Claire’s POV
It was supposed to be a carefree day —a rare mont of peace where I could spoil Eliam and give Sissy her well-deserved fun. But life had a cruel way of testing . My stomach churned when I locked eyes with the person standing before .
Mia.
The very na sent a cold shiver down my spine. Her face hadn’t changed much over the years, still wearing that smug, predatory grin that I had grown to fear during my school days.
Mia wasn’t just a bully; she was a torntor who thrived on my misery. I still rembered every horrific detail like it was etched into my skin. The humiliation. The fear. The endless nights spent crying myself to sleep, praying for an escape that never ca.
She would lock up whenever the opportunity arose. Once, she trapped in the school’s storage room. It was a weekend, and everyone had left. No one even realized I was missing for two whole days.
I was alone in that dark, suffocating space, with only the sound of rats scurrying nearby to keep company. My throat burned from screaming for help until I lost my voice. My stomach ached from hunger, and my body trembled from the cold.
When they finally found , instead of looking out for , I was t with bla. The teachers accused of being careless, wandering into the storage room and locking myself inside. No one believed when I said it wasn’t my fault.
The worst part wasn’t the physical tornt but the isolation. No one stood up for . No one cared. Mia and her friends made sure of that. They spread rumors, turned classmates against , and ensured I had no one to lean on.
They would corner , throw trash at , push into muddy puddles, and laugh while I cried, making videos of my miserable life. They stole my belongings, vandalized my desk, and left cruel notes in my locker. The things they did were too vile to recount fully.
Each day felt like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. I tried so hard to keep going, to find so light amidst the darkness, but the pain was relentless, cutting deep inside my heart that I just wished to die.
One day, after another round of humiliation— Mia had poured soda over my head during lunch in front of everyone— I couldn’t take it anymore.
I ran away without thinking as I climbed to the top of the school building. My heart was heavy with despair. The sky was gray, the sa as the emptiness inside . Tears stread down my face as I stood on the edge, looking down at the world that had shown no rcy.
For a fleeting mont, I thought of peace. An escape. An end to the unbearable pain.
Just as I was about to take that final step, a firm hand grabbed my arm and pulled back but I yanked it away, returning where I was.
"Don’t do this," a deep voice said, filled with both urgency and kindness.
I turned to see Evander. His eyes weren’t filled with pity but with genuine concern.
"Why do you care?" I asked, my voice breaking as tears blurred my vision. "No one else does," I said bitterly, turning my back to him. My voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible, "Just leave... or you will beco a killer in everyone’s eyes."
But Evander didn’t flinch. His voice was steady, almost soothing. "If you know that, why not co down and tell what’s going on with you? Maybe I can help."
"Help?" I scoffed, the word laced with years of pent-up frustration. "How could you possibly help ? You don’t understand anything."
He stayed calm, his gaze unwavering. "Are you suffering because of those girls? The bullies?"
My head snapped toward him, my eyes wide in shock. "What? How do you—"
"I was the one who found you in the storeroom," he interrupted, his tone firm but gentle. "I was the one who sent you to the hospital."
His words hit like thunderclaps. My knees buckled slightly, and I gripped the edge of the rooftop railing for support as I ca down. "Why?" I demanded, my voice rising. "Why did you have to save ? It would have been better if I were dead!"
Evander’s expression remained calm, but I could see sothing flicker in his eyes— concern perhaps. "Because no one deserves to feel like their life isn’t worth saving," he said simply.
I let out a shaky breath, my chest heaving as I whispered, "No one would have cared if I died anyway." I wasn’t even sure if he heard .
But he did.
"That’s not true," he said firmly. "You don’t see it now, but there are people who care more than you realize. And even if it feels like no one does, you owe it to yourself to keep going. You are stronger than this!"
Saying that I was stronger was easy for him but only I knew what I had been through. But then again, he had been through equally worst.
His words only made the dam inside break further. "Why do you care so much? You are Evander —the most popular guy in school. You are supposed to be untouchable, perfect. Why waste your ti on soone like ?"
"I am not perfect," he said quietly. "And maybe I am not as untouchable as you think." Evander pronounced. "You seed to be a good girl; I have seen you multiple tis; I can tell that you can do it! Fight back and live happily to make them regret."
His words were like a lifeline, pulling back from the brink.
"Co here," Evander said softly, extending his hand toward .
For a mont, I hesitated, the weight of despair still anchoring to the edge. But then, sothing inside —so tiny spark of hope—pushed forward. Slowly, I reached out and placed my trembling hand in his.
His grip was firm yet gentle, grounding in a way I hadn’t felt in years. "Let’s get you down from here," he said, guiding away from the edge.
Though I had wanted to end it all just monts ago, a small part of —the tiniest, most fragile part—still wanted to live.
And for the first ti, I thought that maybe, just maybe, I didn’t have to face it all alone but having Evander with had stunned .
Evander was the star of the school—captain of the basketball team, top student, and effortlessly charismatic. Everyone admired him, and every girl, including , had a crush on him.
I used to watch him from afar, my heart fluttering whenever he passed by. He seed untouchable, radiating confidence and calm, a ray of light to my shrinking world.
He was the dream—soone I admired but never imagined would notice . And yet, here he was, reaching out when I was at my lowest, shattering every wall I’d built between myself and hope.
"Why? Why do you care about ?" I asked. "Why even bother saving ?"
Evander sat down, his grip still firm on my wrist, as if afraid I would slip away if he let go. "Because you matter," he said simply. "Even if you don’t see it right now, your life is worth so much more than the pain you are feeling."
"Maybe, just as I saved you today, you might be able to save from the edge of my life," Evander said and dragged down the top floor.
That day, Evander saved — not just from the edge of the building but from the edge of myself. He beca my anchor, my light in the darkness.
But now, standing here in front of Mia, all those mories ca rushing back. The fear, the humiliation, the hopelessness.
No. Not anymore.
I wasn’t the sa girl she once tornted. I had grown stronger, rebuilt my life, and found my own happiness. Mia would not drag back into the darkness. Not today. Not ever.
I had tried to shoo Mia away, hoping she would get bored and leave, but it seed she was determined to stir up trouble. Her smug expression and mocking words were designed to rattle , but I wasn’t the sa old Claire anymore.
The old would have cowered, avoided confrontation, or walked away silently. But not today. I decided to stand my ground and give her a taste of her own dicine. If she wanted a fight, I would let her know exactly who she was dealing with now.
But what I hadn’t expected was the twist that followed— the person who turned out to be the owner of the store. It wasn’t just any stranger; it was soone whose presence really shocked .
~ ~ ~ ~
Evander’s POV
My friends had been, constantly teasing and laughing about Eliam’s so-called betrayal. That little guy, always choosing Claire over —it stung more than I wanted to admit. But, honestly, could I even bla him? Claire was the most beautiful, kind-hearted person in the world. Anyone would pick her over , even I would.
"Man, you should do sothing," Damian said as he nudged with a smirk.
"Yeah, Evander, it looks like the kid’s already stealing your spotlight," Caspian chid in, causing the group to erupt in laughter again.
I rolled my eyes, pretending to be unaffected, though their jabs were starting to get on my nerves. We were in the middle of discussing sothing important— finally steering away from their relentless teasing— when my phone rang.
It was Eliam.
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