1.
In our senior year of high school, a series of shocking assault and murder cases rocked the entire city of Riverton.
Before the perpetrator was caught, the final victim—who was also the only survivor—was someone from my own class.
To protect her, our homeroom teacher immediately reported the situation to the school and the parents, requesting special arrangements for our classes.
As a result, our entire class was assigned to study online from home for half a month.
Afterward, the homeroom teacher strictly forbade anyone from asking about the incident.
That case gradually became an unspoken secret, silently understood by all twenty of us in our select class.
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
As class president, I took the lead in organizing our "ten-year reunion."
But after ten years, everyone had changed so much they were almost unrecognizable.
In the elegant banquet hall, those who had become big bosses or managed to make it into the system all gathered at the front table.
Those who hadn't fared as well drifted toward the tables in the back.
Only the seat for our homeroom teacher remained forever empty—she had passed away from illness two years ago.
Even so, the reunion was lively and full of excitement.
"Class president, you really pulled this off!"
"Following in your mom's footsteps, huh? Now you're a teacher too!"
Even though everyone's social status had changed, the memories of our school days were still beautiful to us all, so before long, everyone was chattering away about the old times.
Who had a secret crush on the class president, who played pranks and got someone else in trouble—every story was brought up and laughed over.
The atmosphere was buzzing with energy.
It wasn't until the wine had gone to our heads and most of the food was gone that Riley Johnson—the one surrounded at the front table—suddenly stood up and tapped his wine glass.
He was the brightest star of our class these days, and also the biggest sponsor of this reunion.
Immediately, all eyes turned to him.
He smiled warmly, but his eyes were sharp as headlights, sweeping across the entire room.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down for a moment."
"It's rare for all of us to gather like this, and honestly, there's something I've been keeping to myself. I want to take this chance to ask everyone a question."
He sounded casual, but his gaze was probing, scanning everyone with a look full of curiosity.
"Does anyone still remember that mystery from back then?"
"I still don't get it—during that period of online classes, who exactly were we trying to protect?"
"Our homeroom teacher was so tight-lipped, not a single hint slipped out!"
"Is there anyone here today who actually knows what really happened?"
"Come on, don't keep it to yourself! Spill it, so we can help her let go of whatever's been weighing on her. Wouldn't that be better for everyone?"
Hearing this, my heart sank.
To be honest, Riley Johnson wasn't a bad guy—he was outgoing and always seemed friendly on the surface. But he had one fatal flaw: he was way too curious, and he couldn't keep a secret to save his life.
Back in high school, he was the "school's information broker"—any gossip that landed in his hands would be all over campus by the next day.
Who liked whom, who cheated on tests, even who came from a single-parent family—he knew it all.
Now, digging up old stories like this wasn't about caring—it was clearly about wanting to be in control, a subtle way of showing off.
I tried to smooth things over: "Riley Johnson, that's all in the past—why bring it up now?"
"Why so tense?"
But before I could finish, Riley Johnson looked at me, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile.
"Why are you so uptight? Don't tell me none of you are curious?"
With that, he let out a short snort, his eyes suddenly sharp as he stared right at me.
"Class president, it's been ten years. Isn't it time to let the past go?"
"But I just can't let it go!"
"I've been thinking about this for ten years straight!"
As soon as he finished, he tipped his head back and downed his glass of wine, then set it on the table with a loud clink.
"Back then, in our class, there were only a handful of girls who really stood out..."
"So who was it? Come on, admit it today and I'll transfer you $7,000 right now!"
After he said that, his gaze swept once again over the faces of the former female classmates, carrying a curiosity that bordered on ruthless.
2.
A collective gasp rippled through the banquet room.
Seven thousand dollars!
Quite a few people started to waver.
Even I couldn't help but take a sharp breath—who would've thought Riley Johnson would be this generous!
But after hearing those words, everyone just looked at each other; no one stepped forward. Riley Johnson glanced around the room, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile.
"What's wrong? Not enough for you?"
"Or... are you scared? Afraid to speak up?"
