Chapter 257 Complicity is just as bad.

Chapter 257 Complicity is just as bad.
CHAPTER 257
Complicity is just as bad.
MILLY

My mouth falls open in horror as she tries to rip the award from Camden’s hands. 

“What the –?” Romeo is as surprised as I am.

The hall has fallen silent, and everyone watches her lose her mind.

Camden refuses to let go, holding it high in his hands, face twisted in fury. The teachers are rushing towards the stage, and so are the security guards. 

“What has gotten into you, Ms Barnes!” Principal Beaumont snaps, mortified. 

“What has gotten into me?” Poppy screeches, turning to her. “What has happened to you? Has the world gone fucking mad? My mother got you your fucking job; you traitor! My family has donated countless dollars to this school, and this is how you repay me! By giving my award to that bitch!”

“Ms Barnes!” Principal Beamont screams.

“Fuck you!” She refuses to back down. “Now, give me my fucking award or I am going to set this entire hall on fire! I am Prom Queen. I have always been Prom Queen. No one else is supposed to be Prom Queen, and definitely not her!”

“Alright, that is enough.” Ms Olive steps forward with a sign. “You have one minute to get off the stage, or you will be escorted off it. Pandora won fair and square. She got the highest votes. The students voted for her, and you were barely able to get in twenty votes. Do you have no shame?”

“Oh, shut up, please!” She rolls her eyes, and everyone gasps. 

Rage burns hot in my chest, and I clench my jaw hard. This has gone on long enough. She has lost her mind. She is ruining Prom. This is the only Prom I’ll ever attend, and she is ruining it. I am done standing aside. 

“Excuse me.” I step away from Pandora, but Romeo grabs my arms, confused “Where are you going?”

“To end this, once and for all.” I narrow my gaze at him and wait for him to stop me. He doesn’t, but he doesn’t let me go alone either. Together, the five of us move closer to the podium, and I climb on. 

Poppy sneers when she sees me. “You filthy fat –”

“Ah, yes, the same boring insult.” I cut her off and take the mic from the stand. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is Prom. Our final exam is in a few weeks. We are supposed to have fun, take pictures, take risks and get drunk on cheap wine, yet, once again, Poppy Barnes is ruining all the fun by making herself the centre of attention.” I speak, loud and clear, and everyone listens to me. 

“Let me tell you a little about her.” I begin, and they watch me. 

“What are you doing -” She lunges for me, but the security guard holds her back. Romeo is about to jump onto the podium, pissed.

“Poppy is a bully, a huge bully, and I used to be her victim. Used to, because I am no longer a victim. I have taken control of my life. Poppy was unnecessarily cruel to me. She insulted me for my body, for my family’s background, for my father’s death, for things I couldn’t control. She was cruel to me and made me cry every time. It got worse when I caught Romeo’s attention.” I glance at my boyfriend.

“Contrary to what she told the school, Romeo didn’t cheat on her with me. They were broken up. Nothing happened between us until their relationship ended.” I clarify. “You might be wondering why I am telling you all this. I need you to understand the kind of person she is: a vicious, empty-headed bully with nothing but spite and bitterness in her belly, but something tells me you all already know that. Show of hands if you voted for Pandora Gilmore. Don’t worry, Poppy won’t hurt you.” 

Almost everyone in the hall raises their hands, even Poppy’s friends. 

Satisfaction floods my veins, and I beam. 

I turn to Poppy. “No one wants you to be Prom Queen, Barnes. Give up, and stop making a fuss about it. Stop being a sore loser. Pandora won this, fair and square, not because she is my friend, or because she is prettier than you are, but because she is a good person. You can learn more than fashion sense from her.” 

“Ooooh, burn.” Someone in the crowd says, and everyone laughs. 

With a smile on my face, I turn to Camden and hand him the microphone. 

“Thank you, Milly. Now –

“Hold on.” Romeo cuts him off and gets on the podium. 

I frown, watching as he takes the microphone from Camden and faces the crowd. “Milly said something about bullying. I know, because I had a front-row seat to it. You see, I might not have personally torn Milly’s skirt, or hurt her directly, but I did. I was complicit. I looked the other way when my ex-girlfriend terrorised the entire school.” 

Oh.

“And that makes me as bad as she is. This is not Poppy’s fault, but mine. Did she bully me too? Force me into compliance? None of that matters. I stood by her side while she hurt innocent people, while she hurt you. Complicity is as bad as bullying. We must not look the other way. If your friend, sibling or boyfriend/girlfriend is hurting other people, it is your duty to call them out on it. It is your duty to be a good person. We must stand up against the opposition. We must point out injustice and stamp it out. I was too scared to do that, too attached to my image, too comfortable in my complicity. By the time I finally took a stand, it was too late, and the damage had run deep.” His voice hardens, and he pauses.

The room is spellbound, listening to him.

“My guilt does not purify or absolve me from everything I have done. I did it, and I am sorry for my role in the actions. If you see your friend hurt, help them. If you see your friend hurting others, stop them. If they do not stop, then you report them to the teachers and the principal. It is our duty to take care of each other.” He articulates calmly. 

I stare at him, surprised that he has done this. He didn’t have to, but he did. He took accountability for everything.

He turns to me and whispers, “I am sorry for everything, Milly.” 

My heart hurts, and I nod because I love him. I never held it against him.

Surprisingly, Lia, Padme and Calla stood up. “We are sorry, Milly. We are sorry, everyone.”