Chapter 37
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As he spoke, Ariel tugged down his collar to reveal a wound on his shoulder–deep and shockingly grotesque.
What had once been a small puncture from a pen had clearly been tampered with, now festering into a gash that looked like it had been carved by a blade.
The skin around it was swollen and red, raw flesh peeking through as inflammation framed the torn tissue. It was an ugly. stomach–turning sight.
Ariel waited just long enough to make sure their horror sank in, then calmly adjusted his shirt and let out a heavy sigh.
He said, “I bled a lot. I couldn’t chase after Kayla, let alone stop her. But that’s not the part that worried me most. What scared me was something happening to her. That’s why I came back and reported everything to Tristian.”
Before the room had a chance to digest that, Tristian asked in a loud voice, “Kayla, what else do you have to say for yourself? The evidence is right here.
“You went out fooling around with a guy until so late. What, are you still gonna deny it?”
There was a cruel satisfaction in his eyes, a malicious glint that said he thought this would finally crush her.
The cold white light of the crystal chandelier fell across the living room, casting long shadows over Kayla’s slender figure.
She fiddled with the silver chain around her wrist. The polished metal caught the light, reflecting just enough to flash a distorted image of Ariel’s wound. If she hadn’t been there herself, she might’ve even believed him.
She raised her brows, thinking, ‘Wow, he really went all in. My clothes were messy? I stayed in an alley with a guy?
‘What’s next, claiming he caught us in bed? And that wound is not made by me. Just how much did Tristian pay him to go this far?‘
Their eyes met across the room. Ariel’s gaze was full of rage, arrogance, and twisted pride, as if he were daring her to do something. There wasn’t a trace of respect left in his face, only contempt.
Kayla blinked in confusion, feigning panic. But in her heart, she was calm. She mused, ‘Clearly, I didn’t hit him hard enough. He still doesn’t know his place. That’s fine. I’ll fix that permanently.’
Kayla spoke up, her voice quiet but steady. “Ariel, you keep saying I was with a guy. Are you sure that’s what you saw?”
Ariel puffed up his chest, stepping forward, the stench of cigarette smoke leaking from his breath. “Of course I’m sure. That guy was right behind you, and his zipper wasn’t even done. I don’t need to guess what was going on.”
Realizing that his words sounded improper, he quickly changed tactics. His expression softened into something more humble, more sincere.
He added, “Miss, I only said all this because I care about you. A young lady needs to carry herself with dignity. I just didn’t want to see you go down the wrong path. That’s the only reason I told Mr. and Mrs. Sexton.”
Kayla let out a sharp laugh through her nose, thinking, ‘Oh, you care about me, huh? And letting me take the fall for being some trashy, promiscuous teenager is how you show it? Should I thank you for that?‘
Kayla looked up, calm and poised. “Well, since you’re so sure of what you saw, why don’t you go ahead and give us the guy’s name? That way, we can go to school and confront him.
“You said we were in some steamy situation in an alley, so you clearly got a good look, right?”
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Chapter 37
Ariel’s eyes flickered. For the first time, his composure cracked.
Of course Ariel couldn’t confront anyone. The whole thing was fabricated.
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But after a brief pause, Ariel quickly pulled himself back together. “How would I know who he was? I don’t know any of your classmates.”
Kayla casually twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, her smile cool, laced with mockery. “It doesn’t matter. You said all of it with such certainty, so you surely have seen his face, huh?
“You don’t need to know his name. Just the face will do. We can go to school tomorrow, and you point him out. If you can do that, I’ll admit to everything you said.”
Ariel’s fists clenched at his side. His eyes flicked involuntarily toward Tristian.
Kayla didn’t miss the look they exchanged–Tristian’s dark glare and Ariel’s subtle panic. It was all so painfully obvious.
Ariel gritted his teeth, caught between fear and obligation. Finally, he blurted, “Miss, are you accusing me of lying? Why would I make something like this up?
“That boy might not even be from your class, so you’re confident I won’t find him, isn’t it? If you don’t want to admit what happened, fine. But don’t take it out on me. I’m just a driver.”
Kayla saw clearly how Ariel and Tristian exchanged their gazes. She thought, ‘So that’s their plan. Keep the accusation vague enough to avoid being disproved. But I won’t let that work.’
Kayla laughed, “You’re practically calling me a tramp, Ariel. You just tried to imply that I had sex with some random guy, right? Don’t I even have the right to know who it was?”
She took a breath, her voice suddenly cutting cold. “You said it happened right near the school gates. The cameras must’ve recorded it. Let’s call the police and have them pull the security footage.
“Then we’ll all see exactly what happened. Whether I was messing around with someone, or you’re just a lying piece of
trash.”
The temperature in the room suddenly dropped. Ariel instinctively shivered all over. He had expected tears, screaming, maybe hysterical denial, but Kayla reacted with clear logic and even thought about the cameras.
If they really had the police get the footage, Ariel’s lies would be exposed easily.
Bailee, who’d remained doubtful of Ariel from the beginning, noticed the awkwardness on Ariel’s face and got worked up.
She said, “I don’t believe my sweetheart would do something like that. Let’s pull the footage. I want the truth.”
Her protective instincts had fully kicked in. If someone dared smear her daughter’s name, she’d see the truth laid bare no matter what.
Ariel’s face paled, and he trembled without realizing it. He met Tristian’s eyes again. Tristian’s look was furious, dark with warning.
Ariel turned back to Bailee and pleaded, “There’s no need to escalate things, Mrs. Sexton. Maybe I was mistaken. My eyes aren’t as good as they used to be.”
Kayla let out a chuckle, “Oh, please. You could tell his zipper wasn’t done, but you couldn’t see his face clearly? Ariel, do you have some sort of perverted obsession with staring at people’s crotches and then imagining the rest of the story?”
A collective wince went around the room.
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Chapter 37
Bailee looked slightly embarrassed. She hadn’t expected Kayla to go that explicit.
Ariel’s face flushed a deep, furious red. He struggled to come up with something that could save him.
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Then his eyes lit up. He turned the topic with a sharp pivot. “Okay, maybe I misread what I saw. But you did stab me, right? You can’t deny that.”
He pulled his collar aside again, as if to underscore the very real wound he carried.
