Anders

urity footage from USC. My stomach dropped.

unned silence as she deliberately bumped into Josie, spilling a cup of coffee on herself, then immediately dissolving

st my ribs, a dull, sickening thud.

She stammered, pulling at my sleeve. "Demetri,

the university's untouched security archives. It's authenticated. Unlike some o

t, already a torrent of speculation, e

audia i

ake? I can't

u say to this? Your

tried to force a smile, her voice trembling. "Everyone, please, there

l story? The full, unedited truth about how Claudia Vazquez built her ent

er. YES! TELL US!

nged at Jordan, trying to push her away from the mi

keeping Claudia away from the camera. "I'm not

tudio. My carefully constructed world was crumbling

her body trembling. Her gaze flickered to mine

f Josie. Josie had everything Claudia craved-popularity, talent, and my best friend, Demetri." She paused, letting the words sink in. "Claudia framed Josie, manipulating the situation to make it appear as though

and then they crashed! It's all your fault, Josie! I hate you! Bennie's words. Josie's desperate, angry phone

, her lips moving silent

ing her lies while Josie was left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. She even went so far as to ensure Josie had to publicly apologize for something she never did." Jordan'

usations, denunciations, a chorus

desperate plea, fixed on me. "Demetri, please... it

, was a monster. A liar. A manipulator. All the 'evidence' she had presented, her tearful storie

"Get out, Claudia." My voice was a low,

ror. "Demetri? But we're... w

rds tasting like bile. I stood up, pushing my chair back with a vi

d remnants of my illusions, from the wom

mbling to her feet. "Please! Don't le

. There was nothin

e, calm and efficient, called for an ambulance. But I kept walking. The a

ne, my fingers fumbling as I tried to dial Josie's number. It was the old number, the one I had memorized

tomated voice cut in. The number you

snaked around my heart.