Chapter 9

****Ten years ago****

He was there, standing by his locker, pulling out a fresh set of clothes. His hair was damp with sweat, his muscles tense from playing ball. Jace had always been into sports—always surrounded by people, always just a little out of reach.

This was my moment.

I could hear my heart pounding with every step I took toward him. My palms were clammy, my breath uneven. He hadn’t noticed me yet; his back was turned as he rummaged through his things.

I swallowed hard. "Hey, Jace," I mumbled, my voice barely above a whisper. My cheeks burned with embarrassment the second the words left my lips.

He turned, his brows lifting slightly in surprise. Was he shocked to see me—or just confused?

"Uh, yeah?" he said, his voice casual, indifferent.

I forced a small smile. "I know you probably don’t know me," I started, my fingers gripping the hem of my sweater. "But we have algebra together."

His expression shifted. "Ohh, Ashley, right?"

Disappointment hit me like a slap. He didn’t even know my name.

"Umm, no. It’s Ivy," I corrected, forcing myself to laugh off the awkwardness.

"Oh. My bad," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between us before he finally asked, "Do you need something, Ivy?"

I exhaled, trying to steady my nerves. "I know this is going to sound weird, but… I was wondering if you’d want to go with me to the spring carnival this Friday?"

The moment the words were out, my heart clenched in anticipation.

Jace blinked. "You serious?"

I nodded quickly, suddenly feeling like I wanted to disappear.

He scratched his jaw. "I mean, I’d love to go, but isn’t the carnival, like… for couples? Or people who are trying to get together?"

I let out an awkward laugh. "Yeah, you could say that… I kinda like you," I admitted, barely above a whisper. I wasn’t sure if he even heard me.

But when he laughed—actually laughed—I wished I could take the words back.

"Bro, you serious?" He shook his head, chuckling.

My stomach twisted painfully.

"Look, you’re alright, I guess," he said, as if he was doing me a favor just by talking to me. "But I kinda have a—"

Before he could finish, we were interrupted by Sofie—the blonde, clingy nightmare who had been orbiting Jace for as long as I could remember. The rumors had been right, after all.

"He has a girlfriend," she sneered, stepping between us like I was some kind of threat.

She placed her manicured hands on Jace’s chest, claiming him in front of me. And then, just to twist the knife, she leaned up and pressed a kiss against his lips—right there, right in front of me.

I felt my stomach drop.

Regret washed over me. I never should have done this.

Sofie turned back to me, her eyes flashing with amusement. "Step back, you cheap skank," she spat, shoving me backward.

My breath hitched.

"You stay away from my man, you ugly-looking thing," she added, her voice dripping with venom.

I could feel the tears burning in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

And Jace? He just stood there. Silent. Unbothered. Like I wasn’t even worth defending.

Sofie smirked. "You’re pathetic if you actually thought you could get between me and Jace."

Her voice rose, drawing attention. People started turning, watching, whispering.

"I’ve seen you eyeing him for months," she continued, her smirk widening. "Why don’t you get your own man?"

She paused, then let out a fake gasp. "Oh, wait." She tilted her head. "That’s because nobody wants you."

I clenched my fists, trying to steady my breathing, trying not to crumble under her stare.

"How would you even know that?" I shot back, my voice quieter than I wanted it to be.

She grinned. "Because I can see right through you."

Then she leaned in, her voice a whisper just for me. "You’re hopeless, honey."

I swallowed hard.

"Nobody wants to be seen with someone like you. Just accept it."

She laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder before delivering the final blow.

"You’ll always be someone’s second option—if you’re lucky."

And then, with one last victorious smirk, she walked away, dragging Jace with her.

I stood there, frozen in place, humiliated, crushed.

For so many years, I thought I could never win. I thought I could never prove myself.

Love had never come easily to me.

But somehow, even in the wreckage of this moment, I knew—I would find a way to be heard. To be noticed.

Even if it killed me.

Two weeks had passed since the humiliation I endured, yet the weight of it still sat heavy in my chest.

Britney sat beside me in class, trying to work through a math problem, but my mind was far away.

I couldn't stop noticing something odd—it had been four days since I'd last seen Jace or Sofie. Neither of them had shown up at school.

Not that it should matter to me. But it did.

I hated that I still cared. After everything that happened. After the things Sofie said. After Jace just stood there, silent, watching me get torn apart without lifting a finger to stop it.

Still, I couldn’t shake the unease creeping up my spine.

The classroom door swung open, and Mr. Matthew, our history teacher, walked in. His usual composed demeanor was gone. His face was pale, his expression heavy with something unsettling. He adjusted his glasses, scanning the room as we all fell silent, sensing something was off.

"Umm… students," he began, his voice thick with emotion.

"I have some very sad news. A heartbreaking one, really."

A strange stillness settled over the class.

"We lost one of our own," he continued, his voice wavering slightly. "The sweetheart of our school, Sofie Barnabas… is dead."

A collective gasp rippled through the room.

Britney and I turned to each other, shock widening our eyes.

Mr. Matthew took a deep breath. "It was suicide," he said grimly. "Reports say she felt unloved at home… neglected. Her parents didn’t pay much attention to her. And in the end, she couldn’t bear it anymore."

Silence. Heavy and suffocating.

Sofie wasn’t the nicest person, but… death? Death wasn’t something I would wish upon even my worst enemy.

Britney leaned closer, whispering under her breath, "Not like I’m ruthless or anything, but maybe this was her karma after all the bullying, all the cruel things she’s done."

I turned to her, a sharp pang of unease settling in my chest. "How can you say that?" I asked, my voice hushed but firm. "She was human, Britney. No one deserves this. Yeah, she was a bully, but can you imagine how much pain she must have been in to take her own life?"

Britney exhaled, guilt flickering in her eyes. "You’re right," she murmured. "I shouldn’t have said that."

But the truth was, I didn’t know how to feel either.

Sofie had made my life hell. She had humiliated me, ripped my confidence to shreds, and treated me like I was nothing.

And yet, beneath all that cruelty, was just a girl—a girl who had been hurting all along.

And now, she was gone.