Chapter 7 - The Leverage ListThe spreadsheet contained forty-three students.
Jordan was number thirty-eight.
Beside some names were notes.
Parents divorced.
Needs recommendation.
Financial aid dependent.
Mother difficult.
Father donor.
Can afford consulting.
Beside Jordan:
High scores. Low income. Franklin finalist. Problem if selected over L.
Angela read the line three times.
Problem.
Her son had been reduced to a problem.
Investigators found dates showing the file had been edited from Mrs. Whitmore’s home computer.
Daniel Whitmore denied creating it.
Lucas said he had seen his mother use it.
Mrs. Whitmore’s attorney called it “informal planning.”
Then investigators matched names to Whitmore Academic Consulting invoices.
Families marked needs recommendation were disproportionately likely to receive sales emails from Daniel’s company.
Families marked can afford consulting received premium packages.
Families that purchased services often received favorable school opportunities.
Not always.
Enough to raise serious questions.
The district attorney’s office was notified about possible misuse of confidential student information.
No charges were announced.
Not yet.
Jordan asked Angela:
“Is she going to jail?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you want her to?”
Angela thought carefully.
“I want her unable to hurt children.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only honest one.”
Jordan understood.
Revenge felt simple when he pictured Mrs. Whitmore holding the ruler.
Reality became harder once Lucas existed.
A frightened kid whose mother had turned his success into an obsession.
If Mrs. Whitmore fell, Lucas fell with her.
May you like
That didn’t mean she should escape consequences.
It meant consequences had shadows.
Related Stories
