Chapter 41 Chapter 41
Hailey’s POV
I sat frozen, unable to form words, unable to defend myself against the accusation.
The girl’s smile widened, feeding off my silence like a predator sensing weakness.
“Come on,” she pressed, leaning closer. “Everyone’s dying to know. Did you really trap some rich older guy by getting knocked up? Or were you already sleeping around and just picked the richest one to pin it on?”
“That’s enough,” Benita said sharply, standing up. “Back off.”
“Or what?” the girl challenged. “Your friend here is the talk of the entire school. People deserve to know the truth.”
“The truth is none of your business,” Benita shot back.
But more students were gathering now, forming a loose circle around our table. I could see phones coming out, recording everything.
“How did everyone even find out?” I finally managed to whisper.
The girl laughed. “Are you serious? It’s all over social media. Someone leaked an audio clip of you admitting you’re pregnant. And there’s a hospital report attached to it with your name and everything.”
My blood turned to ice. An audio clip? A hospital report?
“Let me see,” Benita demanded, holding out her hand.
The girl shrugged and pulled out her phone, pulling up a post that had already been shared hundreds of times.
There it was, a short audio clip that sounded like it had been recorded from a distance, but the voices were clear enough.
And attached to the post was a photo of a medical document, partially obscured but with my name visible.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, my hands shaking so badly I nearly dropped the phone.
“How did they get this?” Benita demanded, looking at the post details. “Who posted it?”
“Some anonymous account,” the girl said with a shrug. “But it doesn’t matter who posted it. What matters is that it’s true, isn’t it? You really are pregnant with some rich guy’s baby.”
I couldn’t take it anymore I shoved away from the table and ran, ignoring Benita calling after me, ignoring the laughter and whispers that followed me.
I burst into the nearest bathroom and locked myself in a stall, my chest heaving with panicked breaths as tears streamed down my face.
How did this happen? Who recorded that conversation? Who had access to my medical records?
The questions spun through my mind, each one more terrifying than the last.
I heard the bathroom door open, and footsteps approached my stall.
“Hailey?” Benita’s voice was gentle. “It’s just me. Can you let me in?”
With shaking hands, I unlocked the stall door.
Benita slipped inside and immediately wrapped her arms around me, and I broke down completely, sobbing into her shoulder.
“I’ve got you,” she murmured. “It’s okay. We’re going to figure this out.”
“How?” I gasped between sobs. “Everyone knows. The whole school knows. It’s on social media. My medical records are out there for everyone to see.”
“The post was made by an anonymous account,” Benita said, pulling back to look at me. “But I know a guy in our computer science class, really good with tech, tracing IP addresses and stuff. I can ask him to help figure out who posted it.”
“It doesn’t matter who posted it,” I said hopelessly. “The damage is already done.”
“It matters if we want to stop them from doing worse,” Benita countered. “Whoever did this, they had access to your private conversation and your medical records. That’s not just gossip, Hailey. That’s a serious violation.“
She was right, but I felt too overwhelmed to think about legalities and consequences.
“I need to call Damien,” I said, pulling out my phone with trembling hands.
“Are you sure?” Benita asked. “Maybe you should calm down first…”
But I was already dialing, pressing the phone to my ear as it rang.
He answered on the second ring. “Hailey.”
“The whole world knows,” I said, my voice breaking. “About the pregnancy. Someone leaked an audio recording of us talking about it, and they have my medical records. It’s all over social media, Damien. Everyone at school knows.”
I expected shock. Surprise. Maybe anger.
Instead, there was a pause, and then he said, “I know.”
“You know?” I repeated, stunned. “You already knew?”
“I found out an hour ago,” he said, his voice tight. “My people monitor social media for anything related to me or my family. The moment that post went up, I was notified.”
“And you didn’t think to warn me?” I asked, hurt and anger mixing with my fear.
“I was handling it,” he said. “I have people trying to take down the posts…”
“It’s too late,” I interrupted. “Everyone’s already seen it. Everyone already knows.”
“Hailey, listen to me,” Damien said, his voice dropping lower. “This is worse than just school gossip. Some of the other mafia families have gotten wind of this. They know you’re pregnant with my child. They know you’re a weakness they can exploit.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, though I was afraid I already knew.
“It means you’re not safe at school anymore. It means I need you to come back here immediately.”
“I can’t just leave in the middle of the day,” I protested. “That’ll just fuel more gossip, more attention….”
“I don’t care about gossip,” Damien said sharply. “I care about keeping you alive. Come back now, or I’m sending a team to get you.”
“Damien…”
“Now, Hailey.”
He hung up before I could argue further.
I stared at my phone, feeling trapped and helpless.
“What did he say?” Benita asked.
“He wants me to come back,” I said. “He says other mafia families know about the pregnancy now, and I’m not safe.”
Benita’s face paled. “Oh God.”
Before I could say anything else, my phone rang again.
I looked at the screen and my stomach dropped.
Detective Sarah Morrison.
I slide the red button hoping to slide the phone inside my back but it rang again. Damien.
I picked up.
“I’m sending Kai to get you,” he said without preamble. “He’ll be there in ten minutes. Meet him at the front entrance.”
“Damien, everyone will see..”
“I don’t care,” he said firmly. “Ten minutes. Be there.”
He hung up again.
I looked at Benita helplessly. “He’s sending Kai to pick me up.”
“Then let’s go,” she said immediately. “I’m coming with you.”
“You don’t have to….”
“Yes, I do,” she interrupted. “We’re in this together, remember?”
We made our way through the school, trying to ignore the stares and whispers that followed us everywhere. The guards stayed close, their presence both comforting and damning.
When we emerged from the building, I saw Kai’s black SUV pulling up to the curb.
But I also saw something else.
Three cars, unfamiliar ones, were parked across the street. And as we started walking toward Kai’s vehicle, they all started their engines simultaneously.