She arrived at school earlier than most of the students. The campus was still quiet, the air carrying a faint chill that hadn't yet been warmed by footsteps and chatter. She unlocked the door, stepped inside, and was just about to start packing up her things when she noticed a familiar figure standing outside.
She paused, then walked over and spoke softly. "Leslie… thank you."
Ever since Isabella had been hospitalized, Leslie Winkle had been drowning in guilt.
She hadn't shown up at school even once. She had truly believed that Isabella might have died.
After everything that happened, she had only gone to see Vanessa a single time. Yet when she finally found her, Vanessa had sneered and thrown out a sentence that still echoed in her ears.
"This is all your doing. I didn't wrong you. You deserved what happened. What the f*ck?"
It was that moment that had pushed Leslie Winkle to the brink. She had sworn that she would make Vanessa suffer the same pain she herself had endured.
