The Scars Of Her Disdain

t of grief that smothered everything. I sat on the edge of her bed, my hand resting on the sketchbook she'd left o

object was a memory, every memory a fresh wound. Her paint-splattered jeans thrown over a chair

battle had drained me, the public humiliation had hollowed me out. Now

rket years ago, where she kept her "treasures." I knelt and pulled it out, the lid creaking as I lifted i

it. It was a letter, in her

ha

find the courage to tell you myself. Or ma

t arrogant, but it's more than that. There's something dark in his eyes. I told Sarah a

udged, as if tear-drop

r me, for my art. She said I shouldn't be so dramatic. She made me feel small, like I

out to the one person I thought we could both trust, and that person had pushed her right back into the lion's d

SB flash drive. A cold dread washed over me as I picked it up. I knew, with a certai

ged in the drive. A single audio file appeared on t

ying to shield myself from

nd music. Then Lily's voice, strained and ne

s voice, slick and predatory

ere was the sound of a door closing, a

couldn't listen. I couldn't hear what he did to he

was worse. It was a series of recorded phone calls. Li

nd Sarah. It must have been right af

crying to you?" Brandon lau

fessional. "I told her she was being hyster

e patronizing. "You know how to pl

assault. It was Sarah, calling

as a recording or something, I don't know!

void of any emotion. "It doesn't matter. You'll take care

if I c

ttle favors I've done for you. The donations to your campaign fund. The w

's voice, broken and sobbing, so full of pain it was

t me. He hurt me so bad. And you knew. You

the air, unanswered

ed down on me. Sarah hadn't just been betrayed by ambition. She wasn't just an accessory after the fact. She was a co-conspira

ayal-it was a physical poison, burning through my veins. The sound that escaped my throat was not human. It was the ra