All Chapters of Before We Broke: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Lila sat cross-legged on her bed, the soft hum of the ceiling fan the only sound in her room. The twilight outside filtered through the blinds, casting slatted shadows that danced faintly across the walls. Her phone glowed in her hand, its brightness stark in the dimness. Every so often, it buzzed or chimed — a sharp reminder that the messages hadn’t stopped.She hadn’t expected to answer them. Not at first. But the constant flow of threats and accusations had worn down her defenses like water shaping stone. Each message was a whisper in her ear, a claw on her skin, until she couldn’t resist any longer.She exhaled slowly, fingers trembling as she tapped the screen.Who is this? What do you want? Why are you sending these?The phone buzzed almost immediately, as if the sender had been waiting for her question.You want to know? Because you stole him.Lila’s heart hammered fiercely against her ribs. She swallowed and typed again.I didn’t steal anyone. I l

Lila sat cross-legged on the floor, the glow of her phone reflecting in wide, frightened eyes. The last messages had left her hands trembling. She didn’t know whether to feel fear, anger, or a mix of both, but all of it churned in her chest in equal measure.She pressed her back against the wall, hoping the weight of the solid surface would keep her grounded, keep her from floating away into the panic that bubbled just beneath her ribs. Her breaths were shallow, uneven, and every little creak of the house—the refrigerator in the kitchen, the soft hum of the heater—made her flinch.Then, the phone buzzed again.She jerked, nearly dropping it. Her thumb hovered over the screen, and the new message glared at her like a warning.You can’t hide from me.Her stomach dropped. She set the phone on the carpet beside her and pressed her palms to her face, trying to breathe through it, trying to remind herself she was safe. She wasn’t alone. She was inside. Locked doors. Th

The sun had slipped low behind the trees when I finally peeled myself away from my bed, my phone still clutched in my hand like a lifeline. The screen lit up again—another message from the unknown sender. My chest tightened at the familiar buzz, and a shiver ran down my spine. I didn’t even want to look, but I couldn’t stop myself.You shouldn’t have tried to ignore me.My fingers trembled as I held the phone, staring at the words. My mind raced. Ignore them? I hadn’t tried. I’d been cautious, careful. But every message, every photo, every little whisper of knowledge felt like a trap closing in. My stomach knotted, and my heart thudded in my ears.I typed back, my fingers hovering over the screen as I tried to steady my breathing: Who are you? What do you want from me?Almost immediately, the reply came. You already know.I froze. The words were so simple, yet they carried a weight that made my stomach drop. Already know? I shook my head,

The house felt unusually quiet when Lila returned from her day out with Nicole and Mae. The sun had fully dipped below the horizon, leaving a cool shadow in her bedroom. She dropped her bag on the floor and sat on the edge of her bed, pulling her knees close. Her phone buzzed again—another message from the unknown sender.Did you think you could ignore me?Her chest tightened. Each new message felt like a hand around her throat. Lila gripped the phone, staring at the screen. The photos that had come earlier still haunted her—images of Anthony, images of herself, snapshots of moments that should have been private. How did they have them? Who could possibly know so much?Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, trembling. She typed carefully: Why are you doing this? Who are you? What do you want from me?Almost instantly, the reply came: To see how strong you really are.Lila pressed the phone to her chest, letting out a shaky breath. Her dia

The next morning, Lila awoke with a tight knot in her stomach. Her phone lay on the nightstand, buzzing insistently with a message from the unknown sender. She hesitated before looking, her thumb hovering over the screen, but curiosity—mixed with a strange, nagging fear—won out.I see everything. Don’t think you can hide.Lila swallowed hard, her fingers trembling as she typed: Why are you doing this? Who are you?No response came immediately, but the tension lingered, prickling against her skin like static. She let out a long breath, trying to steady herself. Her room felt smaller somehow, walls pressing in, shadows of the previous day’s events still heavy in the corners.Nicole and Mae were waiting outside, cheerful and loud as ever, trying to mask their own unease. “Morning, sunshine!” Nicole called when Lila finally emerged, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.Mae waved, holding a bag of snacks. “Ready for our mission?”