“If you bring this many people and make this
much noise, you better not let me walk out of
here alive.”
“Or I’m taking you all down with me.”
Gavin’s face went white.
His dad was a big shot. They had a lot of
power. He could get away with bullying, but
مامصييح
“This is what I want? Want to know what I
want?”
I was trembling with excitement.
I was finally going to tell him.
I said, “I’M the one who called the reporters
who were investigating you.”
Gavin and Ashley’s eyes went wide.
“Why did they come here that day? Why did
they investigate you? Because I sent them
anonymous letters, reporting that there was
bullying going on at Riverside High.”
“I know how your simple mind works. I knew
if I cut Ashley from the show, she would run
to you and say I was bullying her.”
“While she was crying to you, the reporters
would be here to see it all.”
“Of course, I had everything prepped, so I
would prove I was innocent.”
“But Gavin, when the reporters realize it’s a
mistake are they just going to drop it?”
“Even if there are only two reporters left, they
are going to bury you. The head of the school
board made it clear they hate bullying. Your
dad can’t save you.
99
“See? That’s what you call real evil.”
I smiled sweetly, and his crew started to
panic.
“What do we do? Are the reporters still
here?”
“If they come for us, we’re dead.
“This will follow us for life.”
“”
These guys were from regular families. They
did what Gavin said because he was
untouchable.
But what happened at the meeting was
enough to scare anyone.
I was the daughter of the family.
“So, brother, please take care of me and
support my work at Davies Enterprises.” I
smiled at Gavin. “Or I’m taking the whole
<
My smile disappeared. I tapped Gavin’s neck
with the broken bottle and walked away.
Nobody tried to stop me.
Behind me, Ashley whimpered, “How can you
just let her walk away?”
Gavin snapped, “Shut up.
Gavin seemed to change.
وو
He never let me come to the Davies
Enterprises events.
Now, he told his mom he wanted me to come
with him to a gala.
On the phone, I heard Ashley arguing,
“Shouldn’t you be bringing me?”
He was annoyed. “I’m paying for you to study
in Switzerland. What more do you want?”
Ashley did badly on her tests.
She wasn’t smart. She just wanted to get on
the Davies‘ good side.
This time, she had a harder time, and her
grades were worse.
graues were worse.
Her only choice was to cling to Gavin.
But he was getting annoyed.
Ashley attracted Gavin with her self–reliance.
But it wasn’t real. People can only fake things
for so long.
He wanted a poor girl who turned down gifts,
not one who begged him to take her to
Switzerland.
But that was Ashley.
If he didn’t take her, she would be stuck in
that dead–end town.
After summer, Ashley and Gavin left for
Switzerland.
Gavin never publicly said she was his
girlfriend.
But her parents couldn’t wait.
They hired a paparazzi to get photos of them.
They posted it online:
[Davies Enterprises Son has a dinner with
Girlfriend.]
His dad saw the report and threw his phone.
“That’s all I need, someone shoving their way
into our family before graduating college?”
When Gavin came home, his dad screamed at
him: “I’ll pick who you marry. You can date
around, but don’t bring me something that
looks like you found it in the trash.”
Gavin listened, looking at me.
I felt his eyes but just looked at the finances.
Ashley’s parents were the same way.
As soon as Gavin was nice to me, they
wanted to drug me and put me in his bed.
His parents also hated Gavin being with that
kind of girl.
His mom died before he married.
His dad screamed at Gavin and banned him
from seeing Ashley.
He didn’t argue.
He stayed home and gave me gifts.
く
He waited for me to come out of the bar and
gave me a bottle.
He was so tired.
Sophie sat next to me.
She opened her mouth.
I stopped her.
“I know what you want to say.”
“Don’t worry. I know.”
I sat in Gavin’s car.
He handed me a bag.
“”
It was soup and my favorite dessert.
I laughed. “You don’t have to, Gavin.‘
He didn’t say anything.
At home, I threw the soup away.
He watched.
I went to my room.
Sophie was working on an app.
I gave her money.
“”
She would be in charge of the business.
I had worked for Davies Enterprises for three
years.
Gavin didn’t matter.
Ashley saw Gavin drove me home.
She wanted to see Gavin.
She saw me come out of his car.
She was scared.
She saw the last time.
He let her out.
On Monday, I met a client.
At the stairs, I saw someone.
Ashley was thin.
Her face was hollow.
She was still pretty, with large eyes.
She was a star.
She was the prettiest orphan.
The families would look at her first, but she
was too stubborn.
That’s why she was so angry.
She wore high heels.
“I’m pregnant with Gavin’s child.”
scr
وو
<
“Don’t wear those.”
She looked at me.
She couldn’t find anything.
“How do you do it?”
“How are you stealing Gavin from me? He
was supposed to hate you! Why am I getting
colder to you?”
“What haven’t you told me?”
I said, “I have to meet a client.”
