06
For the next month, Scarlett was a constant presence in the classroom next door, always finding Shaffer. But if I was anywhere in the vicinity, she would drag him away, ensuring we never
had a chance to interact.
Shaffer’s moment of confusion that day had clearly terrified her.
Time flew by, and final exams arrived.
Everyone was a bundle of nerves, heads bowed over last–minute study materials in a final, desperate prayer to the gods of academia.
Only I remained calm, strolling leisurely toward the exam hall with my clear pencil case in hand.
The chat was relentless in its mockery.
[Chat: Has this girl just given up? Everyone else is cramming, and she’s walking around like it’s just another Tuesday.]
Chat: She knows it’s hopeless, right? The Harvard spot is gone. I bet she hasn’t even cracked a book this whole month. What if she can’t even get into a decent state school? No matter what, she’ll never measure up to the heiress.]
I ignored them.
Suddenly, the chat erupted into a chaotic flurry of panicked messages.
[Chat: Scarlett was taken by Zane? What’s going on? She doesn’t even have to take the exam, why is she at school?!]
[Chat: Zane is a scumbag! He secretly took nude photos of her and is using them as blackmail! That bastard! What do we do? All the teachers and security are monitoring the exam buildi- ngs, no one is paying attention to the abandoned equipment shed.]
[Chat: Is Zane insane?! Scarlett has been acting so different lately, he must have sensed something was up. What is he planning? Don’t tell me he’s going to try and rape her out of desperat-
ion?]
A cold dread washed over me, and my steps faltered.
The next second, I spun around and sprinted toward the equipment shed.
You can’t enter the exam hall fifteen minutes after it starts.
But laid before me was the sound of a girl’s helpless cries for help.
Against the absolute physical power a man has over a woman, if Zane was truly determined to force himself on Scarlett, she wouldn’t be able to escape…
I ran faster.
[Chat: What is Luna doing? The exam is about to start!]
[Chat: That’s the direction of the equipment shed! Does she know Scarlett was taken by Zane? What if she’s one of the masterminds behind this?]
[Chat: The user above has a point. She lost her early admission spot. She’s resentful. It’s totally possible she conspired with Zane.]
I ignored the stream of accusations, running with everything I had. I spotted a security guard on patrol.
By the time the guard and I arrived, Zane was grabbing Scarlett by the hair, slapping her around, and had nearly ripped her clothes off.
Scarlett was screaming for help, her voice raw with terror.
The guard bellowed. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing!”
