our home, he'd said, "Your son and daughter-in-law gave their lives for the country. They are heroes, martyrs, and the pride of our nation."

But now, I want to ask him again. Why is it that when a martyr's daughter is bullied, no one protects her?

My granddaughter, Giselle Tanner, was an orphan. For that reason alone, the school bullies made her their target.

Giselle had been dragged into the school restroom and beaten for seven hours straight. Now, she was fighting for her life in the intensive care unit.

The ringleader, Tricia Fleming, chewed her gum without a care. "Go ahead, sue me. I'm not scared. I know the law. Since I'm underage, the most they'll do is me on the wrist. I'm not going to jail." She spoke with ease, her face showing not the slightest trace of regret.

Tricia's father, Harold Fleming, was just as dismissive. "Quit acting so petty. You just want more money, don't you?" he said with a sneer. "We'll pay you. But you're signing a statement saying your granddaughter's injuries came from a fall and had nothing to do with my daughter."

Then, he yanked a wad of cash from his bag and hurled it at my face. It was 100 thousand dollars in bills.

Harold laughed with contempt and added, "Your granddaughter gets a beating, and you walk away with 100 thousand dollars. There's no easier way to make money than this."

I looked at Giselle lying in the hospital bed, her body tangled in tubes. Beneath the loose gown were horrifying wounds—burns, cuts, and gashes layered one over another.

I couldn't begin to imagine the despair she had endured in those seven hours. But to the Flemings, her suffering was nothing more than a bargaining chip, and its value was measured in money.

Overcome with rage, I lunged at Harold. However, he shoved me to the floor.

My blood pressure pills tumbled from my pocket, and with them fell two gold star medals.

I crawled over to gather them, but Harold crushed them under his shoe. He looked down at me with a sneer, saying, "Old geezer, if you're not happy, then take us to court. My cousin is the presiding judge, so let's see how far you'll get."

From the side, the principal, Louis Baxter, motioned for them to leave, telling them not to provoke the victim's family further.

With that, Tricia and her father strutted away without shame.

I quickly picked up the two gold star medals—now stained with mud from where they had been trampled on.

A beat later, I looked at Giselle—still unconscious—and tears streamed down my cheeks.

Louis helped me up from the floor and said with forced patience, "The Flemings have money and influence while you're just an ordinary citizen. You can't fight them.

"Just sign the statement, take the compensation, and let it go. If you keep pushing, you'll only damage the school's reputation. What impression will this leave on other parents?"

I was stunned. Giselle had been bullied, yet the principal's immediate concern was the school's image, not justice. I could hardly believe such words were coming from an educator.

Giselle had been hospitalized from the abuse, and now Louis spoke of compensation as if that could put an end to it.

Shouldn't the bullies be punished?

When he saw that I wouldn't give in, Louis' patience snapped. "They were already willing to pay you. What more do you want? Do you really have to drive them to their deaths?"

Then, he coldly pulled a file from his briefcase and hurled it at me. "If you refuse to sign the statement, Giselle will no longer be welcome at this school."

I couldn't believe my ears. To protect the bullies, he was threatening to expel Giselle. But what gave him the right to?

"The Flemings have a judge in the family," Louis added with a sneer. "The law is on their side, and you'll never win in court. Besides, the school isn't about to risk offending children of powerful families for the sake of one poor student."

I held Giselle's file and leaned against the cold wall of the corridor, an indescribable heaviness pressing down on me.

We had done nothing wrong. So, why were the victims the ones who had to suffer?

After pulling myself together, I returned to Giselle's hospital room.

When she woke up, she stayed curled beneath the blanket, unwilling to come out.

Seeing her trembling under the covers broke my heart. Without missing a beat, I approached her and pulled her into my arms.

Giselle pressed herself against me and sobbed. "Grandpa, it hurts so much. I feel awful. Tricia and the others beat me up and bullied me. They even said I was born to be picked on because I was an orphan.

"But I do have a mom and dad. Didn't they promise they'd come home when I turned ten? I'm 15 now. Why haven't they come back? Did I do something wrong? Don't they want me anymore? Was it because I snuck ice cream home when I was little?

"Grandpa, can you tell Mom and Dad I know I was wrong? I'll never eat ice cream again. I'll be good. I miss them so much. If Mom and Dad were still here, they wouldn't dare bully me."

Her cries hit me like a punch to the gut, and my hand closed around the medals in my pocket.

Ever since the general had given them to me six years ago, I had kept them hidden away. I never dared let Giselle see them. If she ever learned that her parents had died in service, it would mean she was truly an orphan.

I clenched my teeth, fighting back the tears. How could I ever tell her that her parents were never coming home?

"Grandpa, you said only bad kids get punished. But I didn't do anything wrong. Yet, they still came after me."

As I swallowed the ache in my chest, I smoothed her hair and reassured her, "Elle, you've always been a good kid. They're the bad ones, and people like that always pay the price."

Giselle looked up at me, her eyes shining with tears and hope.

…

It took everything I had to soothe Giselle to sleep. Then, I went to the police station to report what had happened.

However, the officers' response crushed me.

Tricia's parents were the wealthiest in the city, with relatives serving as officials. Even the police were helpless against them.

One of the police officers sighed before giving me a look of sympathy. "The Flemings have relatives among the city's top officials. They even have connections at the state level. You can't go up against their family. It's best to just let it go."

With that, I left the station in despair. Even the police couldn't do a thing about them, and the realization sent an icy chill through me.

Just then, my phone buzzed. When I opened the message and saw what it was, my chest tightened.

It was a video of Giselle being bullied.