CHAPTER 1

Winter’s P.O.V.

Did I just win? The thought echoed in my mind as I walked toward my locker, still buzzing from the announcement. I had been crowned Miss Eastwood 2024—me, Winter, the new girl who had only transferred here a few months ago. The reality of it hadn’t fully sunk in yet. I did it. I beat Marah, I thought, a smile tugging at my lips. The look on her face when they placed that crown on my head was priceless.

Every snide comment and cold shoulder she had thrown my way was wiped clean in that one moment. But it wasn’t until I reached my locker that I felt the need to pinch myself. Eastwood University was a new world—new people, new struggles, and of course, Marah, the queen bee. From the moment I stepped onto this campus, she saw me as a threat. And now, I had proven her right. I wasn’t just another girl to be pushed aside. It was Winter, and I was here to stay.

Ever since I was little, my mom always entered me in beauty contests. She said I had beautiful features: a small face, a pointed nose, plump lips, and long beautiful black hair. But even with that, competition has always been part of my life because most of the people I competed against were angry at me. And one of them is Marah, the Queen B of the school.

I opened my locker, the creak of the metal door slicing through the murmurs of congratulatory voices. As I reached for my books, something slipped out from between them—a note. My heart skipped as I recognized the familiar handwriting. Ralph. His notes had become a small joy in my day. Over the past month, Ralph had been more than just a suitor; he had been sweet, attentive, and genuinely kind—or so I thought. I unfolded the note, my heart fluttering. Meet me at the back gate of the school. I have something for you. His words were simple, yet they set my pulse racing.

"Could this be something special?" I wondered, tucking the note into my bag as I closed my locker.

The corridors were clearing as people began to head home, but I wasn’t done. There was still something I wanted to do. My feet quickened as I headed toward the back gate, my excitement growing with each step. The cool evening air brushed against my skin, the sun dipping low on the horizon and casting long shadows on the ground.

But as I reached the back of the lab room, a strange feeling settled in my chest. Something wasn’t right. The excitement that had filled me moments ago began to fade, replaced by a creeping unease. Why here? The area was too quiet, too still, the shadows stretching out ominously as the last light of day disappeared behind the trees. I paused for a moment, then pulled the door open. Instead of Ralph’s warm smile, I was greeted by cold, hard stares. Amara, Marah’s best friend, stood there with two other girls from Marah’s clique, their faces cold and unwelcoming. What the—?

Fear shot through me, and I took a step back, but before I could run, a strong hand clamped over my mouth. Ralph? Relief started to seep in, but it evaporated just as quickly. His grip was tight, too tight, and when I looked up at him, the warmth I had believed in was nowhere to be found. His eyes were cold, devoid of the kindness I’d thought was real.

This isn’t the Ralph I know. What’s going on?

Panic set in as I fought against his hold, but it was no use. Amara and the others closed in, dragging me into the darkness outside. My heart pounded, every beat a desperate plea for help. "This can’t be happening. Ralph… why are you doing this?"

Amara’s voice cut through the terror, blade-sharp. “Surprised? Clueless, or were you just lying to yourself?” she sneered, her voice venomous. No, this isn’t real. Ralph can’t be with her. He’s different. He cares about me—But the cold truth began to set in: he wasn’t different. He was just like them, and I’d been nothing but a pawn in their game.

“Since you came here, my school year has been a nightmare. And you believed in Ralph? He’s my boyfriend, you bitch!” Her words hit me like a punch, leaving me breathless. Ralph… her boyfriend?

Ralph didn’t say anything but began to tie my hands to the tree. Hands that had touched mine so delicately were now binding me without a hint of hesitation. “You were easy to fool, Winter,” he said flatly. “Did you think I’d trade a two-year girlfriend for a transfer student like you? Hell no.”

The bitterness in his voice cut deep, and immediate tears welled up in my eyes. How could I have been so stupid? I thought I knew him, but I was wrong. So wrong. The pain in my heart was unbearable—not from the ropes digging into my wrists, but from the betrayal of someone I had trusted.

“What’s wrong with you?” I whispered, trembling. “No, you’re not like them…” But the truth hit me: he was just like them, and I was a fool to think otherwise.

Amara’s laughter, cold and cruel, echoed in the darkening woods. “There’s a rumor about a beast in these woods,” she said casually, cruelty dripping from her voice. “We’re going to leave you here and let you find out.”

This can’t be happening, I thought as I struggled against the ropes, but they held fast. The fear inside me grew, becoming a living thing, gnawing at my sanity. What if the rumors are true? The thought of being left here, alone, in the dark, with who knows what lurking in the shadows, was more terrifying than anything I’d ever imagined.

One of Amara’s minions, set a camera nearby, her face alight with malicious excitement. “Let’s see if Prince Charming turns into a beast at night,” she jeered, her words twisted in dark amusement.

I hardly acknowledged it as Ralph finished the knots. The man who once seemed so harmless, so concerned, now stared at me with a blank expression. This wasn’t the Ralph I knew. But it was undeniable—he had played me, just like the rest of them.

“Bye, bitches,” Amara spat as she disappeared into the darkness with the others. Their snickers trailed after them as I was left at the mercy of the ropes binding me to the tree, strangled by the darkness closing in around me. Every last bit of daylight vanished, leaving me shrouded in shadows and the deafening silence of the forest.

“We shall see whether the rumors about Hadson are true. See you tomorrow,” Amara’s voice floated back through the trees, a final taunt that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Or maybe we’ll just see your corpse,” Maribelle added with a wicked grin as they vanished into the night.