1 The torment begins

Chapter 1

The rain poured heavily outside, beating against the windows of the elite boarding school like tiny fists of sorrow. The hallways were empty, except for one girl. Amelia Monroe. Small, quiet, and fragile. She walked with her head down, arms wrapped around her books as if they could shield her from the cruel world around her.

But books couldn't stop the monsters.

She knew it was coming. It always came.

Laughter echoed down the hallway, cold and merciless. Her stomach twisted. Her heart pounded in her chest like a trapped bird, desperate to escape.

"Hey, freak!"

A voice, sharp and filled with venom, sliced through the air. Amelia's steps faltered, her grip on her books tightening. She didn't need to turn around. She already knew who it was. Victoria Langley. The queen of the school. The girl with perfect hair, perfect teeth, and a heart made of ice.

"Going somewhere, loser?"

Amelia kept her gaze down, praying—just this once—that they would let her go. But prayers meant nothing in this school.

A hard shove from behind sent her books flying to the floor. A gasp escaped her lips as she stumbled forward, barely catching herself before hitting the cold tiles. The sound of laughter filled her ears, each cruel chuckle a dagger slicing through her soul.

"Oops." Victoria smirked, stepping closer. "I think you dropped something."

Amelia bent down, her fingers trembling as she reached for her books. Before she could grab them, a foot slammed down, kicking one of them away.

"Pick it up," Victoria sneered. "Like the pathetic dog you are."

Tears burned in Amelia's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't give them that satisfaction. Taking a shaky breath, she reached for another book. A different foot kicked it further away. The girls around Victoria laughed, their eyes filled with amusement.

Amelia's chest ached.

Why?

Why was it always her?

She had never done anything to them. Never spoken back. Never looked them in the eyes. And yet, they hated her. Tormented her. Broke her.

A sharp tug on her hair made her yelp. Fingers twisted into her locks, yanking her head back until she was forced to look up. Victoria's face hovered above her, beautiful and terrifying.

"You're so ugly," she whispered, her lips curling in disgust. "No wonder no one likes you."

The words stung worse than the physical pain.

A loud snap echoed through the hallway. Amelia's glasses were plucked from her face and snapped in two. Blurry figures surrounded her as she blinked rapidly, trying to adjust. The laughter grew louder, crueler.

She couldn't see. She couldn't fight.

She was helpless.

A hand grabbed the collar of her sweater, yanking her up. "You think you're too good to talk to us?" Victoria hissed. "Is that it?"

"N-No," Amelia choked out, her voice barely above a whisper.

Victoria's eyes darkened. "What was that?"

A stinging slap cracked across Amelia's cheek. Her skin burned. Her eyes welled up. The laughter around her grew louder, each sound like a nail hammered into her breaking soul.

"Say it louder, freak."

Amelia swallowed hard. "N-no."

Another slap. Harder this time. Her head snapped to the side, and she tasted blood.

No one came. No one ever came.

The teachers didn't care. The students turned away. No one wanted to help the girl who had no voice.

Her knees hit the floor again as Victoria finally let her go. Her body trembled, weak and exhausted. Her cheek throbbed, her head spun. The books lay scattered around her, torn pages fluttering like dying butterflies.

Victoria leaned down, her lips brushing against Amelia's ear. "You don't belong here. Do yourself a favor and disappear."

Then they were gone. Just like that. Like nothing had happened.

Like Amelia Monroe didn't matter.

She sat there, on the cold floor, in the empty hallway. Rain still pounded against the windows, but she couldn't hear it over the sound of her own shattered heart. She wrapped her arms around herself, rocking slightly, trying to hold herself together.

But she was already broken.

Tears spilled down her bruised cheeks, silent and endless.

She wanted to disappear.

She wanted it to end.

But the pain wasn't done with her yet.

And neither were they.