CHAPTER 40
Back in my room, I opened the folder first.
The photo was of me. Drunk. Eyes red, mouth open mid-laugh. Tina beside me, pointing at something outside the frame. A date scribbled in the corner: November 18th.
My stomach dropped.
That was the night of the house party I barely remembered.
The night after which everything shifted.
I plugged in the hard drive. It asked for a password.
Of course.
But this was only the beginning. I wasn’t angry.
I was ready.
The hard drive sat in the corner of my desk like it knew something I didn’t.
I stared at it for almost an hour before doing anything. Not because I was afraid of what I’d find—no, I had already accepted that truth is a violent thing. I waited because I needed to make sure I was ready for how deep this might go.
Mariam h
