The library was unusually quiet that afternoon, the air thick with unease. Hannah sat at a corner table, books spread out before her, but her eyes weren't moving across the pages. Her thoughts circled like vultures, each one darker than the last.
Whispers floated through the room — faint, but loud enough for her to catch.
"…She's just jealous of Emily…"
"…Backstabbed her only friend…"
"…Pathetic…"
Hannah's fingers tightened around her pen until the plastic cracked. She wanted to shout that it wasn't true, that she wasn't the monster they painted her as. But fear kept her silent.
Across the room, Emily sat elegantly with two of her usual companions, a book open but untouched in her hands. Every so often, she would glance at Hannah, her lips curving into a smile that only Hannah could see. A smile that said: This is what happens when you cross me.
By evening, Hannah found herself standing in the empty music room again. The piano keys gleamed beneath the dim light, calling to her, but she couldn't play. Not when her heart felt like it was shattering.
The door creaked open. For a moment, Hannah feared it was Emily again, but relief washed over her when Sara stepped inside.
"Hannah," Sara said softly, setting her bag down. "You've been avoiding us."
Hannah looked away. "I don't… I don't want to cause more trouble."
"You're not trouble," Sara replied firmly, crossing the room until she stood beside her. "You told the truth. That was brave. Don't let Emily make you believe otherwise."
Tears welled in Hannah's eyes. "But now everyone hates me."
Sara gently placed a hand on hers. "Then let them. You're not alone anymore, Hannah. We'll face this together."
For the first time in days, Hannah felt a flicker of warmth. She nodded weakly, clinging to Sara's words like a lifeline.
But in the hallway, Emily leaned against the wall, listening. Her smirk widened. Perfect. Sara's protecting her again. Just like Grace said. That will be her weakness.
The next morning, Hannah arrived at class to find her desk covered in cruel notes.
Traitor.
Snake.
Nobody wants you.
Her throat tightened as she crumpled the papers with shaking hands. Laughter rippled from the back of the room — Emily's companions, pretending to whisper but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Guess she doesn't need friends. She already betrayed the only one she had."
Hannah buried her face in her books, but the humiliation seeped deep into her bones.
Sara noticed immediately, storming to Hannah's desk. "Who did this?" she demanded, her voice sharp.
No one answered. Emily sat at her seat, flipping casually through her notebook, her expression calm and unbothered.
Daniel appeared beside Sara, his hand resting lightly on her arm. "Don't," he murmured. "This is exactly what she wants. If you lash out now, she wins."
Sara clenched her fists, torn between fury and reason. Finally, she gathered the crumpled papers and tossed them into her bag. "Ignore them, Hannah. They're cowards hiding behind whispers."
Hannah tried to smile, but her eyes shimmered with tears.
That evening, Emily struck again. Hannah's phone buzzed with an anonymous message:
You think Sara can protect you? She'll turn on you too. She always does.
Hannah's heart pounded as more messages followed.
You're a burden.
Everyone knows it.
You don't belong here.
Her hands shook as she deleted them, but the words burned into her mind, louder than any whisper in the hallway.
When her phone buzzed again, she almost didn't look — but this time, it was Lina.
Meet me tomorrow morning. We'll walk to class together. Don't be scared.
Hannah's chest tightened. Maybe… maybe she wasn't as alone as she felt.
Meanwhile, in Grace's lavish study, Emily relayed her progress.
"She's cracking," Emily said smugly, sipping tea. "The whole school's turning against her. And Sara is wasting all her energy trying to keep her afloat."
Grace's lips curved into a satisfied smile. "Excellent. A weak friend is a heavy chain. Soon, Sara will stumble under the weight. And when she does, we'll be ready."
Emily's eyes gleamed with cruel delight.
The next day, Hannah walked into the courtyard beside Lina. For once, she felt a flicker of safety. But when she caught sight of Emily across the way, standing tall with her perfect smile, a chill crawled down her spine.
She could see it clearly now — the shadows gathering, waiting to swallow her whole.
And she wasn't sure if even Sara could hold them back.