Then he paused for a moment, his tone shifting, suddenly carrying an invisible pressure that made it hard to breathe:
"How about this!"
"If you were the girl back then, just send me a private message on WeChat. As soon as I get it, I'll transfer you $14,000!"
"I promise no one else will ever find out!"
As soon as he finished, I saw some of the women’s faces change instantly. Some couldn't help but glance down at their phones, their eyes flickering with hesitation.
For a lot of people, USD 13,889 grand is no small sum.
Right then, Riley Johnson added another line:
"We're all old friends here, so don't play games with me."
His voice suddenly turned noticeably cold, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes:
"It's not that I have money to burn—it's just that I've really been thinking about this for ten years!"
"All I want is an answer!"
With that, he leisurely lit a cigarette.
"Of course..."
"If anyone tries to fish in troubled waters..."
"Then don't blame me for not showing any old classmate courtesy!"
Everyone understood perfectly well:
Riley Johnson was no longer the mischievous kid he used to be.
He mingled with both the underworld and the upper crust, and what he said now was an open threat that everyone could hear loud and clear.
So those who had just reached for their phones all slowly pulled their hands back.
But even after waiting a while, Riley Johnson still didn’t get the message he was hoping for.
“Hmm? Are you all just going to ignore me?”
As he spoke, his gaze grew darker and more menacing.
“No one wants to admit it? Fine! USD 27,778!”
“Let’s all uncover the secret together, and split the money evenly!”
“There are only seven girls in our class. Today, by process of elimination, I’m going to find out who it is!”
“Just think of it as playing a game with me!”
If you split twenty-seven thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight dollars evenly, that’s still over ten grand for each person!
With that kind of money on the table, the mood in the room changed completely.
Whispers buzzed through the air, and curious, greedy, and suspicious glances—like an invisible net—slowly closed in on the seven girls in the class…
3.
Who was the victim back then?
At that moment, Riley Johnson looked like a seasoned hunter, starting to call out each girl in the class by name.
There were only seven girls: the class beauty Trần Yến, the top student Quinn Hill, the class vice president Morgan Carter, the chubby Riley Carter, the frail "little beauty" Casey Cooper, the girl with the crooked teeth Avery Reed, and the girl with the birthmark on her face—Quinn Carter.
Immediately, the classmates around them began to whisper and gossip.
But soon after, Riley Johnson tapped his glass, signaling everyone to quiet down.
“I’m guessing everyone here, just like me, really wants to know the answer.”
“So, let’s ask each person one by one!”
“Today, I’m going to drag the truth into the light!”
As soon as he mentioned "asking each person one by one," all the girls’ faces changed noticeably.
Among them, the class beauty Trần Yến immediately stood up, grabbed her purse, and got ready to leave.
“I don’t have time to play these stupid games with you people!”
But just as she stood up, Riley Johnson quickly stepped over and pressed her back down into her seat.
"Trần Yến, if you walk out now, you’re really disrespecting me!"
"Or… are you actually the real victim?"
At that, Trần Yến cursed loudly:
"F*** you! Like I’d be that unlucky!"
Riley Johnson just sneered at her outburst.
"Oh~ is that so?"
"If you’re not the one, that’s great! After all, you do have quite a few fans."
"If people found out you were the victim, who knows what else might happen…"
"Trần Yến, if you just storm out now, this whole thing will get even more interesting~"
These days, Trần Yến is a somewhat well-known local host, and lately she’s been caught up in a romantic scandal.
Riley Johnson’s words were clearly a threat!
Right after that, Riley Johnson kept smiling, but his words sent chills down everyone’s spine.
"It’s been so many years—honestly, the person’s wounds have probably healed by now."
"But if she’s still hiding it, doesn’t that mean she hasn’t really moved on?"
"If that’s the case, then as old friends, shouldn’t we help her finally get past it?"
"I promise, nothing that happens here today will leave this room."
"But if anyone dares to talk…"
"Don’t blame me for what happens next!"
As he finished, Riley Johnson slowly swept his gaze across the room, his threat now laid bare for all to see.
"Alright, let’s keep going!"
"So, who was the victim back then?"