Chapter 005

(MALDIE POV)

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I woke up the next morning, and I needed to prepare for school, I didn't have time to go meet my mum..I said when I get back from school we'll talk about it… . I got everything ready and went downstairs. My mum was serving breakfast at the dinnering table, everyone was there.

“Morning Mum, Morning Mr Richard”. I greeted them, I didn't bother to look at David because he really disgust me now.. “Bye mum I'm off to school”

“Maldie won't you eat before you leave for school?” She asked, “mum when I get back I storm out from the house” 

I walked onto the campus, and the air felt cold. 

Too cold……I could hear people whispering everywhere. Then I saw a huge crowd near the fountain, they were laughing and pointing at something 

I walked closer, my heart sinking. Then I saw it. posters everywhere……My face was on every single one. It was a picture of me from last night, my eyes closed, leaning into David 

“MALDIE THE SLUT” was written in big, ugly letters across my chest. “ A WHORE. DESPERATE CHICK.” 

“Oh my God”.........I whispered, my voice breaking.

“No…No….No…no,no”

“Look at her !” Someone shouted. “She's right here! Is that the same face you made for David?...Everyone started laughing. I saw dozens of phones come up. They were recording me. They were going live.

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“Check it out ,guys!” a guy yelled into his phone. “The scholarship girl is actually just a cheap tramp!.” I tried to rip a poster down , but my hands were shaking so hard I just tore the corner. I felt so small, so dirty, I covered my face. The sobs racked my whole body. I just wanted to disappear 

"Aww, is the little whore crying?"

I looked up through my tears, it was Olive, she was standing there, looking perfect and cruel with her bestie Sally beside her smirking…... .Olive and Sally are the perfect “Queen bee” of ‘Forestwood College’ While I'm just a Nobody..

“You look so pitiful, " Maldie' Olive sneered. “Did you think sleeping with him would make you one of us?

You're just a toy…….A used one”......

Everyone knows now” Sally added, stepping closer. “You're the campus joke. How does it feel to be so desperate?”

“I…..I didn't….”I couldn't even finish the sentence. I was shaking too much… You're disgusting,” Olive spat. “I hope they kick you out of this school. We don’t want people like you at Forestwood….

I kept trying to hold back my tears, but I couldn't hold it in……..I stood up from the ground that I was kneeling trying to rip the remaining posters from the walls. No one to comfort me….Mary isn't in school yer…… just then I heard a very big voice 

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“ENOUGH!” a sharp voice boomed 

Everyone froze. Mr Harrison, the student guardians 

Was matching towards us. “What's going on here?” He roared. “Break this up !Now!! Everyone to your cladding, or you're all in detention! Move!!

The crowd scattered, whispering and laughing as they went. Olive gave me one last disgusted look before she walked away…. “Maldie to my Office Now!! He said. 

I didn't answer. I couldn't. I just turned and ran, the tears streaming down my face………

I ran to the female toilet, while I was hiding there crying my eyes out . I heard a shout and a noise outside the toilet . It was David’s voice. I decided to see what's going on……. He wasn't laughing. He looked like he wanted to kill someone.

He walked up to ‘Mark’ and ‘Ralph’ who were sitting on the couch, scrolling through the Maldie's tags on T*****r…..”Which one of you did it?” David asked, his voice low and dangerous.

“What?The posters?”Mark laughed, looking up. “Man, it was Ralph’s idea. We thought we’d help you celebrate the win! Ten thousand hits, bro!”

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“Celebrate?”David growled. He grabbed Mark by his shirt and hauled him up. “I told you the bet was private, I told you to keep the pictures in the group”

“Whoa, Dave! Relax, Ralph said, standing up. “It's just a joke! She's just a step-sister,right? You said you hated her.” "I didn't ask for this!" David screamed, shoving Mark back into the sofa. "You humiliated her! You put her in the trash cans!"

"Since when do you care about the charity girl?" Mark spat, fixing his shirt. "You got what you wanted. You won the grand. We just gave you the credit."

"If I see another poster," David warned, his eyes dark with rage, "I’ll make sure both of you are expelled by lunch. Do you hear me?"

"You're crazy, man," Ralph muttered.

David didn't listen. He stormed out, his heart hammering. He had to find me. He didn’t know I was watching I've heard everything 

I was standing by the back lockers, wiping my eyes. I was done crying. The sadness was still there, but a cold, hard anger was starting to take over.

I heard footsteps. I knew that walk.

David stopped a few feet away. He looked worried. Guilt was written all over his face.

"Maldie," he said softly. "I... I heard. I didn't know they would do that. I'm so sorry."

I turned around. My eyes were red, but I didn't look weak. I looked at him like he was something stuck to the bottom of my shoe.

"You're sorry?" I asked, my voice sharp and agile. "You started the bet, David. You took an unclad picture of me when I was sleeping. I know you hate me but I didn't know you'd go that far to destroy me…

“I know, but___”

“But nothing, I stepped toward him, my chin up. “You told me you wanted me. You told me that you've loved me for two years. Was that part of your betting script?..Did you practice in the mirror to make sure you got the V-card?”

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“Maldie, listen to me, I know I did that for the bet but today's ___” “Shut up I cut him shut immediately I didn't let him.finish what he wanted to say. “ Don't you dare talk to me again. You used me. You turned my life into a joke for a thousand dollars. Do you feel big now, David? Do you feel like a man?"

"Gett out of my way," I said, shoving past him. "And don't ever act like my brother again. From now on, you're nothing to me. Just a mistake I made."

I walked away, my heart screaming, but my head held high. As I was going I saw a black envelope on the ground I picked it up, it might be from David.

I opened it. Inside was a single polaroid photo..

It wasn't of me and David.

It was a photo of my mum and Richard…….. taken three years ago. Long before they "met" for the first time.Underneath, a note was scrawled in messy handwriting:

"The marriage wasn't an accident. Ask Richard about the 'Contract'." My breath hitched. My mother didn't marry him to save me. She was already working for him.

The door to the school slammed open. David was running toward me, his face pale.

"Maldie! Don't look at the mail! Give it to me!"

"What is this, David?" I screamed, holding the photo up. "Why were they together three years ago?"