BEAUTIFUL LIAR

CHAPTER 2

"Vivian! Thomas!" The voices of Galatier and Emma interrupted immediately. They both walked straight to our table.

Galatier, Thomas's younger sister, was absolutely stunning. Long, sleek black hair, a perfectly toned and sexy body, and sun-kissed skin that looked flawless. She was basically fire with a pretty face, sitting down so quickly she barely got her ass on the seat before she started speaking at full speed.

"Hey, I've got some crazy news to share!!" she said, practically bubbling with excitement.

"Galatier!" Emma shot her a warning look, signaling her to keep quiet.

"What?" Galatier glanced at Emma, not understanding the point of stopping.

"Ugh, what is it now?" Emma said, speaking in a bit of a hesitant tone, clearly uncomfortable with what was coming.

"Why keep it a secret? It'll be all over the school in no time," Galatier argued back, totally unbothered.

"So, apparently, the cheerleading squad is gossiping about Megan hooking up with Tyler last night in the sports equipment room," she said, her voice dripping with drama.

My eyes widened in shock, unable to believe what I was hearing. My heart felt like it was shattering, breaking into a million pieces. Tyler... with Megan?

Megan. That girl was basically the hottest thing on fire. Blonde, with waves of shiny golden hair that glimmered like the sun, a body that was all curves—everyone in school wanted a piece of her. Every guy, that is, except for Thomas, since he was gay.

But Tyler... I never saw him interested in her at all. He barely even glanced at her, even though she made every move to get his attention. I didn't believe this for a second. There's no way.

"Megan's probably just making up some bullshit for attention, seriously. Tyler's never shown interest in her before, and the only one spreading this crap is Megan herself," Emma said.

"But, you know, people actually saw them together. Tyler and Megan, like, getting pretty damn close," Galatier added, raising her eyebrows and looking at me as if she was expecting me to react.

The entire group's eyes turned to me. I could feel their pity, except for Thomas. He was sitting there, his face unreadable as always, but those emerald eyes were still fixed on me, watching me closely, seeing my shock, probably waiting for me to fall apart.

"I don't believe it!" I snapped, not ready to accept the truth. "Megan's just a drama queen. She's always doing whatever she can to get the spotlight, trying to make every guy fall for her.

And this s**t? It's coming straight from her mouth, so no way I'm buying it."

Ding — Galatier's phone buzzed with a notification, and she immediately glanced at it. Her face dropped in shock as she stared at the screen.

"Look! I told you it was real," she said, showing us the screen. It was an i********: post from one of Megan's cheerleader friends.

The photo showed Tyler in his hockey gear, getting all touchy-feely with Megan, kissing her passionately outside the gym. And the post had over 3,000 likes in just under five minutes.

I looked at the screen, my heart sinking when I saw Tyler with Megan. His arms wrapped around her, one hand grabbing her ass as they made out. I felt like my heart had just been ripped out and crushed in an instant. My eyes burned, and I couldn't speak. I was in complete shock.

"I'm going home," I said, standing up without waiting for anyone to respond. I grabbed my bag and walked away, moving so fast it felt like I was flying.

Emma and Galatier tried to stop me, but I didn't care. I was already out the door, and I didn't look back.

I stormed out of Honeycup, my chest tightening like someone had just driven a knife straight through my heart. It wasn't just pain—it was frustration, regret, and a thousand what-ifs slamming into me all at once. I had so many chances to talk to Tyler. So many.

Tyler always smiled at me when we passed each other in the school hallways. Sometimes, he even said hi—his voice warm and effortless, like it cost him nothing to acknowledge me.

Maybe he only did it out of politeness, since I was always hanging around Thomas, his best friend. But instead of responding, instead of looking up and meeting his gaze, I always chickened out. Kept my head down. Walked away.

And now, I was paying the price for it.

I walked aimlessly along the long stretch of road that led home, my sneakers scuffing against the pavement. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. I repeated the words like a mantra, like they could somehow force my emotions back into submission. Crying is not an option. I won't let myself cry over this.

