Chapter 1: The Spring Formal Scandal

My younger sister lost her virginity at the Spring Formal.

The thought slammed into me every time I replayed that night—the gym at St. Augustine’s still cloaked in crepe streamers, the smell of vanilla punch and stale perfume clinging to my dress. Even after the chaos, the thump of bass and shrieks of teenage laughter wouldn’t leave my ears.

My fiancé, Derek Wyatt, seeing the disaster, deliberately messed up his own clothes.

He tugged at his collar, ran a shaky hand through his hair, making sure it stuck up like he’d just rolled out of bed. He glanced at the door, then at the tangled blankets on the twin bed, swallowing hard. Under the harsh lights, his usual composure was cracked—like a porcelain mug that’s been dropped one too many times.

When I and the others arrived, we saw him and my younger sister, both completely disheveled.

Amy, my best friend from childhood—who still worked for my family—squeezed my hand in the hallway. We hesitated outside Room 317, but my brother Caleb barged in first, letting the door slam against the stopper. Inside was chaos: Derek’s shirt half untucked, my sister Natalie bundled under the covers, her hair a wild halo on the pillow.

He’d always been gentle and upstanding, but for the first time, he lied, claiming he’d taken advantage of my younger sister while drunk.

His voice came out rough, a low rasp I barely recognized. Derek’s jaw was tight, his eyes darting as he spun his story. Savannah knew him as the good guy—the one who’d never cheat at Monopoly. Hearing him lie felt like a preacher swearing from the pulpit.

The people around us stared, and a barrage of words seemed to float in the air, swirling like confetti.

A heavy silence, then whispers started snaking through the group. Above their heads, I imagined a viral Twitter thread—comments popping up in my mind, brutal and unfiltered:

[Heh, is this the first meeting between the main couple? They were drugged and did all that—so wild. But the guy just ran off and left the girl—kinda lame.]

[No choice, the guy’s from an enemy family. If he doesn’t run, is he supposed to just wait to get caught? Luckily, the second lead comes to the rescue, but why is he engaged to the scheming girl?]

[Isn’t it because the side girl schemed to cling to him? Now Derek finally understands his true feelings.]

Those imagined comments hung in the air, sharp as glass. My hands curled into fists, nails biting my palms.