Chapter 26: Shattered Glass and Buried Truths

Cher Waverly shifted her weight, leaning slightly against the railing of the basketball bleachers, her lips curling into a bitter smile as her gaze turned distant. “Do you remember, Allie? After middle school graduation, Nick threw that big party. You invited me. I told you I didn’t own anything fancy to wear. No dresses, no heels. So you took me to your closet and let me choose whatever I wanted.

You picked out that white gown and those pink crystal heels for me. For a moment, I felt like a princess, Allie. I was actually excited to go.”

Allie Brooks listened, her heart heavy with memories she’d long buried. “But you didn’t come, Cher. You told me you weren’t feeling well and decided not to go.”

Cher’s bitter laugh filled the room. “Oh, I was there, Allie. Early. Hours before anyone else arrived. I wanted to see the venue before the crowd came in. That’s when I saw him... Nick was setting up, arranging everything himself. It was the first time I’d been that close to him. In that tuxedo, he looked like a prince from a fairytale.”

Allie’s stomach churned. She knew where this story was headed, but her voice was calm. “So that’s when you decided you wanted him for yourself? Was that why you betrayed me?”

Cher’s laugh grew harsher, sharper. “Do you want to know what Nick said to me when he first saw me?”

Allie’s silence was answer enough.

Cher’s voice softened, venom lacing every word. “He walked up to me, his brows furrowed. My heart was pounding, Allie. I didn’t want to take him from you. I just thought, for a moment, that we could be friends, him and me, because I was your best friend. But when he finally spoke, do you know what he said?”

Allie swallowed hard, not daring to answer.

Cher continued, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and humiliation. “He said, ‘Why are you wearing Allie’s clothes and shoes?’ I told him you lent them to me, trying to explain. And do you know what he said next?”

Allie whispered, “What?”

“‘Are you a beggar?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you have your own clothes? These heels were a gift I worked two months to buy for Allie, and you think you’re worthy of them?’” Cher’s voice cracked as she relived the moment. “I felt like the ugly stepsister, Allie. The one who thought she could fit into the glass slipper. In that moment, I realized the truth. You and I were never equals. You were the girl in the clouds, and I was the one stuck in the mud, pretending for one fleeting moment that I belonged in your world.”

Allie clenched her fists. “Cher, I never wanted you to feel that way. You’ve twisted this in your head. I tried to help you, to be your friend.”

“Your help?” Cher spat, her eyes blazing. “Your help only made me see how far beneath you I was. That day, I swore I’d rise above it all. And I did.” Her lips curled into a cruel smile. “Imagine my satisfaction, Allie, lying next to Nick, feeling him next to me. The man who once dismissed me as nothing, now mine in every way. Do you have any idea what it’s like to watch him, the boy who humiliated me, now desperate for me? I was his first, Allie.”

“Stop it!” Allie snapped, her voice sharp. Her eyes burned, but she refused to cry. “I don’t care what happened between you and Nick. Whatever he said back then doesn’t justify what you’ve become. You’re so consumed by what others think of you, by your insecurities, that you’ve let it destroy everything good about you. What’s the point of being at the top if you’ve lost yourself in the process?”

Cher’s expression darkened. “That’s easy for you to say, princess. You’ve never had to scrape for every penny, never worn clothes so patched up you were the school joke. Have you ever eaten nothing but bread and water for months because that’s all your family could afford? No, Allie. You don’t get to lecture me. You’ve never been where I’ve been.”

Allie’s voice softened, but her resolve remained firm. “You’re right, Cher. I haven’t lived your life. But I’ve learned one thing—holding onto hate doesn’t heal you. It only chains you to the past.”

Cher’s eyes narrowed, her lips trembling. For a moment, it seemed as if she might break. But then, the mask of defiance returned.

“You’re wrong, Allie,” she hissed. “Hate is what kept me alive.”