But despite my best efforts, a single tear slipped down my cheek. Then another. And another. My face stayed silent, my lips pressed together in a stubborn line, but my heart felt like it was breaking into a million tiny, irreparable pieces.

Before I even realized it, I was standing in front of my house.

My dad worked night shifts as a security guard, leaving for work in the afternoon and only coming back just before dawn. That meant I only ever saw him in the mornings, just long enough for a quick breakfast before he passed out from exhaustion. My mom, who had divorced my dad years ago, still lived in Thailand and never came to visit.

So, as always, I was alone.

It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. At least this way, I didn't have to answer questions. Didn't have to explain the tears in my eyes or pretend I wasn't completely, utterly destroyed inside.

I unlocked the door, stepped inside, and headed straight to my room. As soon as I collapsed onto my bed, I grabbed my phone and opened i********:.

My fingers hovered over the search bar. I didn't follow Megan, but she always left her account public, which meant I could snoop as much as I wanted. But when I checked, she hadn't posted anything new.

Ugh.

I switched tactics and checked one of her friends' stories instead.

And that's when I saw it.

A blurry, low-quality photo of Megan and Tyler.

Kissing.

My breath caught in my throat.

Even though the photo wasn't clear, even though it was taken from a distance, I could still tell it was them. Megan and Tyler. Together.

I scrolled down to the comments.

"They're perfect for each other." — @randomuser1 (tagging Tyler)

"The ultimate power couple!" — @randomuser2 (also tagging Tyler)

"Slut." — @hateraccount (tagging Megan, of course.)

"Tyler, is this you??" — @nosyclassmate

I held my breath. My fingers trembled as I waited—until finally, Tyler himself responded.

"That's not me."

My eyes widened.

In an instant, my heartbreak and sadness vanished. They were replaced by something else—something light, something hopeful.

Yes. I believed him. Instantly. Without question. Because it had to be true.

He said it wasn't him.

So it wasn't him!

I swiped at my tear-streaked cheeks and typed a comment, my hands moving faster than my brain.

"That's DEFINITELY not Tyler." — (from: LemonIceCream97)

There. Posted.

I stared at the screen, my heartbeat still racing. This was my alt account, my anonymous account. No one knew it was me. I never posted personal pictures, never wrote anything that revealed my identity. The only people who followed me were g*****a, Emma, and Thomas—my two best friends and Tyler's best friend.

But then—

DING——

1 new follower.

I stared at the notification in shock.

Tyler!? Tyler just followed me.

I shot up from my bed so fast that my phone almost slipped from my hands. My heart was pounding so loud, I could hear it in my ears.

What the hell? Did he know it was me?!

No. No way. He couldn't possibly know.

...Could he?

I scanned my profile again, just to be sure. There were no pictures of me. No name. Just photos of ice cream, cakes, and random food I'd eaten. The entire account looked more like a food diary than anything else.

But then I realized something horrifying.

The only three people following me were g*****a, Emma, and Thomas.

And I was always seen with them.

It wouldn't take a genius to figure out who this account belonged to.

Shit.

Why did I comment? WHY did I comment?!

DING——

Another message.

Emma: "Are you okay, Viv? Don't overthink it too much, alright?"

Sweet, gentle Emma. Always checking in on me.

Me: "I'm fine!" (+ smiley emoji to make it believable.)

Emma: "Just wanted to remind you—we have a chemistry test tomorrow!"

...

What.

A wave of absolute panic surged through me.

A chemistry test.

TOMORROW.

And I FORGOT?!!!

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god—!"

I was so busy being heartbroken over Tyler, I completely forgot about school. My mom—my strict, Asian Mom's would kill me if I got anything less than an A. She was already disappointed that I wasn't a straight-A student in chemistry.

If I got a B+ again?

She'd literally fly here from Thailand, wooden spoon in hand, ready to whoop my ass.

Ding—-

Another message.

Emma sent a photo of her chemistry notes.

I nearly cried.

Emma. My angel. My guardian deity.

I sucked in a deep breath, pushed all thoughts of Tyler aside, and forced myself to focus.

It was study time.

And if I didn't get my act together, my mom was going to be the next person I cried over.