Prologue
Darcy
I put one foot in front of the other and keep my head down as I walk out of the building. My heart races as I do my best to ignore the whispers going on around me. I know they’re talking about me, because I’ve been the hot topic for the last two weeks, ever since this whole mess started.
“Need a lift, Darcy?” I jump as Tom Watkins runs his hands down over the curve of my back, roughly cupping my ass. “There’s not much room in my truck, but you can sit on my face any time. I hear that’s what you’re into.” His friends howl with laughter while I choke back tears.
“Fuck off, Tom,” I growl. He laughs and stumbles off with his friends as they cheer him on and clap him on the back.
I hate that this is happening to me, but more than that, I hate that I can’t do anything about it. I feel like this is never going to stop. It’s going to follow me forever, casting a shadow over everything I do. How does he get out of this without any consequences at all, when I was the one who did nothing wrong? He lied to me. He cheated on his wife, I just trusted someone who couldn’t be trusted.
I clench my fists by my side. I’m trying so hard not to show any emotion, but I’m so angry that I’m shaking. It’s probably a good thing that he won’t answer my calls or my texts, because I don’t trust myself not to kill him right now.
When I’m outside the school gates, I break into a jog, desperate to get as far away from there as I can. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take. I’ve played it down, because I thought I could handle it. I thought eventually people would move on to the next bit of hot gossip, but Lacey made sure that didn’t happen. If it were just at school, I could handle it, but it’s everywhere. They wouldn’t sell me a soda in the store yesterday, because the attendant knew someone who knew Georgia.
My parents don’t know how bad things are because I’m keeping it from them. They’re disappointed in me enough without adding to the list that I’m being bullied.
I take a shortcut through Henson’s Park, relieved that I’m almost home. I’m almost on the other side when out of nowhere, Lacey and the offsiders surround me. She narrows her eyes, her jaw twitching as she glares at me.
“Going somewhere?” she taunts.
“Just leave it, Lacey,” I mutter.
“No. Why should I, you filthy whore? You’re so upset because everyone knows what a slut you are. Maybe you should’ve thought twice before doing what you did to my sister.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I cry. “I went out with a boy who I thought liked me as much as I liked him. Why aren’t you over there, hanging shit on him? He’s the one who cheated on Georgia. Not me. I didn’t even know about her.”
“How could you not?” Lacey laughs. “You think I believe anything you say? You’re nothing but an attention-seeking whore, and now everybody knows the truth.” She smiles, satisfied about how much chaos she’s caused in my life.
“Fuck you,” I bite.
I push past her, but she grabs my arm and swings me back around. I fall to the ground, gasping, as the air is pushed out of my lungs. Someone is standing on me. I cry out as the first kick hits my side, then the others join in. Before long, I can’t breathe, the pain is so intense.
Tears silently rolled down my cheeks as my hands clench into fists around my face. It’s the only thing I can protect, because there is only one of me and five of them.
Gasping, I scream as pain radiates through me. Every breath I take feels like it’s going to be my last. It’s like knives are being thrust into my stomach, over and over again. The pain is incredible. My sobs grow louder as I lay there. I give in, because I can’t fight it anymore. I close my eyes, feeling woozy.
And then I black out.
***
Forcing my eyes open, I glance around me, trying to work out where I am. The pain is constant and intense, especially when I breathe. I take soft, shallow breaths, because it’s all I can manage, and even then, I feel like I’m going to pass out. I turn my head to the side. Mom looks up from beside the bed I’m lying in. Her eyes widen.
“Greg, she’s awake.”
My father comes into view. Tears fill both their eyes as they stare down at me. I see every emotion in their faces, from concern, to happiness and fear. I swallow, my throat feeling like it’s been stuffed with a thousand razor blades.
“What happened,” I mumble around the constriction of my throat.
“Don’t worry about that,” Mom soothes. “You’re going to be fine, Darcy. Why didn’t you tell us that things were this bad?”
I don’t tell her that she’s contradicting herself by questioning me about the very thing she’s telling me not to worry about.
“Because I didn’t know that they were,” I mumble. Hurling abuse and food scraps at me as I walked down the halls is one thing. Beating the shit out of me is a whole new game.
“It’s going to be fine,” Dad says. He sounds less than convinced. “You just rest and recover, and we’ll sort all this out.”
“How can you,” I whisper. “No one believes me. You guys don’t even believe me.”
Mom glances at Dad, and neither of them will look at me. I turn away and close my eyes, pretending I’m asleep. I figure if I do it for long enough, they’ll leave me alone.
My plan works and eventually they leave me to sleep. I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling, trying to work out this mess. How did things become so bad? How did I go from thinking I’d found the one, to wishing I’d never met him? The worst thing is, I can’t see a way out—at least not one I’m happy with. The whole town hates me. I can’t go to school. I can’t work. I can’t do anything. All because I fell in love with the wrong person. I haven’t even allowed myself to grieve for the loss of the relationship. Everything happened so fast, and any sadness I felt toward Tyler was quickly replaced with anger. So much anger. I’m hurting as much as Georgia is, but nobody sees me as a victim.
Because I’m just some homewrecking whore who broke up a happy family.