Chapter 230 230

Chapter 230 230
I ran toward Jason, my heart pounding with hope.

“Jason!”

The moment he saw me, his face changed.

The warmth in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a cold, unreadable look.

Then, without saying a word, he turned around and walked away.

He didn’t even look back.

I stopped where I was, unable to move.

My breath caught in my throat.

Did… did he just walk away from me?

A sharp pain spread through my chest.

Jason was the last person I ever thought would leave me.

If even he couldn’t stand to be near me anymore… then what about Jasmine?

What about everyone else?

The little hope I had been holding onto shattered.

I lowered my head as a wave of sadness washed over me.

Maybe it was better if I stayed away from everyone.

I slowly turned back to Kendra.

She stood exactly where I’d left her, her arms folded across her chest, a smug smile on her face.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and walked straight toward her.

I didn’t stop until we were almost nose-to-nose.

Despite the pain tearing through my chest, I forced a smile onto my face.

“Kendra, why do you hate me so much? The last time I checked, I’ve never done anything to you.”

Her eyes instantly filled with hatred.

“I hate you because your parents are evil,” Kendra spat angrily, her face twisting up. “And you tried to steal my dad and Jason away from me!”

Hearing that made something inside me snap. I just laughed right in her face, the sound loud and harsh.

“Is it even possible to steal a human being?” I asked with a sharp smirk. “If you think this means you’ve won, then you’re wrong.”

I took another step forward. 

Kendra instinctively stepped back until her back hit the lockers with a loud clang.

“You finally lost, Kiara,” she said, forcing another smile. “Everyone knows who you are now. Jason will be mine, and you’ll be kicked out of this pack.”

I looked at her for a long second.

“You never know when to back down, do you, Kendra?” I said, my voice dropping to a scary whisper. “But that is fine. Since my life is being ruined anyway, why don’t I give you a lesson you will never forget? After all, I have nothing left to lose.”

Kendra looked at me, and for the first time, her grin disappeared. She started shaking, her eyes wide with fear.

“Kiara, what are you trying to say?” she stammered.

“I am not trying to say anything,” I smirked. “The real question is: what am I trying to do?  And the answer is simple: I am going to show you just how bad a traitor's daughter can really be.”

Before Kendra could react, I grabbed a fistful of her hair.

She gasped.

I pulled her toward me and drove my fist straight into her face.

She cried out in pain, stumbling backward.

But I wasn’t done.

I grabbed her arm and quickly dragged her away from the hallway, pulling her into a quiet, empty courtyard where nobody could see us easily.

"Kiara! Let go of me!" Kendra screamed, tears filling her eyes as she struggled against my grip. "You'll regret this! I swear you'll pay for it!"

I stopped so suddenly that she nearly crashed into me.

I turned to face her, my chest rising and falling with each angry breath.

"Pay?" I shouted. "Tell me, Kendra... what do I have left to pay for?"

I shoved her to the ground.

Before she could get back up, I was on top of her. My fists flew on her multiple times before I could think.

It was all years of pain, humiliation and years of swallowing my tears.

Everything I had buried deep inside came crashing to the surface.

Kendra cried out as she tried to shield herself, but I couldn’t hear anything over the pounding in my ears.

I had lost control.

I didn’t stop until I felt someone grab me from behind, pulling me away from her.

I looked down.

Kendra lay curled up on the ground, her face bruised, blood trickling from her nose and split lip. She stared at me with wide, frightened eyes, as if she no longer recognized the girl standing over her.

I was breathing so hard my whole body shook.

“What is going on here?!”

Our homeroom teacher rushed and grabbed me from behind, pulling me away before I could lunge at Kendra again. She held my wrists tightly, making sure I couldn’t break free.

Her face was filled with shock and disappointment.

“Kiara!” she yelled. “What are you doing? I never expected this kind of behavior from you!”

I laughed bitterly, tears spilling down my face.

“What about me?” I cried, struggling against her grip. “Did anyone stop to ask what happened to me?”

My voice cracked.

“I didn’t expect to be humiliated in front of the whole school today either!”

I shook my head, unable to hold back my tears.

“They called me names… they threw things at me… they treated me like I wasn’t even human.”

I looked straight at my teacher.

“So tell me…” I whispered, my voice breaking. “How is any of this my fault?”

My whole body shook as I pulled my hands free from the teacher’s grip.

I couldn't bring myself to look at Kendra lying on the ground. If I did, I knew I'd lose control and hit her again.

I couldn’t face my teacher’s disappointed expression either.

Without saying another word, I turned and ran.

I ran out of the courtyard, through the school gates, and kept going as fast as my legs could carry me.

The wind stung my face, but I didn’t care.

I just wanted to get away.

By the time I finally slowed down, I was exhausted. My body felt weak.

I had never felt so broken.



When I finally walked through the front door, the silence in the house felt suffocating.

I looked up. Kendra was already sitting on the couch. Aunt Sonia and Uncle Felix stood nearby, their faces grim.

The moment I saw them, my heart sank.

They knew.

Whatever had happened at school had already reached home.

I lowered my head and tried to walk past them without saying a word, hoping I could make it to my bedroom before anyone stopped me.

“Oh, wow! You actually have the nerve to come back to this house after what you did to my daughter?!” Aunt Sonia screamed.

She marched straight up to me, grabbed the front of my shirt, and ripped me backward.

“There is absolutely no difference between you and your evil parents!” Aunt Sonia yelled, giving me a hard push that made me stumble.

“Sonia, that is enough!” Uncle Felix stepped between us. “We need to hear Kiara's side of the story first. We cannot just jump to conclusions.”

“Are you crazy? Are you really listening to yourself right now?!” Aunt Sonia screamed at her husband. “Can’t you see what she did to our daughter’s face? Is that not enough to see how terrible and dangerous she is? I told you from the very beginning that bringing her into this house was a horrible mistake, but you never listen to me!”

“Sonia, think about it!” Uncle Felix shouted back, his face red with anger. “Why would Kendra go to school and tell everyone that Roman Bones is Kiara’s father? She started this!”

“Because it is the absolute truth!” Aunt Sonia snapped back. “We cannot hide the truth forever! Kiara wouldn’t be suffering at school if her parents hadn't done those terrible things!”

Kendra sniffled from the couch, wiping at her bruised face. She looked up at her mother and said.

“I want her to leave this house right now. I don't feel safe living with her. She almost killed me today.”

Aunt Sonia nodded her head firmly.

“Yes, she is leaving,” Aunt Sonia said, staring coldly at her husband. “Felix, she goes, or I leave instead. You have to choose between us right now.”

Uncle Felix stood completely frozen and speechless. He looked at Aunt Sonia, and then he looked over at me, his eyes full of sadness and conflict. 

He didn't know what to do.

I looked over at the couch. Through her fake tears, Kendra caught my eye.

A wide, sharp smirk spread across her face. She had won, and she knew it.