His Rival, His Mate

Chapter 5: The Weight of it all

Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder by the second. I stood frozen outside the restroom, my hands trembling, the scent of cheap lavender soap mixing with the metallic tinge of blood still lingering in my nose.

A crowd had already started to form. Whispers buzzed like angry wasps.

“Is that her?”

“She pushed Melissa—she just fell and hit her head.”

“I heard Melissa wasn’t even moving…”

“I didn’t mean to,” I kept whispering to no one. “I didn’t mean to.”

But no one listened.

Two paramedics rushed through the doors, wheeling a stretcher between them. One of the girls pointed them toward the restroom. I caught a glimpse of Melissa’s limp body as they carried her out—her usually styled blonde hair stained crimson at the back.

She looked so still. So quiet.

The crowd stepped back as the stretcher passed, but their eyes remained glued to me. Some were horrified. Others triumphant. Some even smug.

I didn’t know how my legs moved, but somehow, I followed the security guard who ordered me to the principal’s office. My stomach twisted and turned with every step. I could still hear Melissa’s friends crying. I could still hear her head hitting the sink.

My heart pounded so violently in my chest I thought it might stop.

⸻

Principal Harrow sat behind his desk, jaw clenched, his expression a mix of fury and disappointment. He didn’t even wait for me to sit.

“Miss Schreave, sit down.”

I obeyed. My knees were weak.

He looked at me with sharp, unforgiving eyes. “I can’t even begin to express how disappointed I am. You were one of our best students. Even with the academic integrity issue, I was ready to give you the benefit of the doubt. A retake. A second chance. But now?”

I swallowed hard. “It was an accident. I didn’t mean to—”

“Accident?” he cut me off. “You pushed a student. On school grounds. She hit her head and passed out. There’s blood on the floor and trauma to her skull.”

“I just—she was taunting me. She framed me. I—I didn’t know my push was—”

“Enough!” he snapped. “Your parents are on their way. Until then, you will remain here. This incident is no longer something the school can handle quietly.”

I buried my face in my hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it…”

I repeated it over and over like a mantra, hoping it would change reality. That somehow, the sincerity of my guilt would undo the damage.

The office door creaked open. My parents entered, pale and wide-eyed.

“Imogen?” my mom whispered, rushing to my side. “What happened?”

“She attacked another student,” Principal Harrow answered coldly. “The same student involved in the cheating scandal. Melissa Crawfords. She hit her hard enough to cause head trauma. We had to call an ambulance.”

“Oh my God…” My mom’s face went pale.

My dad blinked slowly, his mouth a thin, tight line. “Is she—Melissa—okay?”

There was a knock on the door. The secretary poked her head in. “Principal Harrow, there’s a call from the hospital.”

The principal held up a finger and answered. “Yes? Yes, this is him.”

We sat in silence. My heartbeat pounded in my ears.

“I see. Thank you for the update. Please keep us informed.”

He hung up and turned to us.

“She’s out of surgery. Conscious. Stable.” His voice was devoid of relief. “Her parents are furious. Mr. Crawfords—Melissa’s father—is one of the school’s major stakeholders. He’s demanding action.”

“We’ll pay the medical expenses,” my dad blurted out. “All of it. We’ll cover everything—just please, don’t ruin her future.”

Principal Harrows looked down at his hands, as if trying to calm himself. “Mr. Crawfords doesn’t care about expenses. He wants your daughter expelled and blacklisted.”

“What?” my mom gasped. “That’s too much! She didn’t mean to hurt her!”

“She’s lucky she’s not being arrested,” the principal said flatly. “This is assault. And while I personally believe this was not premeditated, it’s not my call anymore.”

“She’s seventeen!” my mom cried. “She’s not violent. She’s never even been in detention!”

“Until now,” Principal Harrow said. “She was our top student. This is… devastating for all of us. But Mr. Crawfords insists, and given his standing, I have no authority to overrule the board’s interests.”

My hands clutched my shirt tightly. My voice cracked when I spoke. “Please… I didn’t mean it. I was shocked, too. I didn’t think—I didn’t know she’d get hurt.”

Principal Harrow’s expression softened—just a little. “We’re going to issue a formal expulsion letter. It’ll go on your record. I advise you to lawyer up, if your parents intend to sue.”

My parents exchanged glances.

⸻

We drove home in silence. The car felt colder than usual. The wind outside blew harshly against the windows, and my mom kept glancing back at me like I’d turned into someone she didn’t recognize.

When we got home, I sat on the living room couch, numb. My parents sat across from me, their eyes filled with more than just disappointment—there was hurt. Deep, confused hurt.

My mom was the first to speak.

“We didn’t raise you to be this kind of person.”

“I’m not!” I shot back, finally snapping. “I’m not like that! You know I’m not!”

My dad leaned forward. “We just wanted you to have an average life, Imogen. Study well. Make friends. Graduate. Maybe fall in love with a decent person. That’s it. Not… whatever this is.”

I clenched my fists. “You think I wanted this to happen? That I planned this?”

My mom sighed. “Then explain it to us.”

I looked at them—really looked—and finally let it all pour out.

“She framed me,” I whispered. “Melissa. She planted fake evidence and told everyone I cheated. She even admitted it to her friends. I heard her say it in the restroom. I lost everything. My grades, my reputation… and then she laughed like it was some game.”

My father blinked. My mother’s lips parted.

“I was so angry… but I wasn’t trying to hurt her. I just pushed her back. I didn’t think I pushed her that hard. It was like… something surged through me. Like I wasn’t in control of my strength for a second. Like I was someone else.”

My voice broke again. “I swear… I didn’t mean it.”

The room fell into an eerie silence.

My parents exchanged a look. A long, weighted one.

My mother’s fingers trembled slightly as she reached for my father’s hand. He looked back at her, something hesitant in his eyes.

Then—he nodded slowly.

As if they both knew something I didn’t.

As if they’d been waiting for this moment.

“What?” I asked quietly, eyes narrowing. “Why are you looking at each other like that?”

They didn’t answer.

But something in their silence… made my stomach twist.

“You’re hiding something,” I said. “Aren’t you?”

My mom opened her mouth to speak—

And then everything went black.