Oh sweet, baby sister, I just want to make sure you’re okay. Or should I be worried?

Clara's POV

“Look at her; she’s practically begging for attention,” another voice piped up.

Nolan only smirked wider, clearly reveling in the chaos he had orchestrated. "It’s just good fun,” he replied, tilting his head slightly, feigning innocence that didn’t fit him at all. His gaze flicked from Jenna to me, mocking, sardonic. “Come on, it’s not like anyone’s surprised. Just ask anyone—Clara knows how to get what she wants.”

With each word, I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I wanted to scream, to deny everything he said, but all I could do was sit there, frozen and humiliated. This was his game—destroying me piece by piece, and right now, he was winning.

“So, Clara,” he continued, his tone dripping with sarcasm, pulling the attention of even more students. “What do you say? Want to come up and draw a picture of me? I bet you’d paint just a glowing picture of your loving stepbrother.”

I wanted to crawl under my desk, retreat into the safety of my mind, anywhere but here. “Shut up, Nolan,” I managed, though my voice wavered, betraying the fear coursing through me.

“Oh sweet, baby sister, I just want to make sure you’re okay. Or should I be worried? Heard the last girl who pushed me ended up heartbroken. What was her name again? Sarah?” he taunted, eyes gleaming with mischief. "She left you two to deal with me after I was done.”

That got a fresh wave of laughter.

“Is that what you want, Clara?” he taunted again, leaning in closer as if sharing a secret with the entire room. “To be in a mess like that? Or will you finally admit that I’m the only one who can make you feel anything?”

I glared at him, my anger bubbling closer to the surface, but the truth was, he had just laid bare the reality of what I felt in that moment—the emotional turmoil he had been playing on all along. I could sense the tense energy vibrating in the air as my classmates watched the scene unfold.

“Why do you get off on this?” Jenna shot back, her voice unwavering in the face of his mockery. “What’s in it for you? Ripping apart the people you’re supposed to care about?”

Nolan’s eyes narrowed at her, but his laughter didn’t falter. “Oh, Jenna, I’m not *ripping* anything apart. I’m just having some fun at my sister’s expense. Isn’t that what family is for?”

“Family?” I echoed, my voice cracking as rage surged through me. “You don’t get to pretend any of this is normal. You don’t even care!”

“Of course I don’t, Clara,” he replied, a chilling undertone creeping into his tone. “But that’s the beauty of it. You’re my stepsister, and I get to poke and prod at the raw nerve of your existence. I get to watch you squirm. And I *love* it.”

“My father wouldn’t stand for this,” I shot back, struggling to hold my ground.

“Your father?” he mocked, his laughter darkened. “Oh, Clara, don’t fool yourself. He’ll turn a blind eye while you’re busy keeping the family together. Meanwhile, I’ll keep giving the audience what they want.”

Every word felt like a blade. I couldn’t bear it.

The air hummed with tension, and I felt shoulders brushing against me, students leaning in to catch the spectacle as Nolan continued tearing me apart, layer by layer.

“Do you need a moment, Clara?” he teased, feigning concern as the hushed whispers grew louder and more judgmental. “I could even let you borrow my shoulder to cry on—if you’d like.”

“Shut up!” I barked, flushed with humiliation and scarcely able to maintain composure. The room felt like it was closing in, my pulse racing with embarrassment.

“What’s wrong? Did I hit a nerve? Don’t be shy—everyone’s waiting for a show. You should give them one! You’ve got potential—you might even be the next campus meme!” he taunted, the glimmer of victory shining in his eyes.

“Why do you do this?” I spat, fists clenching under the table, trying to center myself amid the chaos.

“Because it’s fun. Because I can,” he shrugged, the nonchalance in his voice heavy with contempt. “You’re just too easy, Clara. You’re like candy—hard on the outside, but I know I can break through that shell and see the gooey center. All I have to do is the right amount of poking.”

“Someone needs to shut you down,” Jenna said, her voice unwavering despite the chill in the air. “What you’re doing is seriously messed up.”

Despite her words, Nolan only shrugged, his smirk unwavering, unyielding, feeding on the attention. “Messed up? Or just the truth that you don’t want to face?”

The bell rang to signal the end of class, jarring me from the grip of humiliation. Students began to shuffle about, laughter bubbling as they gathered their belongings. I couldn’t bear to look at Nolan, couldn’t bear to see his self-satisfied grin.

“Clara?” Jenna said, gripping my arm with concern as I stood. “Are you okay?”

I nodded stiffly, forcing my voice to stay level. “Yeah. I just need to go.”

“Don’t rush off. I’ll walk with you,” she insisted, casting a cautious glance back toward Nolan.

“No. I need to be alone. Please.” I squeezed past her, my heart pounding against my ribs as I rushed out of the lecture hall, desperate to escape the prying eyes and relentless laughter that followed me.

As I stepped into the hallway, the hallway morphed into a dizzying blur of faces and voices, the taunts still echoing in my ears. I wanted to scream, to cry, to find some solace in the art studio where I could lose myself. But even then, I knew that Nolan would always latch onto my every thought, twisting his way through my mind like a relentless reminder of my vulnerability.

The world felt heavy, pressing down on me, suffocating with each passing second. I didn’t want this—didn’t want to be a part of his game, to be so easily shredded by his words and insidious jibes. But here I was, tangled in this torment, and as I moved deeper into the crowded hall, I realized just how trapped I really was.