Chapter 4

The entire boutique fell dead silent.

A few seconds later, the crowd caught on, and hands started shoving me violently.

The sharp pain of nails and fists tore across my shoulders.

"It is her! The girl from that huge scandal years ago! The one who bullied her own homeroom teacher until she leapt to her death!"

"She was her favorite teacher! I heard the teacher called her right before she died, and she ignored it!"

"She drove that poor woman into severe depression! Mrs. Vance was an angel! My own daughter was in her class... how could you be so evil?!"

I curled into the corner, letting their blows and curses rain down on me.

Memories came crashing back.

Back in high school, before Vivian and I reached this point of destruction.

Vivian had bullied me relentlessly.

Locking me in bathroom stalls, dumping filthy mop water over my head, tearing up my assignments, framing me for stealing.

I had survived all of that.

What broke me completely was Mrs. Vance.

Behind Julian's back, Vivian had targeted his own mother with the exact same venomous cruelty.

By the time I discovered the truth, Mrs. Vance was already gone.

Not a single soul believed that Vivian was the monster behind it.

Everyone pointed their fingers at me.

Even Julian.

"Enough!"

Julian's voice finally cut through the chaos.

He stood over me, looking down at my bruised face for several seconds.

Then, turning to the furious crowd, he said quietly,

"Everyone, please. She is mentally ill. My mother's soul in heaven will forgive her."

With that, he seized my arm and dragged me out of the bridal shop.

I stumbled blindly as he shoved me into the backseat of his car.

Vivian slid into the passenger side, letting out a perfectly timed, tearful sniffle:

"Julian... Rainie probably didn't mean to do it back then... I'm sure your mother has forgiven her from heaven..."

"She's used her illness as an excuse to do so many awful things over the years, and we've always tolerated it, haven't we..."

Before she could finish, Julian slammed his fist onto the steering wheel.

The horn blared in a deafening, shrill wail.

No one spoke.

Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt on the deserted highway shoulder.

Julian turned his head, his eyes freezing cold.

"Lorraine, they were right."

"You have no heart."

He kicked his door open and yanked open the door to my seat.

"Walk back yourself. If you can't make it home, you don't eat tonight. Consider it penance for your sins."

Vivian leaned out from the front, sounding worried. "Julian... what if Rainie tries to hurt herself again..."

Julian cut her off, his voice void of any human warmth.

"If she dies, she dies. Going to hell is where she belongs."

The door slammed shut. The luxury sedan sped away into the distance.

Scraping my bloody palms against the asphalt, I pushed myself up.

Clutching the guardrail along the highway, I took one staggering step after another.

I remembered high school.

The time I scored top marks in the district, and Mrs. Vance praised me warmly in front of the entire class.

That afternoon, Vivian trapped me in the restroom stall, forcing my head down toward the dirty toilet bowl:

"Oh, look at the star student. Think you're special? Your nightmare is just getting started."

For a long time, the days crawled by like torture, and I thought I wouldn't survive it.

Then Julian stepped into my life.

I thought I had found my savior.

Later, he was the one who drove the deepest daggers into my chest:

"Rain, stop making up these ridiculous stories. Vivian is kind and sweet. She could never do those things."

"You're just too paranoid. Should we book an appointment with a psychiatrist?"

"Your illness is getting worse. Snap out of it."

I walked for hours.

Night fell completely. Blisters burst beneath the soles of my shoes.

My body gave out, and I collapsed onto the freezing pavement.

A dull thud echoed as my head struck the curb, warm blood trickling down my temple.

Lying in the dirt, a bitter smile touched my lips.

What a shame. I was so close to finally getting away.

My vision blurred into gray. I slowly let my eyes close.

At the very same moment, across town.

Vivian twirled before the mirror in her custom lace wedding gown.

"Julian, do I look pretty?"

Julian stood staring blankly at the city lights outside the window, his brow furrowed tight.

Vivian walked over, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Don't worry, Julian. Rainie used to walk home on her own all the time. She knows the route."

"Yeah. Let's go. The ceremony is starting."

Julian stepped up to the podium, taking the microphone from the host.

"Thank you all for coming today to celebrate—"

Right then, a bodyguard stumbled through the double doors, gasping for breath:

"Mr. Vance... Miss Vance... she's dead."