The school hallway buzzed with activity. Students chatted in small groups, their voices mingling with the sounds of clattering lockers and the occasional shouts from across the corridor. I moved through the crowd like a shadow, keeping my head down to avoid everyone’s stares and my shoulders hunched. I had deprived myself of sleep, just the night before, my thoughts were consumed by the horrifying scene I had met at Alex’s mansion.
I really wanted to believe it was all some kind of twisted misunderstanding, but the laughter and the intimacy... it was undeniable. Katie and Nyla, my childhood best friends, had betrayed me in the worst possible way. With my abuser.
As I approached my locker, I heard the familiar, chirpy voices behind me, making my stomach twist.
“Emily!” Katie called out,
