LauraJason was still kneeling before me on the floor, looking at me with tears in his eyes and a decadent appearance. After I spoke, he got up and wiped his face, trying to compose himself. "Well, indeed, it's late anyway," he said, sighing. "You can use the bathroom if you want."I nodded, gettin
Laura "Laura… What are you doing?" Jason sputtered through his mouth, trying to cling to some consciousness. "This is dangerous, you might regret it tomorrow." His hand was cautiously on my shoulder, ready to move me away if necessary or to pull me closer, our faces inches away from each other, our
"No, it's okay. It's just that it's been a while since I... I haven't gone out with anyone, my body just needs to get used to it," I explained as best I could in a way that didn't embarrass me. "How long have you been without having sex?" He asked, still worried and maybe a little curious. "Five
AvaIt was very early in the morning when I woke up and went to use the bathroom, but I left there frustrated because I discovered that there was no warm water in the bathroom for me to cleanse myself, so I ended up doing nothing. I went back to the room and sat on the bed, shaking my husband's sho
Laura Jason ordered breakfast for us, and he was eating and talking to Annie as if they had known each other for a long time, it was incredible how well they two got along. "Yes, Ava. Annie was with Jason this whole time," I said, explaining to my friend on the phone while watching Annie and Jaso
Laura "You are jealous?" I asked him while we were still looking deeply at each other, so close to each other. "Of course I am," he replied curtly, and I couldn't stop the corners of my lips from turning up in a smile. "That never happened," I said to him. Jason had never been jealous of me bef
Laura "What? W-what are you talking about…?" I stammered, feeling my throat dry as I felt terribly judged by Richard and Ava's scrutinizing gazes, it was as if they were reading my soul in search of the truth. "Good heavens, what's all the fuss about? Even Annie could sense that something wasn't
When Richard left and it was just me and my daughter, as night had already fallen, I received a call from the number I recognized as Jason's. What did he want now? "Laura speaking," I said as soon as I answered. "Hello. You've had a pretty busy house today, haven't you?" He said with a light and
Caleb, Abby, Madison, Nadia—they all spun through my head like a broken carousel. I wanted to tell my parents everything, collapse and ask for help, but the thought of seeing disappointment in their eyes—or worse, them trying to intervene at Oxwell to “save” me—made me swallow the words. I had to fi
Annie POV It was the weekend, and I was at home, trying to take deep breaths and pretend everything was okay. The Oxwell campus was a few hours away, giving me temporary relief from the chaos my life had become. Here, with my parents and the twins, I could at least try to be the old Annie—the exc
Max POV Walking beside someone who’d once meant so much to me felt strange. I couldn’t stop thinking that our breakup had been a waste, couldn’t stop remembering how happy I’d been with this guy, only to ruin it all because of my ego, because of a toxic fixation I had on Albert. Conrad Adams walke
Max POV was stunned when Albert told me that, my mouth even went dry because I wasn’t expecting to hear it. Conrad Adams was back. He was my boyfriend in my early twenties. I met him through Albert, who was close friends with him during the dark days of his family’s company. Conrad was a good guy
Max POV I was driving through the city with the radio on low, just a background murmur to keep the silence from swallowing me whole, when my phone buzzed on the dashboard. Zoey. Of course it was her. The girl had already wormed her way into my house like a high-heeled parasite, and now, apparently,
Annie POV After the moment at the mall, I returned to the dorm with a tight chest, carrying the bags with the blue dress Summer had insisted I buy. The plan was to distract myself, but Madison’s words—“racist,” “canceled piece of trash”—spun in my head like a broken record, mingling with Nadia’s re
When I met her last week at a council meeting, I could tell she’d be a challenge—confident, charismatic, the type who knew how to play the game. “Ugh, Madison Goodwin is here too. What a rotten day,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes. Of course Abby would get close to Madison—she was her adopted cousin.
Annie POV I was still trying to process everything that had happened at the square. Caleb’s words—“I hope you suffer”—mixed with Nadia’s ultimatum about my revoked candidacy had left me in pieces. My dream of leading the student council, something I saw as the first step toward following in my mom’
Annie POV I was still sitting on the bench in the square, the echo of Caleb’s words reverberating in my head like thunder that wouldn’t fade. "I hope you suffer." He had shoved the bouquet of pink flowers against my chest and stormed off, leaving me with a mix of shock, anger, and something that