Ashley looked up. “If you won’t tell me, fine.”
I realized something and didn’t do anything.
Ashley held me and fell back.
We fell down the stairs.
I landed at the bottom.
My head slammed against something, and it
went dark.
My knees hurt.
Ashley shouted, “Gavin.”
I saw Gavin.
Blood was coming out of Ashley’s dress.
L
“He’s gone,” she said.
“Your sister pushed me, and she said your
child would take away the money.”
Gavin was white.
He bent down.
He held me.
Ashley’s eyes went wide.
“Gavin,” she shouted.
“Ashley, you disgust me.”
Ashley shook.
He always said that.
Choices were made.
It ended the same.
Ashley screamed.
“Why?”
“Why did this happen?”
I didn’t hear anything else.
It went black.
The room smelled like disinfectant.
I opened my eyes. Gavin was next to me.
く
“Ashley called me. She wanted to set you
“”
up.”
“I heard the whole thing.”
“Rest.
“”
“She drugged me.”
My leg and head hurt.
“Are you explaining?”
Gavin paused.
I pulled up the covers. “If your parents ask,
you can explain.”
“But it doesn’t have anything to do with me.
Gavin paused.
“I want to break up with her.”
“I’m here?”
Gavin looked at me.
“Do you know what I mean?”
I looked at him.
I laughed. “I know.”
“You are the most disgusting person.
99
Gavin left.
<
He was waiting.
Sophie came in.
“Did you hear?”
“Yes.”
“What do you want to say?”
“How did it go this morning? When do you
want to make a deal?”
“Shouldn’t you ask about me?”
“I asked the doctor. We can start later.”
“Can’t I rest?”
“No. I know what’s important to you.”
She was my partner.
I was happy.
I had a great partner.
After the deal, I went to see Ashley.
She lost the child.
Gavin broke up with her.
Her parents didn’t come.
People from the orphanage came.
“Blair has been giving us money. She has
<
99
been giving us money.”
Ashley paused.
The families didn’t want those children.
We were lucky.
“I’m always thinking about her,” said the
person.
Ashley cried.
They left.
I waited.
Ashley said, “Do you hate me?”
“I hate you.”
“I wanted to have a better life. What did I
do?”
“Nothing.”
“Just wrong.
まな
“You are saying I’m not good?”
I shook my head.
“I am saying this has happened.”
“You want money from the family?”
I shook my head.
དེ་དག་་ རེད་པ། ཏད་པའོད་
く
The money was paid back.
I was happy.
I wanted to be separated from them.
Davies Enterprises made a lot from real
estate, and people have died.
His dad could handle it, but he couldn’t
handle it forever.
Taking blood money would come with a
problem.
Ashley was still staring at me.
“You did win.”
I shook my head.
“Why did you bite me every time?”
“In both lives, were you hurt by me?”
Ashley shook and cried.
I left.
Time flew by.
#
When Sophie and I launched the business, I
saw the news.
Ashley stabbed Gavin.
Sophie and I both saw.
Ashley was caught.
Sophie did not look at it.
“Are you asking me about Gavin?”
“You aren’t worried.”
“He did love me.”
Sophie didn’t show anything.
“I’m not sure. Give me the paper.
“Okay.”
The meeting was about to start.
Sophie and I were the stars.
The lights flashed.
Sophie wore a suit.
The storm ended.
I was ready.
We can stand and win.
“Sophie, are you nervous?”
“Sophie won’t be nervous.
وو
Sophie took my hand and made me feel
warm.
く
Don’t be nervous.
We had applause.
We became successful.
Gavin didn’t die.
He recovered.
Someone had to pay for it.
Ashley went to prison.
She wrote to me.
If she got out, she wanted to work for the
children.
She hoped to be forgiven.
“Sister,” she wrote.
The children were around me.
“What are you reading?”
“Nothing.”
We were helping children and giving future
advice.
The sun was out.
We were in the future.
Sophie always thought she didn’t have
friende
friends.
She was invisible.
She was smart and quiet.
“Why are you wearing a long shirt?”
“Why aren’t you performing?”
It was a problem.
Sophie said, “Don’t.”
Her parents were from another class.
She was quiet.
Someone was trying to say she loved her.
Sophie said, “Gavin loves her?”
The woman solved it.
She was getting a lot.
Sophie couldn’t cry.
A
The woman gave her money.
Sophie was a nerd.
She was going to solve.
Sophie, please, don’t.
The money had been saved.
The woman said she was going to do
The money had been saved.
The woman said she was going to do
something.
Sophie said she wanted to be her partner.
People can see it coming in the dream.
The woman, her life, was going to change.
“In the past, can you show me some events?”
“Too much.”
99
“Not one thing, just one scene.”
Two women, early, were running.
They were working hard.
They couldn’t see in front of them.
She wasn’t running.
She held her hand.
“We will be okay.”
“Always.”
They were in the sun.
