LOGINKassidy's POVA week and some days later, while waiting outside the courtroom on the day of Richard's sentencing, I sat on a long wooden bench, clutching my purse against my lap. I kept staring at the double doors of the courtroom. The courthouse hallway was wide and cold. I had worn my Sunday best—a navy blue dress and a pair of white kitten heels that I was starting to regret choosing for this, because it only added to my discomfort.I hadn't told any of my friends about the hearing, because I wanted to be here alone. Celeste didn't even know the date had been set, and neither did Bree and Simone and the others. If they were here, they would be watching me, worrying and fussing over me, and I couldn't handle that pressure. I needed to face this by myself, to prove that I could stand on my own feet without leaning on anyone else.Just as I was on the brink of anxiety, a shadow fell over me, and I looked up to see a familiar face."Oh, hi, Caleb!"Caleb, the law student I had met back
Kassidy’s POVThe news of the civil and criminal lawsuits against Richard Deering broke the internet. Because of his massive multi-million dollar company, his name was always trending on business forums, but now it was everywhere for a different reason. I couldn’t open a single social media app without seeing our names side by side. The comments sections were a total warzone too. Some people believed me, posting messages of solidarity and demand for accountability, while some believed Richard, claiming I was just a bitter student trying to cash out on a wealthy man’s legacy. Still, that didn’t stop some of his other victims from showing up with proof of how he had harmed them. Within forty-eight hours of the initial filing at Bellick & McLannen, three other women came forward anonymously on the internet, sharing old text messages and non-disclosure agreements that proved Richard had a long history of doing this exact same thing.I had also moved out of the apartment and taken up lod
Kassidy's POVAn hour later, I stepped off the bus two blocks away from Sal's Pizza Place, the cold winter air biting at my cheeks as I hurried down the sidewalk. My mind was spent from the meeting at Bellick and McLannen Law Firm. I pushed through the employee entrance at Sal's, quickly tied my apron around my waist, and tried to lose myself in the regular routine of filling napkin holders and prepping the pizza dough. It was hard but I had to do what I had to do. I couldn't afford to make a mistake.But then a few hours into my shift, Marco came to the back with an angry look on his face. “There is a man out in the dining section. He demands to see you right now.”I wiped my hands on my apron, a sudden wave of nervousness washing over me as I followed Marco out
Kassidy POVA few days later, I tried to put off all thoughts of Roman as I was called to come and see the lawyers who were in charge of my case against his father. The office building in downtown Minnesota was tall and gray, and covered in tinted glass that reflected the cold January sky. I walked through the heavy revolving doors, feeling like I was walking into a trap as I took the elevator up to the twelfth floor. When the doors slid open, I found myself in an equally gray reception area that smelled of leather books and fresh coffee.A young man was sitting behind a large brown desk, sorting through a tall stack of blue folders. A large plaque behind him read: Bellick and McLannen Law Firm. He looked up as I approached, offering a warm smile that instantly made me feel a little less anxious.
Kassidy's POVCeleste managed to calm me down, setting me on my bed and going downstairs to fetch me a glass of water. The moment she was gone, I picked up my phone again, this time dialing a different number.I held the phone to my ear with a shaking hand, listening to the hollow ringing sound until his voice finally broke through the line. Eli sounded exhausted, his tone flat and dead. Before he could apologize or try to explain away his absence, I cut him off.“I know, Eli,” I said, my voice remarkably steady despite the chaos spinning around my head. “Celeste showed me the documents and Piper told me everything about your father and what happened that night. But we need to talk. Right now.”
Kassidy's POVThe room became blurry as a wild, hot rage took total control of my body. I snatched my phone off the mattress, my fingers shaking so violently I almost dropped it twice before shoving the screen to my face and dialing Piper's number. The phone didn't even ring twice before she picked up, her breathing heavy on the other end."Kassidy?" She called out."How could you do this to me?" I screamed into the receiver, standing up from my bed and pacing the floorboards like a caged animal. "How could you let me carry this for years, Piper? You looked me straight in the eyes and told me you didn't see anyone do anything to me! You let me believe I was crazy for asking questions!""Whoa, hey, what are you talki
Kassidy's POVI sat through the rest of that evening with a smile nailed to my face. That might have been one of the hardest thing I had done since moving to Minnesota. It was all I could do not to cross the room and shut Richard Deering up with my fist.This man talked and talked, and everyone els
Eli's POVAfter Kassidy left, I sat on the bench in the locker room with my helmet between my knees and stared at the floor tiles, and I thought about her.I did that more than I wanted to admit. More than was reasonable or fair to anyone involved, including myself. She had been living in my house
Kassidy's POVI got home at half past seven, still turning over everything I had seen at the mixer in my head. Still thinking about it, I pushed open my bedroom door... and stopped dead in my tracks. Eli was lying on my bed. His shoes were off, one arm folded under his head. His eyes were closed,
Kassidy's POVThe test had been a disaster of biblical proportions, and I was still thinking about it when I walked out of the lecture hall and nearly collided with the two girls from earlier."Hey!" The first girl with the afro grabbed my arm to steady me. "How do you think you did?""Terribly," I







