Chapter 10 CHAPTER 10

Chapter 10 CHAPTER 10
Vivienne's POV

Rafael just stared at me.

He didn't say anything. Didn't move. Just stood there with that unreadable expression on his face.

And that silence told me everything I needed to know.

"You're not going to do anything." My voice came out bitter, broken. "I knew it. I knew you wouldn't—"

"Vivienne—"

"No." I cut him off, anger suddenly flooding through me, burning away the fear. "Don't. Don't give me some bullshit excuse about how complicated it is or how you need to think about it or—"

"That's not—"

"It's Jessica!" The words burst out of me. "Your girlfriend. The girl you've been with for over a year. The one you're always with, always touching, always—" My voice cracked. "Of course you're going to choose her over me. Why would I expect anything different?"

He took a step closer, but I held up my hand.

"You've made it pretty clear what you think of me, Rafael. I'm just Emma's nerdy friend. The nobody who doesn't matter. So why would you go against Jessica for me?" Tears were streaming down my face now, but I didn't care anymore. "She's perfect. She's beautiful and popular and rich and everything I'm not. And I'm just—I'm just the girl who got what she deserved for thinking someone like you would ever—"

"Stop." His voice was quiet but firm.

"Why should I? It's true, isn't it? You're not going to do anything because it's her. Because she's important and I'm—"

"Vivienne, stop." He moved closer, his eyes locked on mine. "Just... stop."

But I couldn't. The words kept coming, like a dam had broken. "You're just like everyone else. You act like you care, but you don't. You're going to walk out of here and go right back to her and pretend this never happened. Pretend I never happened. Just like you always do. Just like—"

"Are you done?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it. My chest was heaving, my hands shaking. I felt exhausted suddenly, like all the fight had just drained out of me.

"Yeah," I whispered, looking away. "I'm done."

The silence stretched between us.

Then he spoke, his voice low and steady. "I'm going to handle it."

I laughed—a harsh, broken sound. "Sure you are."

"Vivienne." He stepped closer until he was right in front of me. "Look at me."

I didn't want to. Didn't want to see the pity or the lies or whatever expression he was wearing.

"Please."

That word again. The one that didn't make sense coming from him.

I forced myself to look up.

His eyes were intense, almost... dangerous. But his voice stayed gentle. "I'm going to handle it. I promise you."

"You can't just—"

"Yes, I can." There was something in his tone that made me believe him, even though I didn't want to. "And I will. But right now, you need to rest."

"I don't want to rest. I want—"

"I know." He reached out slowly, like I might bolt, and brushed his thumb across my cheek, wiping away a tear. The touch sent a strange warmth through me that I didn't understand and that familiar spark when his skin grazed mine. "But you're exhausted. And you're safe here. No one's going to hurt you."

I wanted to argue. Wanted to keep fighting. But suddenly I felt so tired I could barely keep my eyes open.

He gently guided me back onto the bed, his hand warm on my shoulder. "Lie down."

"Rafael—"

"Emma's going to come spend the night with you," he said softly, pulling the blanket up over me. "So you won't be alone. And I'm going to make sure Jessica pays for what she did."

The way he said her name—cold, almost deadly—sent a shiver down my spine.

"How?" I whispered.

"Don't worry about that." He tucked the blanket around me, his movements surprisingly gentle. "Just sleep. I've got this.”

He stood up, and panic suddenly flared in my chest. "Where are you going?"

"To take care of things." He paused at the door, looking back at me. "Trust me, Vivienne. Jessica's going to regret ever touching you."

Then he was gone, the door closing softly behind him.

And suddenly I was alone.

I lay there staring at the ceiling, trying to hold myself together. But the second his footsteps faded down the hall, everything just... collapsed.

My life was falling apart.

Uncle Martin had stolen everything. Every single dollar I'd saved for three years. Money I'd earned scrubbing dishes at the diner on weeknights, shelving books at the library on weekends, babysitting Mrs. Chen's kids every Saturday morning. Money I'd saved by skipping lunch most days, by wearing the same three outfits on rotation, by never buying anything I didn't absolutely need.

I'd been so careful. So disciplined. Because that money was supposed to be my way out—my ticket to college, to a future, to somewhere Uncle Martin couldn't reach me.

And he'd just... taken it. All of it. Like I didn't matter. Like those three years of sacrifice meant nothing.

I had no family. No one. Just him, and he'd made it clear I was nothing but a burden he got stuck with when my parents died.

And now Jessica had those photos.

My stomach twisted violently. She had pictures of me at my absolute worst—half-dressed, crying, broken. And she could post them anywhere. Send them to everyone. Within minutes, the entire school would see me like that.

I'd never recover. Never be able to show my face again.

My chest got tighter and tighter. I couldn't breathe properly. Everything felt like it was crushing me, suffocating me.

What was the point of any of this?

Maybe it would be easier to just... stop. To not have to wake up tomorrow and face all of this. To just be done with everything.

The thought should have terrified me. But instead, it felt almost peaceful.

Tears started streaming down my face. I curled onto my side and pressed my face into the pillow, trying to muffle the sobs that were tearing out of my chest.

The door opened quietly.

"Vivi?"

Emma's voice.

I tried to stop crying, tried to pull myself together, but I couldn't. My shoulders kept shaking, and the sobs just wouldn't stop.

"Oh, Vivi." The bed dipped as she climbed on beside me. Her arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me close. "Hey, hey. It's okay. I'm here."

"It's not—" I choked on the words. "It's not okay. Nothing's—"

"Shh." She held me tighter. "Just breathe with me, okay? In and out."

But I couldn't. Everything just kept pouring out—all the fear and pain and hopelessness I'd been holding in.

"What happened?" Emma's voice was soft against my hair. "Talk to me, Vivi. What's wrong?"

I shook my head, unable to form words. How could I even begin to explain? That my life was over? That I had nothing left? That I didn't see a way forward anymore?

"You don't have to say anything." She rubbed slow circles on my back. "Just let it out. I've got you."

So I did. I just cried and cried while she held me, not asking questions, not demanding answers. Just being there.

"Whatever it is," she whispered after a while, "we'll figure it out together. You're not alone, Vivi. You have me. You have my family. We're not going anywhere."

I wanted to believe her. Wanted to feel that hope.

But right now, all I could feel was the weight of everything crushing down on me, and Emma's arms were the only thing keeping me from completely falling apart.

She held me tighter. "I've got you. I promise. I've got you."

And even though nothing had changed, even though all my problems were still there waiting for me—for just this moment, I let myself believe her.