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Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Joycelyn’s Pov
Nathan shook his head in disbelief, his quarterback confidence completely shattered.
“I had no idea any of this happened…”
I nodded calmly. “I knew the bullying wasn’t your fault.”
“Otherwise sleeping with my tormentor’s accomplice would be pretty messed up, right?”
A flicker of hope flashed in his eyes. “So then we could-”
I cut him off before his fantasy could take root. “But you were still her weapon against me. Just as
cruel, just as toxic.”
Ignoring his devastated expression, I drove the knife deeper, each word deliberate:
“Why are you even upset right now?”
“Raven was telling the truth for once.”
“I absolutely used you for revenge.”
“Why should bullies get happy endings while their victims struggle forever?”
“I wanted to take everything she valued.”
“Her class rank. Her boyfriend. Her perfect future.”
“I’m going to personally make sure she spends time behind bars, where every single day reminds her that she lost everything because of her own cruelty–because of every slap, every burn, every
scar she left on me.”
“It’s not revenge. It’s justice.”
“And you? You were just a chess piece I needed to move.”
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Chapter 16
Nathan swayed slightly, steadying himself against the hotel desk before finding his voice.
“Was any of it real?” His voice cracked. “Did you ever feel anything for me? Even for a moment?”
“Of course I did.”
“I liked your face. I enjoyed your body.”
“I just never liked you. Not for a single second.”
As I walked out, I heard a dull thud behind me. Nathan collapsing to the floor.
I didn’t hesitate–I pulled the door shut and heard the automatic lock engage.
By now, Raven was probably already at the police station.
Before meeting Nathan, I’d filed a formal report. Submitted the video as evidence. Had my injuries professionally documented at Boulder Community Hospital. Next would come the lawsuit–I’d already consulted with the best victim advocacy attorneys in Colorado.
Something sharp dug into my palm. I looked down and noticed I’d been gripping the SD card so tightly it had broken skin.
Blood dripped onto the black plastic, instantly losing its color against the dark surface… just like that rainy night…
The downpour had been relentless. Raven and her friends had already left, satisfied with their work. I waited, bleeding and half–conscious, beside a specific car in the parking lot.
When I explained my situation to the car’s owner, her face filled with sympathy but also fear.
“I’m so sorry for what you’re going through, but Principal Green basically runs this town. I can’t risk getting involved. I’m sorry.”
I didn’t push, just limped away in silence.
But the next day, that same woman tracked me down after school, pressing the SD card into my hand with trembling fingers.
Looking at my still–bruised face, she wiped tears from her eyes, voice breaking.
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“I have a daughter your age.”
“No mother could watch what I saw on that footage and do nothing.”
I never told her the truth.
That alley had three exits.
Each exit had cars parked nearby.
Between the black BMW and the gray Volvo, I’d deliberately chosen the third exit–where her pink Tesla covered in glitter decals was parked.
During the worst of Raven’s attack, I’d fought to position myself directly in view of her dashcam.
How manipulative of me.
Calculating enough to play on the maternal instincts of an innocent bystander.
But when life deals you nothing but bad hands, you learn to play each card with absolute precision.
I had no other choice.
Stepping out of the hotel, I noticed the storm from earlier had cleared. The rain had stopped.
Sunlight broke through the clouds, falling equally on everyone below.
Including me.
I blinked against the brightness.
Joycelyn.
If life stops being a constant battle from now on, maybe you’ll finally have the luxury of becoming a
better person.
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