Part 3Hidden Bully Truth

I filed for a temporary leave of absence at the university.

My academic advisor took one look at my bruised face and my medical report, sighed heavily, and processed the paperwork without asking questions.

Without a degree, my options were trash. I took a graveyard shift at a sketchy gas station convenience store and spent my days doing cheap freelance translation online.

By the third day, the fever hit.

I needed antibiotics, but my bank account had exactly thirty dollars left.

I chugged tap water and forced down some expired cold medicine I found in my jacket pocket.

As long as I kept breathing, I was going to stick around to watch their empire burn.

Half a month later, I had to go back to campus to pick up some administrative paperwork.

My backpack held my beat-up laptop and my ID documents.

I had barely reached the steps of the main library when a group surrounded me.

"Well, well. If it isn't the disgraced DA's daughter."

Riley stood at the top of the concrete steps, looking down at me like I was a rat.

She was wrapped in a cream-colored cashmere coat. I recognized it. My mother bought it in Paris last month.

"What are you wearing? Did you fish those jeans out of a dumpster?"

Riley trotted down the steps and pinched the sleeve of my faded hoodie.

"This is so pathetic. Mom told me you were whoring yourself out on the streets, but I didn't believe her."

"I guess it's true. You can't even afford decent clothes."

A crowd of students started gathering, whispering and pointing.

I slapped her hand away and glared at her.

"Did you steal that coat, or did you beg for it?"

Riley's face twitched, but she immediately cranked up the volume.

"What are you talking about! Mom lent this to me!"

"I'm representing the university at the State Debate Championship. She didn't want me catching a cold."

Her eyes darted around. Suddenly, she lunged forward and grabbed the straps of my backpack.

"Wait a minute! I just realized I'm missing a hundred-dollar bill!"

"You stole it! You're broke and desperate, and you were lurking right next to me!"

"Search her! Check her bag!"

Her little groupies instantly closed in.

I hugged my backpack to my chest.

"Back off! I didn't take your damn money!"

In the scuffle, Riley's manicured acrylic nails dragged hard across the back of my hand.

The skin split open. Blood welled up instantly.

"What is going on here!"

The Dean of Students pushed through the crowd, looking panicked.

And walking right behind him, carrying thermal soup containers, were my parents.

They had come to bring their pet project a hot lunch.

Mom shoved past me, practically knocking me over, and pulled Riley into a protective hug.

"Riley, sweetie, what happened? Are you hurt?"

Dad marched right up to me.

"Audrey! How long are you going to humiliate this family?"

"Sneaking onto campus to steal money? You are a complete disgrace!"

I held up my bleeding hand.

"Mr. District Attorney. Which eye did you use to see me steal anything?"

"I thought your job required evidence. Or do you just skip right to the conviction without a trial?"

Dad's face flushed dark purple.

"Then why would Riley single you out? Out of everyone here, she pointed at you."

"Where there's smoke, there's fire. You've clearly hit rock bottom."

Riley buried her face in my mother's expensive blouse, faking a sob.

"Dad, maybe I misplaced it... but Audrey was acting so aggressive..."

"It's okay, honey. I'll handle this."

Mom glared at me with absolute venom.

"Open the bag, Audrey. Let everyone see what's inside. Prove your innocence."

"If you didn't take it, you apologize to Riley for causing a scene, and we'll let this go."

Looking at my parents acting like benevolent gods, my stomach churned. I couldn't take it anymore.

I grabbed the zipper of my backpack, ripped it open, and flipped the whole bag upside down.

Crash.

Notebooks, chargers, cheap pens, and my old sticker-covered laptop spilled onto the concrete.

My frayed wallet hit the ground. A few crumpled one-dollar bills fluttered out.

"Look at it! Where is the hundred dollars?"

My eyes burned with rage as I pointed at the mess.

"Search it! Isn't that what you wanted? Search me!"

The crowd went dead silent.

Riley shrank back, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Then... maybe I left it in the lecture hall."

"You 'left it'?"

I took a step toward her.

"You publicly accused me of theft, incited a mob to search my property, and physically assaulted me. Isn't that harassment?"

"Enough!"

Dad barked out the order.

He noticed the growing ring of students holding up their smartphones. His jaw tightened.

He marched over and clamped his hand around my wrist like a vice.

"Stop acting like a lunatic and get in the car."

He dropped his voice to a menacing hiss.

"We will talk about this at home. Stop putting on a show for these peasants."

Mom caught on quickly. She plastered a fake, polished smile on her face for the crowd.

"Teenage rebellion, you know how it is. Nothing to see here, kids. Let's clear the area."

They flanked me, grabbing both my arms, trying to physically drag me toward the black Audi A6 idling by the gates.

I dug my heels in and grabbed onto a metal handrail.

"I'm not going anywhere! Let go of me!"

Dad leaned in, his breath hot against my ear.

"If you don't stop making a scene, I will have you committed to a psychiatric ward before the sun goes down."

A psych ward.

To protect his reputation, he was perfectly willing to lock his own daughter in a mental asylum.

I let out a dry, cracked laugh.

"You care about your optics?"

I sucked in a massive breath and screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Help! Someone help me! The District Attorney is trying to kill me! My parents are trying to silence me!"

Every single person froze.

The campus security guards popped out of their booths, looking terrified.

Dad's face drained of all color. He instinctively let go of my arm like it was on fire.

"Are you insane!"

He roared, veins popping on his forehead.

Mom panicked, her perfect political wife mask completely shattering.

"Audrey, stop lying! When have we ever hurt you?"

I didn't give her a second to recover. I pointed straight at the Audi.

"You're dragging me to the car so you can lock me away and threaten me where no one can hear!"

"Just like the night you forced me to sign that NDA!"

"You covered up Riley's abuse to save your own political careers! You forced me to kneel and apologize to my own bully!"

"And now that I've escaped, you hunt me down at school to frame me for stealing?"

The crowd erupted.

"Wait, what NDA?"

"The abuse rumors were real?"

"Did she just say her parents covered it up?"

Hundreds of judging eyes locked onto Richard and Victoria.

Dad's hands were shaking. He wanted to strangle me, but the sea of glowing camera lenses held him back.

He stared at me, his eyes filled with pure hatred.

"Audrey. If you don't get in that car right now, I will freeze every asset tied to your name. You will never set foot in a classroom again."

I smirked, reaching into my hoodie pocket. I pulled out my cheap folding boxcutter.

Click.

"Don't take another step."

I pressed the blade lightly against my own neck.

The crowd gasped in horror.

Mom shrieked. "Audrey! What are you doing! Put that down!"

"Are you scared?"

"You're not scared I'll die. You're scared I'll bleed out right here and ruin your shiny election campaign."

"Richard. Victoria. Listen very carefully."

"As of this exact second, I have no parents."

"Whatever debt I owed you for bringing me into this world, I paid in full the night you forced me to sign away my dignity."

"Now take your fake charity daughter, and get the hell out of my sight."

I pressed the blade just a millimeter deeper. The skin broke. A single drop of crimson blood rolled down my collarbone.