Chapter 2

I spun around, my eyes zeroing in on the woman in the crowd, trying to keep her head down. Vivian Carter.

"You and Nick are basically attached at the hip, Vivian," I called out. "Tell me, do I look like I can afford Dior perfume?"

Vivian had to look up then. She pasted on her usual sweet smile and stepped out of the crowd.

"Bella, we're all classmates here. No need to make a scene," Vivian said, strolling over to Nick.

She put on her usual peacemaker act, but really, she was just trying to brush things under the rug. "Nick just took a few artistic liberties with the details. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?

"Honestly, the more you talk, the worse it sounds. Why not just drop it?"

Drop it? When my name was mud in my previous life, she wasn't so quick to suggest that.

I stared at her plastic smile and lifted the photocopied pages of the diary. "That's exactly why I can't drop it. I need my name cleared."

I jabbed my finger at the last paragraph of the diary, my voice sharp. "Read it. It's right there. 'She has a red birthmark in the small of her back. That's my rose, glowing brightest in passion.'"

The room erupted, and suddenly every eye was locked onto my waist.

I spun toward the girls clustered by the door. "I have nothing to hide. Any woman here can check my back right now. See for yourselves."

Nick shot toward me like he'd been scalded, grabbing for the paper. "Bella, have you lost your mind? This is the dean's office! Have some self-respect and stop this circus."

His eyes were wild, frantic. He wasn't just scared of the truth. He was terrified his precious backer Vivian would get dragged into it.

I dodged his hand and then "slipped," stumbling hard into Vivian.

She let out a surprised yelp, staggering back.

My hand shot out to "catch" her. My fingers snagged the back of her shirt and tugged hard.

For one unmistakable second, the small of Vivian's back was bare. A bright, cherry-red birthmark stared out at the whole room.

"Holy crap," a guy by the door saw it and yelled. "A red mark on Vivian's back."

"It's right where the diary said," another voice confirmed.

The whole room went dead silent.

Then, all hell broke loose.

"No, Vivian's our school's angel."

"Wait, so the diary's talking about her? Nick was totally throwing Bella under the bus."

Vivian freaked out, clutching her back, her face turning white as a sheet.

Nick went limp in his chair, looking absolutely devastated.

Just then, a thunderous shout shut everyone up. "That's enough." Tomas slammed his hand on the desk, even knocking over his cup.

He stormed over to the door and barked at the crowd of students, "Get out! Don't you all have classes? If anyone dares to gossip about this, you'll get written up big time."

Tomas was panicking. The Carter family donated a building to this school every single year. He couldn't afford to piss them off.

Security rushed in, none too gently pushing the gawking crowd out of the office.

The office door slammed shut behind them.

Tomas walked back to his desk. Without a word, he leaned down and yanked the cord to the security camera, disconnecting it.

Only then did he turn his cold stare on me, his voice low and final. "Bella. Let it go. Smart people know when to look the other way."