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50

Bethany's POV

My mind wouldn't stop thinking back to the biting humiliation I had endured just hours ago. I clutched the cup of tea she'd handed me, the best doing very little to distract me.

The crowds laughter still echoed in my ears, very sharp and very mocking. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't shake the image of their faces and Masons loud chuckle leading the pack.

"Are you still thinking about it?" Lily asked as she came out from her kitchen, a cup of hot coffee in her hands. "It was probably just a joke."

"It wasn't just a joke," I said, staring into the swirling steam of my tea. "It was deliberate. Calculated. He knew what he was doing."

Lily sat across from me on the edge of her bed, her brows furrowed in a mix of anger and concern.

"What exactly did he say again?" she asked, though her clenched fists suggested she was already prepared to be furious.