Chapter 14 CHAPTER 14
Vivienne’s POV
Rafael stopped right in front of our table, still gripping Jessica's arm. The entire cafeteria was watching now. Every single person had stopped eating and stopped talking. Phones were out and recording.
My heart was pounding so hard I could barely breathe.
"Rafael, what..." Emma began, but he cut her off with a look.
He turned Jessica to face me directly. She was crying, mascara streaking down her face, but I could not feel sorry for her. Not after what she had done.
"Stand up," Rafael said to me. His voice was calm, controlled, but there was something dangerous underneath it.
I did not move. Could not move.
"Vivienne." His eyes found mine. "Stand up and come closer."
"I..." My voice came out as a whisper. "Why?"
"Just do it. Please."
That word again. Please. From Rafael Steele, who never said please to anyone.
My legs felt shaky, but I pushed my chair back and stood up. Emma's hand slipped from mine as I took a hesitant step forward, then another, until I was standing right in front of Jessica.
She would not look at me. Her eyes were fixed on the floor.
Rafael's grip on her arm tightened slightly. "Look at her."
Jessica's head jerked up. Her eyes met mine, red-rimmed and filled with tears and something that might have been hatred.
"Now," Rafael said, his voice deadly quiet. "Apologize."
My eyes went wide. I looked at him. "What?"
"You heard me." He was not looking at me anymore. His eyes were locked on Jessica. "Apologize to Vivienne for what you did. Right now. In front of everyone."
The cafeteria was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Jessica's lip trembled. "Rafael, please, not here..."
"Here." His voice went hard. "You did it in front of people. You can apologize in front of people."
"This is humiliating."
"Good." He leaned closer to her. His voice dropped so low I almost did not hear it. "Now you know how she felt."
Jessica looked at me again, and I saw it. The exact moment her pride broke. Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Louder," Rafael demanded. "Everyone needs to hear it."
Jessica's voice cracked. "I'm sorry, Vivienne. I'm sorry for what I did to you."
My throat was tight. I could not speak. Could not process what was happening.
"Tell her what you did," Rafael continued. "Say it out loud."
"Rafael..." Jessica's voice pitched higher, desperate.
"Say it."
She took a shaky breath, her whole body trembling. "I got my friends to corner you in the classroom. I hurt you while they held you and tore off your clothes." Her voice broke completely. "And I took pictures. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Gasps rippled through the cafeteria. Phones were definitely recording now. This was going to be everywhere within minutes.
"And?" Rafael prompted.
"And I deleted them," Jessica sobbed. "All of them. They are gone. I promise. I will not bother you again. I will stay away from you. I swear."
I just stood there, frozen, staring at her. Part of me wanted to feel satisfaction, wanted to feel vindicated. But mostly I just felt empty.
Rafael finally released Jessica's arm. She stumbled back slightly and wrapped her arms around herself.
"If I find out you lied," Rafael said quietly, "if even one of those photos still exists somewhere, I will ruin you. Do you understand me?"
Jessica nodded frantically. "I understand. I swear, they are gone."
Rafael nodded, satisfied. Then he spoke, his voice carrying across the silent cafeteria.
"We are done."
Jessica's eyes went wide. "What?"
"You and me. We are over." He said it calmly, as if he were talking about the weather. "Do not call me. Do not text me. Do not come near me. We are finished."
The cafeteria exploded with gasps and whispers.
"Rafael, no..." Jessica's voice pitched higher, desperate now. "Please, you cannot break up with me. Not here. Not like this."
"I just did."
"But I apologized. I deleted everything. I did what you asked." She grabbed at his arm, but he pulled away. "Please, Rafael, do not do this. We have been together for over a year. You cannot throw that away because of one mistake."
"One mistake?" His voice went cold. "You had her assaulted. You took pictures of her at her most vulnerable. You threatened to destroy her life. That is not a mistake, Jessica. That is who you are."
Tears streamed down her face, but I could not tell if they were real or for show. "I am sorry. I told you I was sorry. What more do you want from me?"
"Nothing." He stepped back. "I do not want anything from you. Just stay away from me and stay away from Vivienne."
"This is because of her?" Jessica's voice turned shrill. She whirled to face me, her expression twisting into something ugly. "You are breaking up with me for her?"
I flinched, taking a step back.
"Do not talk to her," Rafael warned.
But Jessica ignored him and stepped toward me. "Are you serious right now? You are choosing her over me? Look at her, Rafael. Look at what she is wearing. The same jeans she wore last week, that hoodie with the hole in the sleeve. She is a nobody. She has nothing."
"Jessica..." Emma tried to step between us, but Jessica kept going.
"I'm captain of the cheer squad. My dad donates millions to this school. I'm beautiful, I am popular, I am everything she is not." Her voice cracked. "And you are throwing me away for some pathetic little nerd who cannot even afford new clothes?"
The words hit like physical blows. Everyone was staring at me now, and I wanted to disappear. I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.
"That is enough," Rafael said, his voice deadly quiet.
"No, it is not enough." Jessica was fully crying now, mascara running in dark streaks. "Tell me what she has that I do not. Tell me why you are doing this."
"You want to know why?" Rafael stepped closer to her, and something in his expression made her go silent. "Because Vivienne is kind. She is genuine. She does not tear people down to make herself feel better. She does not use her family's money as a weapon or treat people like they are beneath her."
Jessica's face went red. "That is not..."
"She is brave," he continued, his voice growing stronger. "She works harder than anyone I know. She does not need designer clothes or her father's checkbook to prove her worth. And she has more integrity in her pinky finger than you have in your entire body."
My breath caught in my throat. Was he really saying this? About me?
"But most importantly," Rafael said, still staring at Jessica, "she does not pretend to be something she is not. Unlike you."
Jessica looked like she had been slapped. "I cannot believe this. I cannot believe you are actually choosing her."
"I am."
Those two words hung in the air.
Then Rafael turned away from Jessica and walked straight toward me.
My heart stopped.
"Rafael, what are you..."
He did not let me finish. He grabbed my face with both hands and kissed me.