Chapter 66 Chapter 66
The One stood at the edge of the growing crowd, his posture relaxed but his presence commanding enough that the whispers died down almost instantly. He scanned the scene with those black-rimmed eyes before his gaze settled on the manager.
“What’s going on here?” he asked, voice calm and low, cutting through the tension like a blade.
Molly jumped at the opportunity, stepping forward with a dramatic flair.
“The manager was telling this girl to leave because she’s a murderer,” she said, pointing at Harper with exaggerated concern. “But I’m sure you wouldn’t mind, since she’s your little girlfriend.”
Her friends — Claudia and Amy — laughed behind her, the sound sharp and mocking in the sudden quiet of the store.
The One’s eyes flicked to Molly.
For a fraction of a second, a flash of red burned in the depths of the black.
Molly didn’t notice.
He walked forward — slow, deliberate — until he stood directly in front of the manager.
The manager, already flustered, met his gaze.
The One locked eyes with him.
“What did you say?” he asked again, voice smooth and steady.
The manager stared into those eyes.
His own expression went blank.
Numb.
As if his mind had suddenly emptied.
Everywhere around him turned black.
The mall, the crowd, the lights — all vanished.
He was standing in complete darkness.
“Where am I?” the manager asked, voice trembling with fear. He spun around, hands outstretched, stumbling in the void.
The One appeared from a dark corner, stepping out of the shadows like he belonged there.
“You are in your head,” he said simply.
The manager screamed.
He stumbled backward and fell to the ground, scrambling away on his hands and knees.
“What are you doing in my head?” he cried.
The One crouched down, eyes glowing faintly in the blackness.
“No questions. You will only do as I say.”
The manager nodded frantically, too terrified to resist.
Reality snapped back.
The manager blinked, disoriented, as if waking from a trance.
The One asked again, voice still calm.
“What did you say?”
The manager turned.
Looked straight at Molly.
Then, without warning, he slapped her — hard across the face.
The crack echoed through the store.
Molly stumbled back, stunned, hand flying to her reddening cheek.
Her friends gasped.
“Molly!” Claudia cried.
Amy stared, mouth open.
“How dare you!” Molly yelled at the manager, voice shrill with shock and fury. “Who do you think you are?!”
The manager looked confused for a split second, then his face went blank again, as if the command still held him.
The One stood a few feet away, watching the scene with a faint, satisfied smirk.
Harper’s eyes widened.
Catherine gripped her arm tighter.
The crowd around them had gone completely silent, staring in disbelief at the manager who had just slapped one of the most popular girls in school for no apparent reason.
Molly’s face burned red — part from the slap, part from humiliation.
She pointed at the manager, then at Harper.
“This is her fault! She’s doing something to him! She’s a freak!”
The One’s smirk deepened.
He didn’t move.
He didn’t need to.
The damage was already done.
The manager’s hand flew again — a second, harder slap that landed squarely on Molly’s other cheek with a loud, echoing crack.
Molly staggered back, clutching her face with both hands, eyes wide with shock and fury.
“WHAT THE HELL?!” she screamed.
Claudia and Amy shrieked in unison, rushing to her side.
“Molly!”
“Are you okay?!”
The manager’s face was still blank for a moment, then his expression twisted into genuine outrage as the command fully took hold.
“How dare you talk to this innocent girl like that and lie!” he bellowed, voice booming through the store. “Accusing her of murder with no proof? Spreading rumors in my store? You should be ashamed of yourself!”
Molly’s mouth fell open.
“You… you just slapped me!” she shrieked, voice cracking with disbelief. “Twice!”
The manager stepped forward, pointing an accusatory finger.
“And I’ll do it again if you keep lying! This girl has done nothing wrong, and you’re harassing her in front of everyone!”
The argument exploded.
Molly jabbed a finger back at him.
“You’re the one who’s crazy! She’s the freak! She’s the one who—”
The manager cut her off, voice rising.
“Enough! I’ve had enough of your bullying and your lies!”
Molly’s face turned purple with rage.
She lunged forward and slapped the manager hard across the cheek.
The sound rang out sharply.
Shoppers passing by gasped audibly, phones already coming out to record.
The manager stumbled back, hand flying to his face.
