Chapter 6. Unexpected Help

Aurora’s POV

I could feel the hot tears welling up in my eyes as I rushed down the hallway, my steps quick and frantic. The cruel laughter, the whispers, the looks—it was all too much. My chest tightened with a sense of suffocation as I finally pushed the bathroom door open and darted inside, locking it behind me.

The fluorescent lights above buzzed quietly, but all I could hear was the sound of my heart pounding in my ears and my breath, shallow and uneven. I stumbled to one of the stalls, slamming the door behind me as I crumpled to the floor. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling, and I didn’t even try.

Mia’s words echoed in my head, over and over. I couldn’t believe she’d slapped me in front of everyone just for an accident. And then, she had the nerve to demand twenty thousand dollars from me, as if I had that kind of money. As if I could just pull it out of thin air.

I buried my face in my hands, trying to stifle my sobs. I hated how weak I soun