Blackmail (1)

The following day, Ethan made up his mind. There was no way he would break his sister's heart. There was only one viable option. He had to beat the wicked girl at her own game. Though, how does one win against someone with such an intimidating background? Whether you compared the two of them in social standing, prestige, or money, Ethan was thoroughly outgunned in every category. Except for one; Life experience. The knowledge from his previous life was the key to winning this battle.

Ethan couldn't count on the Academy to resolve his predicament. He understood very well that a significant portion of the personnel was, in one way or another, connected to the Youngblood household. It was too small of an issue to involve the police as well. Not to mention, he didn't have any factual evidence besides the bruises on his body. He ought to look for a creative solution.

From the countless conversations and interactions Ethan had overheard working as a cashier, he learned a lot about interpersonal dynamics. He knew precisely how teenagers ticked, and what they dreaded the most. Thus, he simply had to use that weakness against his opponent.

The girl he encountered was around fourteen years old, give or take. Ethan assumed his hypothesis of her being the young lady of the Youngblood household was correct. The adolescent daughter of a respectable and prominent family, suddenly acting up and abusing her status to make others bend to her will...

Ethan predicted this behavior was an attempt to counterbalance her situation at home. Life as the heir of such a family had to be burdensome. Her Dad was likely very rigorous and spent the majority of his time in the company while neglecting his daughter. This had the negative consequence of permitting her to behave however she pleased outside of home. It also meant the only person involved in her life was her Mother. For Ethan, she was the best option to keep the demoness in check. One tiny obstacle remained. How was Ethan going to get in touch with the spouse of the most influential man in the whole city?

Thankfully, gossip magazines were sought-after in Everdale. And who to have read them all if not a cashier with too much time on his hand. Ethan was thrilled. This was the first time he would be able to use his information about the future to his advantage.

Caterina Youngblood was a beautiful woman, universally admired by the upper society. She was glorified for her charity work and always remained in the center of attention.

This would change four years from now. An insider magazine released a cover story about Mrs. Youngblood having an affair. Supposedly, she frequently slept with one of the coordinators working at her charity organization, "Blue Wing."

Hereafter, shameful details about the Youngblood household were released to the public for several weeks straight. Apparently, this affair had already started multiple years ago. Insiders, close to the family, reported that whenever the husband was out on a business trip, a certain gentleman would arrive and stay the night. People even speculated that the man of the house, Mr. Youngblood was informed about his wife's illicit relationship. To stop these damaging news reports, Mr. Youngblood took drastic measures.

He divorced his wife and filed numerous lawsuits against the adulterer for various kinds of wrongdoings.

Ethan wanted to make use of this affair to blackmail the wife. While highly immoral, he didn't see a different solution and was fed up with being treated like garbage, even after receiving a second opportunity. It was about time to toss away his qualms and take charge of his destiny. Ethan sat down at his desk and wrote a letter directed to Mrs. Youngblood. It only included some basic information. Just enough to frighten her and get her to consent to a meeting. To make sure the letter was directly received by the wife, Caterina, he penned down her lover's name as the sender. This way, she undoubtedly would be the first one to read the message. In the letter, Ethan suggested a place where they could meet if she wanted to hear him out. The arranged time for the date was nine o'clock the following evening.

That day, school was quite monotonous. Due to his injuries, he had to be exempted from physical education.

After getting to know each other a little better, Ethan now regularly chatted with Andy, his desk neighbor. Andy proposed to give Ethan some tennis guidance in the near future. Another piece of joyous news was Hana's aunt agreeing to give Ethan a chance, subject to the condition, he was willing to work on weekends. Ethan accepted and agreed to a trial shift this Saturday. Additionally, he also had a tutoring session planned with Alice. Startled, Ethan realized that his previously vacant day planner was gradually being filled up.

On his way home, Ethan decided to act very tentatively. While he didn't spot Emmi's classmate nor the delinquents, he still anticipated getting ambushed. Especially now, while he was accompanying his sister.

During lunchtime, he went downtown to shop for a fashionable outfit. While the purpose of his date with Mrs. Youngblood was to blackmail her, he still preferred to not show up in his casual attire. Attempting to look his best was essentially a subconscious reaction to meeting with a beautiful woman. He ended up purchasing a traditional dress shirt and an elegant pair of shoes. Ethan also underwent a professional haircut. This made a tremendous difference, making his face appear far more defined. Attempting not to run late, he rushed home and hastily prepared by hopping under the shower, not forgetting to apply some perfume.

Wearing his fashionable attire, he was on his way downstairs, just as his Mother got back from work. Watching her son, who was a shut-in not too long ago, suddenly dress up, caused her immense joy. She had worried having to relocate once again would make it even harder for him to leave his shell. Now, she believed that, maybe, she made the correct decision after all. Relieved she asked,

"Oh, are you going on a date tonight? Who is the lucky lady getting to date my fine boy?"

Embarrassed, Ethan avoided her eyes and stared to the side. He scratched his cheek and replied,

"It isn't a date, Mom. I'm just casually going out with a friend."

Looking conceited, his Mother remarked,

"Hmm, do you really believe you can have secrets from me? Okay, you don't have to tell your Mother about your dating life, but will you promise me to take it slow?"

Ethan's face turned red. Never in his past life did he have conversations about dating with his Mother. Flustered, he complained,

"Mom! There is nothing to take slow! I don't have a date!"

His Mother simply chuckled. Apparently, she was already convinced. Before Ethan managed to sneak out the front door, she took the opportunity to straighten his collar. She couldn't let her son appear on a date without looking neat and tidy.

Taking the bus towards the hotel which he had chosen as the meeting place, Ethan slowly but surely realized the severity of his plan. If anything went wrong, or if Mrs. Youngblood wasn't arriving alone, it would have drastic consequences. He couldn't overlook that blackmailing was a criminal offense punishable with jail time. Nevertheless, he trusted in his understanding of human nature and convinced himself it was the right thing to do. He had to protect his family. And to do that, he needed to become ruthless.

The hotel he arrived at was satisfactory. He made sure to pick a reputable hotel chain. Otherwise, Mrs. Youngblood would likely attract a lot of attention. Accessing his private room, it was time to set up for his plan. He was aware that his date was a sharp and clever woman. While Ethan knew about the affair, he had no photos or similar evidence to prove his accusations. Therefore, he had to attempt to make her confess on tape. Ethan sat down on the edge of the hotel bed and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

As he was attempting to memorize all the details, his heartbeat was steadily rising. He became more and more hesitant. Ethan's plan was anything but foolproof. He was trying to extort a member of the most influential family in the city, wasn't he in way over his head?

Just as he was getting close to terminating the plan, someone tapped on the door. Everything was too late now. Ethan stood up and stepped towards the entrance. Deliberately taking multiple deep breaths to soothe his anxiety, he put his hand on the doorknob and pushed down.

Ethan couldn't believe his eyes. Was the person in front of him really the same Mrs. Youngblood he knew from magazines? The photos didn't do her any justice at all. Right in front of him stood a genuine goddess. Ethan was rooted on the spot and could do nothing but stare at her enchanting appearance. Considering the circumstances, how was she able to appear so calm and collected?

Only as the woman spoke, did Ethan awaken from his daydream.

"May I come in?"