Chapter 2

My face darkened.

I knew exactly what Zoey was getting at.

Back in my second year of high school, Andrew had given me a small box of chocolates.

I had no idea why a few chocolates could cost over 200 dollars, but hey, free was free. I shoved it into my bag without a second thought.

When the break came, Zoey started crying and said, "My chocolates are gone."

I'd just gotten back from the bathroom and saw her rifling through my bag, pulling out that box of chocolates.

Everyone was giving me that look—suspicious, doubting, judging.

I rushed to explain, "I didn't steal them! Andrew gave them to me. He said he got one for you and one for me. Ask him yourself."

I shot Andrew a pleading look, hoping he'd back me up.

Zoey's face flushed bright red as she realized her mistake. She just stood there, awkwardly clutching the box, not sure what to do.

She mumbled, barely audible, "I'm sorry."

Andrew looked at her, his eyes full of concern and tenderness.

Then he whipped around and shouted at me, "I never gave you any chocolates. You definitely stole them."

I froze, like I'd just been struck by lightning.

People started throwing words at me—"thief," "so broke that you have no pride," "always stealing "—all of it landing on me like stones.

No matter how desperately I tried to defend myself, the label stuck.

Everyone started whispering and judging.

"Then how come her chocolates were in your bag?" someone demanded.

"Andrew said he never gave you any chocolates. What, are you so poor that you have to steal just to eat?" another person jeered.

"A scholarship kid like you, buying 200-dollar chocolates? Please." Someone else scoffed.

"She's such a liar. Just ignore her from now on," another voice added.

After school, I cornered Andrew, demanding to know why he pulled that stunt.

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and said, "Zoey's running for class president. If people think she falsely accused someone, it'll ruin her image. And did you see her face? She was mortified."

I clenched my jaw, wishing I could just chuck my backpack at his head.

Andrew reached out and ruffled my hair, acting like he was comforting me. "Chill out. Zoey already found her chocolates in the nurse's office. She won't make you pay for them."

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I swung my backpack and slammed it into him.

"What the hell, Harriet? Are you insane?" he snapped.

So that was why Zoey gave me the chocolates today. It wasn't a gift. It was a straight-up provocation.

People around us were whispering, "Wow, Zoey's so generous. She actually forgave the thief."

I pulled out my phone and played the whole recording from that day after school with Andrew.

Andrew's laid-back voice came through loud and clear. "I know you didn't steal them."

Two years ago, I almost released it, but the Weston family's butler slipped me 70,000 dollars to keep my mouth shut.

Two years of being called a thief or 70,000 dollars? I weighed my options and took the money.

I promised him I'd keep my mouth shut until graduation. That was the deal.

Now, graduation was over. And I could finally press play.

Zoey's face went ghostly pale, clutching that box of chocolates, frozen in place, not knowing what to do with it.

The whole room erupted into chaos.

Because of all that drama, I got called a thief for ages, and my desk and chair were covered in the word "thief" scratched into them.

"Guess Harriet really liked Andrew back then. She took the fall for the whole mess and never said a word against him," someone whispered.

"Then why bring it up now?" another person wondered.

"Love turned to hate, I guess. Seeing them together made her snap. She was simping for him so hard. Pathetic," someone scoffed.

"Zoey knew all along, but she said nothing. That's cold," someone muttered.

Zoey started crying, looking like she might faint any second.

Andrew rushed to catch her, then shoved me away, glaring. "It's been years. Why are you still bringing this up? Stop torturing Zoey."

I stumbled from the force of his push.

A glass on the table shattered. A shard cut deep into my hand.

I shouted, "She started it."

I lost it and barreled straight into him.

He fell hard.