My Arrogant Stepbrother

27 : The Exposé

By Monday morning, the weight of what we were about to do pressed down on me like a second skin.

Jason had the file ready: screenshots, texts, proof of Chelsea’s manipulations. Maya had helped organize it all into one clear, undeniable story. And me? I was the face of it—the one who would stand in front of everyone and call Chelsea out.

The thought made my stomach churn, but deep down, I knew it was the only way to end this.

⸻

The opportunity came at the weekly assembly. The entire school gathered in the auditorium, restless chatter filling the air. Chelsea sat near the front with her friends, looking smug, her phone clutched in her hand like a weapon.

Jason leaned close to me, his whisper steady and grounding. “You don’t have to do this. Say the word, and I’ll handle it.”

I shook my head. “No. This ends with me. She started it by trying to control me, and I’m the one who’s going to take that power back.”

He studied me for a moment, then nodded, pride flickering in his eyes.

⸻

When the principal invited announcements from the student body, my legs moved before fear could stop them. The microphone felt heavy in my hands, my voice trembling as I began.

“I wasn’t planning to speak today,” I said, my voice carrying across the auditorium. “But I think there’s something everyone here deserves to know.”

The room quieted instantly. All eyes turned to me. Including Chelsea’s.

I swallowed hard. “For weeks now, I’ve been dealing with harassment. Blackmail. Lies. Someone here thought they could control me by threatening to expose a secret.” My voice wavered but didn’t break. “But the thing about secrets is—they lose their power when you tell the truth yourself.”

A ripple of whispers spread through the crowd. Chelsea shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

I held up my phone, projecting the screenshots onto the big screen behind me. Maya had synced everything perfectly. Texts, messages, proof of Chelsea’s schemes—one after another, they flashed for everyone to see. Her threats to me. Her manipulation of others. The way she collected dirt on people and used it against them.

Gasps filled the room.

“This is Chelsea,” I said firmly. “This is what she’s been doing to me, to Jason, to others. She thinks power comes from fear. But I’m done being afraid. And I think I’m not the only one.”

For a moment, silence.

Then, voices rose—angry, shocked, betrayed. Students turned on Chelsea, some glaring, others whispering harshly. Her friends shifted away from her, their faces pale.

Chelsea shot to her feet, her voice shrill. “This is fake! She made all of this up!”

Jason stood then, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Really? Then maybe you can explain why half the people in this room have the same stories about you.”

Maya raised her hand from the crowd. “She blackmailed me too.”

Another voice chimed in. Then another. Soon, half the auditorium was buzzing with testimonies.

Chelsea’s face drained of color. Her phone slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor.

For the first time since this began, she wasn’t smirking. She wasn’t in control.

She was exposed.

⸻

When I stepped off the stage, my knees shook, but Jason was there instantly, steadying me with his hand.

“You were incredible,” he whispered, his eyes fierce with pride.

I let out a shaky laugh. “I thought I was going to faint.”

“You didn’t.” He leaned closer, his voice low. “You burned her empire to the ground.”

And for the first time in weeks, I felt free.