Lindsay Night fell heavily upon me, but it did not bring the relief I had hoped for. The sound of the phone vibrating on my coffee table snapped me out of the chaotic mind I was lost in. I knew who it was, but I still looked at the display with a mixture of curiosity and fear. Max. I took a deep
Laura “Hello, Laura! You received the invitation, right?” I heard Melanie's voice on the other end of the line. In the last few days, they only talked about this party she was preparing for her husband's birthday. “I did receive the invitation, and allow me to say that, aesthetically, it’s beauti
Laura “Oh, my God! You guys are so beautiful tonight.” It was Melanie who was approaching us to hug us. Jason and I had just gotten out of our car parked in front of the Williams mansion, a very ostentatious place. To tell the truth, that mansion was the place where my father was born and raised, s
Zoey It was a cold night, but somehow, the anticipation I felt made the environment feel welcoming. Laura, always so generous and friendly, invited me to her brother Albert's birthday party. He was in his 30s, and from what I knew, he was always surrounded by a class of people I only saw in movies
Lindsay Melanie sent me the invitation, but I was so hesitant to confirm my presence at that party because, of course, it was her husband's party, who was Max's best friend, my ex-husband's brother, so I knew Gideon would be there. Zoey didn't need convincing; as soon as she received the invitatio
Zoey The party was in full swing. I didn't know what impressed me more: the undeniable luxury of the decoration or the people walking around, all of them looking like they came out of a movie. The atmosphere was vibrant, but in an elegant way—a play of soft lights and restrained laughter. The dres
Laura I was in a corner of Albert's party with a glass of sparkling wine in my hand, sitting on one of the corners sofas in the company of Ava while she was telling me some gossip, and I was wandering around a little distracted, my gaze in the direction of Jason, who was chatting with some of his f
Lindsay “Oh my Goodness, your brother doesn't stop staring at me like that. Is it because of my dress?” I asked, running my hand over my short, skin-tight dress that I had dared to wear for today. Why not, right? Max Bathory chuckled mischievously. “Maybe Gid is missing your feminine attributes, i
“No choice?” He cut me off, his tone incredulous. “Are you serious? You chose to help Madison make that video. You chose to plug it into the projector. And now Annie’s out there, broken, while you try to run from the responsibility. This doesn’t fix anything, Abby. It wasn’t supposed to end like thi
Abby POV I was there, tucked away in the shadows of the ballroom’s corner, my heart still racing as I watched the chaos I’d helped create unfold. The giant screen kept playing that horrible video, distorted and manipulated clips of Annie echoing through the room like a final verdict. People poin
Annie POV I was still on the dance floor, the warmth of the masked boy’s body against mine, my head resting on his chest as the slow music guided us. The sound of his heartbeat against my ear was almost hypnotic, and I let myself get lost in that feeling I couldn’t quite explain. He’d just said s
I swallowed hard, Caleb’s words coming back to haunt me. “Have you ever stopped to think that maybe we’ve gone too far?” He’d said that at the mall, and I’d hung up on him, but now they echoed in my head. Annie had hurt me, yes. The fight in the dorm, the way she called me fake, like I was trash she
Abby POV I was leaning against the wall of the ballroom, the cup of punch in my hand already warm and forgotten, as I watched Annie dance with that masked boy. The soft lights of the ball cast shadows over them, and even from so far away, you could feel something in the air—a chemistry almost tangi
Anne POV I was there, trying to at least pretend I was enjoying the party with Summer, letting the loud music and spinning lights distract me from the weight pressing on my chest. Summer danced beside me, throwing her arms up with that endless energy of hers, and I tried to keep up, forcing a smile
“She’s an idiot,” Summer said, crossing her arms as she looked at me with concern. “You okay?” “Yeah,” I lied, grabbing a cup of punch just to have something to do with my hands. “I just… I just want this to stop, you know? For people to leave me alone.” Before Summer could reply, I felt him befor
Anne POV It was the day of the freshman ball, and I stood in front of the mirror in my dorm room, the blue dress Summer had insisted I buy staring back at me. The fabric draped lightly over my body, the delicate sleeves and simple cut highlighting my shoulders and collarbone in a way I knew was bea
“Why do you keep hanging out with them, Abby?” he asked, and now there was a note of concern that annoyed me even more. “You know Madison’s not good for you. She uses you, and you let her.” “It’s none of your business,” I shot back, my voice sharp. “I do what I want, Caleb. Bye.” I hung up before h