Chapter 4

Carter's betrayal was the most humiliating of all.

The day after I broke down crying in front of my brother, the principal almost suspended Nova.

And the very next morning, Carter stormed into the principal's office. He threatened that if the punishment wasn't dropped, he would quit the team right before the state championship.

Everyone knew what that meant.

It was an act of sabotaging his own future just to stand up for Nova. He almost lost his Ivy League acceptance over that fight.

Before he was suspended, which was also the last time I saw him, he looked at me like I was a piece of trash.

"I was such an idiot," he said, his tone freezing. "The dumbest decision of my life was ever putting you first."

I didn't understand.

It was clearly his own choice. He was the one who tore up all his promises first.

Clearly, I was the one who had been bullied first.

How could he stand there so righteously and accuse me with that tone, as if I were the villain?

And right now, his hand was gripping my collar so tightly he was practically lifting me off the floor.

I clawed at his arms as dark spots danced in my vision.

Due to sheer terror, tears spilled from my eyes uncontrollably.

I tipped my face up and looked into the eyes that used to always smile at me.

Now, there was nothing but a dead emptiness.

Carter's eyes suddenly widened in shock.

"Carter!"

Harrison's shout shattered the silence in the office.

Carter jolted violently, as if waking up from a trance, and immediately let go.

I crashed heavily onto the floor.

I gasped for air. My body ached from the fall.

I curled up pathetically, coughing hard, a burning agony radiating from the scalded skin on my back.

Harrison rushed toward me.

In that desperate split second, I thought he was going to reach out, help me up, and pull me into his arms.

However, right at that moment, the door to the equipment closet in the corner of the office opened.

Nova walked out, looking sleepy. She had a custom school jacket that belonged to Harrison draped over her shoulders.

The moment her gaze landed on Harrison, the hand he had reached out toward me abruptly froze. Instead, he forcefully shoved me aside.

I fell backward, my back scraping against the floor, and a sharp pain flared up.

Brooks instinctively took a step toward me, then forced himself to stop.

Carter's gaze darted back and forth between Harrison and Nova, and then he let out a mocking laugh.

"Unbelievable." His fierce eyes locked onto Harrison. "I thought you swore to protect Ivy forever."

"What is this? Playing house?"

He tilted his head.

"I get it! Turns out even Mr. Perfect got tired of the delicate little princess, huh?"

"The three of us really do have the same type. We always go after the same girl. Crazy, right?"

Harrison maintained a dark, silent expression.

I looked at him with absolute despair.

Say something. Please.

He understood the look in my eyes. But he still looked away.

My heart went completely numb.

Just then, Nova pulled the jacket tighter around herself and frowned.

"Your back looks like..."

Everyone's eyes instantly snapped toward me. I slowly looked down.

My back was burning in agony.

I didn't even need to look. I knew the skin on my back was red and blistered.

A heavy silence fell over the office.

Maybe they were waiting for me to bawl my eyes out like I used to. They thought I would scream and throw a fit.

Instead, I planted one trembling hand on the floor and slowly sat up.

Every muscle in my body throbbed with a dull ache. But I still kept my back perfectly straight.

Then, I looked at Nova.

She was beautiful, had a perfect figure, and carried herself with an almost brazen confidence.

No wonder these three popular guys were all so willing to worship her.

Sometimes I even wondered if I was the only person in the entire school not obsessed with her.

Perhaps my silence made her feel uneasy.

Nova patted Leo gently on the back and spoke.

"Leo, if you hurt someone, you have to apologize, okay?"

But the little guy stubbornly buried his face deeper against her waist.

Nova sighed softly and looked at me apologetically.

"He's just a kid. Don't take it so seriously." She reached out and wiped Leo's red eyes. "I'm sorry on his behalf. There, problem solved."

"No."

All their eyes darted back to me. My voice was hoarse.

"I want him to apologize to me directly."

Nova's smile disappeared.

"He is just a child," she scrutinized me. "Do you really need to make such a big deal out of this? What if he goes home and tells our family what happened?"

"I said apologize."

"Ivy!"

Carter's furious roar exploded in the office.

He took massive strides across the room and stood squarely in front of Nova and her brother, his face dark.

"Do you have to make everything so difficult for Nova? Nova already apologized for him. What, do you need him to beg on his knees before you're satisfied?"

Brooks leaned against the desk, not saying a word.

But the impatience on his face already proved his stance.

Even Harrison, who used to be the best at smoothing things over, shook his head at me in disappointment.

The three boys who used to treat me like a princess were now standing side by side, united against me. Just to protect another girl's brother.

Nova bent down and whispered into Leo's ear.

Leo twisted his body, letting out a whimper. Finally, he turned his head reluctantly, pouting.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

It was spoken with spite, his voice so quiet it was practically inaudible.

Even so, the tense atmosphere in the office didn't ease up at all.

Nova crossed her arms and looked at me.

"He already apologized. What else do you want? Should I call my family and tell them I failed to take care of my little brother and got myself kicked out? I can give you their number."

She made a move to turn around and grab her phone.

"Forget it."

I blurted the words out. Hurried and stiff.

Before any of them could react, I spun around, yanked the door open, and stumbled out into the cold, rainy night.

I never looked at any of them again.