Chapter 2: Carved in Cruelty

I am the cannon fodder supporting girl in a group favorite novel. The extra meant to make the heroine shine.

But my face is prettier than the female lead’s, and my grades outshine hers too—a cosmic mistake in a universe built to let her win.

So when I took first place again, beating her by a margin the grading curve couldn’t hide, Madison cornered me in the second-floor bathroom after lunch. The one nobody uses.

She smiled sweetly, then slapped herself hard enough to leave red marks, mouthing, "Are you ready to face the consequences?"

My heart thudded—this wasn’t just bullying, this was a setup. I felt the walls closing in, nowhere to run.

The next moment, Luke Sterling burst in, right on cue. Madison dove into his arms, mascara streaking down her cheeks.

Luke soothed her, large hands gentle on her trembling shoulders. When his eyes met mine, his stare was pure winter—like he could snap his fingers and watch me vanish.

He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. That look promised retribution.

Hours later, I learned what it meant to cross Madison Taylor in a school where Luke’s word was law.

My desk was stuffed with garbage—leftovers turning fuzzy, used tissues crammed into every corner. The stench hit me before I even opened the lid—sour milk and something worse. My textbooks were cut up, every page ruined.

Walking outside, I got splashed with dirty water from a conveniently “accidental” bucket. Locked in a bathroom for two hours until the janitor finally found me.

During class, the teacher ignored me no matter how high I raised my hand. When I tried talking to classmates, they covered their noses and ran, whispering “trash” just loud enough for me to hear.

So this is how they break you—slowly, piece by piece.

If I was going to be alone, I’d do it on my terms. I stopped talking, stopped answering. Became a ghost in my own life.

I moved carefully—checking corners, keeping my back to the wall, using the bathroom only when it was empty.

I emptied the garbage with latex gloves I bought myself, and spent hours with tape, patching my textbooks back together.

And then I did it again: first place, even better scores. Perfect math and science, nearly perfect in everything else. Fifty points above Madison. The gap was so wide, not even her fans could spin it.

Her eyes were red all afternoon—puffy and swollen from crying.

After school, a group I didn’t even know grabbed me. Seniors, juniors, kids from other schools—Luke’s network was everywhere.

They dragged me by my hair to the old abandoned shop building behind the football field—the one the school kept meaning to tear down.

Punches and kicks rained down, expertly placed for maximum pain, minimum bruising. A lighter flashed, burning my hair, the air filling with the sickening smell of singed strands. They tore off my blazer, my shirt, leaving me shaking in just my bra.

Someone held up a phone, the red recording light blinking like a predator’s eye.

Through it all, Luke Sterling just watched from his perch on an old desk, looking at me like I was something stuck to his shoe.

Then someone pulled out a switchblade and moved close to my face. My panic spiked—my face was the only thing Madison couldn’t claim was better.

I looked desperately at Luke, tears filling my eyes. The perfect picture of helplessness.

Luke’s jaw clenched. For a split second, something flickered in his eyes. Then he looked away, voice cold: "Carve it on her body instead. Give the little girl some face."

Four of them pinned me down. My shirt was gone, my skin bared.

The blade pressed into my stomach. I bit my lip, tasting blood, refusing to scream. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

When it was finally over, their laughter echoed in the empty halls. I crawled up and looked down at the word carved into my skin: CHEAP. Not even creative.

I stood in front of the cracked bathroom mirror, tracing the letters on my skin with shaking fingers. I didn’t cry. Not yet. Not until I was sure nobody could hear.

If this is what they do for stealing her first place, what will they do when I steal everything else?