“Security!” he shouted, voice thundering. “Security! Get this girl out of my store!”
Two mall security guards came rushing from the entrance, radios crackling.
They grabbed Molly by the arms.
“Ma’am, you need to come with us,” one said firmly.
Molly struggled, kicking and twisting.
“Get your hands off me! This is assault! She started it! Let me go!”
Her friends tried to intervene.
Claudia grabbed one guard’s sleeve. “Wait, she didn’t do anything wrong!”
Amy shouted, “This is unfair! She’s the victim here!”
The guards ignored them, dragging a still-screaming Molly toward the exit.
“Put me down! You will pay for this! All of you!” Molly yelled, legs kicking wildly as they carried her away.
Claudia and Amy ran after them, still shouting protests.
Catherine, who had been watching the entire scene with wide eyes, suddenly burst out laughing — a bright, relieved sound that cut through the tension.
“Oh my god,” she gasped between laughs. “Did you see that? The manager actually slapped her twice!”
Harper stood frozen for a second, then a small, shaky smile broke across her face.
The manager turned back to Harper, his expression softening into genuine apology.
“I’m so sorry about that, miss,” he said, bowing his head slightly. “I don’t know what came over me earlier. You’re welcome to stay and shop as long as you like. If anyone bothers you again, come straight to me.”
He gave a polite nod and walked away, still rubbing his cheek.
Catherine wiped a tear from her eye, still giggling.
“That was the best thing I’ve seen all week.”
Harper exhaled, the knot in her chest loosening just a little.
But when she glanced toward the edge of the crowd, she saw him.
The One.
Leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, a faint, satisfied smirk playing on his lips.
His black-rimmed eyes met hers.
And in that moment, she knew.
He had done this.
Not with his hands.
With his mind.
And he wasn’t even trying to hide it.
Molly stormed through the mall parking lot, her heels clicking sharply against the asphalt like gunshots. Her cheek still burned from the manager’s slap, the skin hot and red even after she’d dabbed it with a tissue in the car. Claudia and Amy hurried beside her, their shopping bags swinging wildly as they tried to keep up.
“I can’t believe that happened,” Claudia said, voice high with disbelief. “The manager actually slapped you. In front of everyone!”
Amy nodded quickly, glancing back at the mall entrance as if expecting security to chase them.
“And Harper just stood there looking all innocent. Like she didn’t do anything. Everyone was staring at you, Molly. It was so embarrassing.”
Molly’s fists clenched at her sides.
She kept walking, jaw tight, eyes blazing.
Claudia continued, not noticing the storm building.
“I mean, you’ve always been the one who runs things. And then Harper pushes you once and suddenly the manager turns on you? It looked so bad. People were whispering about you the whole time we were being dragged out.”
“Shut up,” Molly snapped.
Her voice cracked like a whip.
Both girls fell silent instantly.
Molly stopped walking, spinning around to face them.
Her face was flushed, eyes glistening with humiliated rage.
“I said shut up!” she shouted, voice echoing across the parking lot. A few shoppers nearby turned their heads, but she didn’t care.
Claudia flinched.
Amy took a small step back.
“I don’t want to hear another word about how embarrassing it was,” Molly hissed, breathing hard. “I know how it looked. I was there. I felt that slap. I heard everyone laughing and whispering. I don’t need you two reminding me every five seconds!”
She jabbed a finger at them.
“You think I don’t know how bad it was? Harper made me look weak. She made me look stupid. And that freak manager… he slapped me like I was nothing.”
Molly’s voice dropped, low and venomous.
“But it’s not over.”
She turned away, staring toward the mall with pure hatred in her eyes.
“We’re going to finish Harper for good this time,” she said, the words slow and deliberate. “No more playing around. No more little pranks. No more warnings. We end her. On the trip. In front of everyone. We make sure she never comes back to school.”
Claudia and Amy exchanged a quick glance.
Then they nodded.
“Whatever you need,” Claudia said.
“We’re with you,” Amy added.
Molly’s lips curled into a cold, satisfied smile.
“Good.”
She started walking again, faster now, her friends falling in step beside her.
The rage still burned hot in her chest, but it had found direction.
Focus.
Purpose.
Harper had humiliated her for the last time.
And this time, Molly wasn’t going to stop until the girl was completely gone.