Medal in Hand: A Stand for Justice

In the video, Giselle was backed into the corner by the bullies. They lined up, each taking a turn to slap her while she curled into herself and helplessly sobbed.

One of them shoved the phone in her face for a close-up, mocking, "Someone like her, with no mom or dad who cares, was born for us to mess with."

My hand trembled as I held the phone. I couldn't watch another second of it.

Along with the video came a taunting message from Harold. He wrote, "Enjoying the show, old geezer? If you don't sign the statement, I'll upload this online, and your granddaughter will be a laughingstock."

Then, he sent another image. This time, it was one of a skinned rabbit.

Rabbits were Giselle's favorite animal.

My whole body shook with fury as I replied, "Don't you think this is too much?"

Harold shot back, "So what if I'm crossing the line? What can you do? I've got family in the courthouse. Around here, even murder gets swept under the rug, let alone assault.

"Your granddaughter is the one who's screwed. She'll spend her whole life living under the shadow of being bullied."

When I tried to reply again, I realized he had already blocked me.

…

I reached out to various law firms, but every attorney told me the same thing—they couldn't take the case and wouldn't dare to either.

The Fleming family was exactly as Louis had said. They had powerful connections, with relatives in the courthouse pulling strings for them.

Was justice for Giselle truly out of reach?

…

Giselle's mental state kept getting worse. Night after night, she struggled to fall asleep. Even when she did, nightmares would jolt her awake.

Through tears, she told me that she was too afraid to close her eyes. Every time she did, she relived the day Tricia and her friends tormented her.

It gutted me to hear Giselle say that. I pulled her into my arms, and she wept uncontrollably against me.

"Grandpa, I dreamed about Mom and Dad," she said. "They took me to the amusement park, holding me as we played together. But before long, they got called away for a mission.

"They said the country needed them for a while, and once the job was done, they'd come back home. Grandpa… when will the country give them back to me?

"If Mom and Dad were here, nobody would ever pick on me just because I don't have parents. Why don't bad people ever get punished?"

I stared at Giselle's pale face, completely at a loss for words. Right then, sorrow and helpless rage crashed over me like a tidal wave.