Chapter 10

Jasmine's POV

The screen in front of me blurred as I reread the post draft. My fingers hovered over the send button, hesitating for the first time.

I never hesitated.

Every message I'd written had been backed by truth—painful, brutal honesty that forced people to face the consequences of their own actions. But this… this was different.

Luke's mom met with the university coach. That much was true. But a bribe? I had no proof. Just a picture, just an implication.

I exhaled sharply, my grip tightening around my phone.

Does it even matter?

Luke wasn't innocent. He was just another name on my list, another person who stood by when they should've spoken up. Maybe this wasn't exactly the truth, but it would still ruin him, still force him to suffer the way others had suffered.

So why did my stomach twist at the thought?

Because it's not the truth.

I clenched my jaw, shaking my head. No. It's justice. He doesn't deserve that scholarship. And even if his mother didn't bribe anyone, what was she doing meeting with a coach in secret anyway?

I closed my eyes. My heart pounded against my ribs. For the first time since this all began, I felt something I hadn't in a long time.

Doubt.

I hovered over the button for a second longer. Then I swallowed hard, silencing the part of me that screamed that this was wrong.

And I pressed post.

Ashton's POV

The silence between the three of us was suffocating as we stepped out of Parker's hospital room. None of us spoke, not after what had just happened, not after Luke's world had just been flipped upside down by a single post.

The weight of it all hung over us like a storm cloud.

Then, just as we reached the hospital exit, I saw him.

Mel's father.

Walking away, his posture heavy with defeat, his eyes hollow and lifeless—like he no longer wanted to exist. He looked like a dead man walking.

Before I even realized what I was doing, my body moved on its own. I grabbed him by the collar, yanking him backward. He barely had time to react before I dragged him into the nearest bathroom and shoved him against the wall.

"You're sick," I spat, my voice shaking with rage. "You're demented. How the hell do you sleep at night knowing what you did? Sleeping with your daughter's best friend? She's underage!"

He barely flinched, his expression unreadable. "Let me go."

I slammed him against the tiled wall again. "What the hell are you even doing here? Aren't you supposed to be rotting in jail?"

His eyes darkened. "I just left my daughter."

I froze. My grip loosened slightly. "...What?"

His voice was hoarse when he repeated, "I just left my daughter."

I swallowed, my mind racing. "What do you mean? What's Mel doing in the hospital?"

A heavy silence settled between us. Then, from behind me, I heard Luke and Milo's voices in unison.

"You don't know?"

My blood ran cold. I turned to face them, my hands still trembling. "Know what?"

Luke looked down, unable to meet my eyes. Milo sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Mel… she committed suicide."

The words hit me like a truck. My breath caught in my throat. My chest tightened.

"What?" The word barely left my lips.

Mel's father suddenly let out a strangled sound—something between a sob and a scream. He slid down the wall, his head in his hands, muttering the same words over and over.

"She's not dead. She's not dead. She's not dead."

Something inside me cracked.

"I found her in time," he choked out. "She's alive. She has to be."

My hands clenched into fists. "Where is she?"

He lifted his head, his eyes glassy. "Room 404."

The second the number left his lips, I took off. I heard Luke and Milo running behind me, but my legs carried me forward, my heart hammering in my chest.

Mel.

Not Mel.

Not her too.

I barely registered the elevator ride, my mind racing through every childhood memory I had with her. The laughter, the late-night talks, the way she and Parker had always been there, always.

And now…

The elevator doors opened. I sprinted down the hall, not stopping until I reached the door. My hands shook as I pushed it open.

And then I saw her.

She laid still, unmoving, the same way Parker did. Machines beeped softly around her. She looked peaceful. Too peaceful.

I couldn't breathe.

I turned to Luke and Milo, my voice barely a whisper. "How could this happen?"

Luke kept his head down, unable to respond. It was Milo who finally spoke, his voice heavy with regret.

"Emia posted about her. Said she was a cheater, that she didn't deserve Princeton. That post… it probably cost her everything."

Luke's voice was hollow when he added, "You know how Mel's been since she was ten. She and her mom planned for Princeton together. When her mom died, it was all she had left of her. That post… it broke her."

My chest ached. Two childhood friends. Two people I cared about.

Both lying here.

All because of one person.

Emia.