Chapter Twenty-Eight – The Flood Yn didn’t plan to say anything. She’d spent weeks building walls so high no one could see over them — but after the panic attack, those walls felt paper-thin. She was sitting on the bleachers after school, the gym empty except for Freya, who had refused to leave her side. The silence stretched between them until it felt unbearable. And then it happened. “It’s not just about Lila,” Yn said suddenly, her voice cracking. “It’s everything. It’s… my dad.” Freya stayed quiet, just listening. “He didn’t leave. He died. And no one here knows what that’s like — to have someone ripped away from you and still have people whisper that they just didn’t want you.” Her hands were shaking now. “And Malachi… he knew. He knew how much that hurt me, and he still—” Her voice broke. “He still chose her.” The words tumbled out faster, like once she started, she couldn’t stop. “I remember the night it happened. My mom got the call, and she just… collapsed. I was twelve. I didn’t even understand what was happening until I saw her face. And now, every time someone says his name, every time someone jokes about me not having a dad, it’s like I’m right back there, hearing her scream.” Her chest rose and fell in uneven breaths, but she didn’t stop. “And Lila — she’s been after me since day one. She doesn’t just want to win, she wants to erase me. And I let her. I let her make me feel like I was nothing. Like I was just the girl whose dad died and whose boyfriend left.” Tears blurred her vision, but she didn’t wipe them away. “I hate them, Freya. I hate what they’ve done to me. But I hate myself more for letting them take so much from me.” Freya’s eyes were glassy, but her voice was steady. “Yn… you didn’t let them take anything. They stole it. And you’re still here. That’s strength, not weakness.” Yn pressed her palms to her face, the sobs finally breaking free. It wasn’t quiet crying — it was raw, messy, years of pain spilling out all at once. And for the first time in a long time, she didn’t care who saw. Because this wasn’t about pretending anymore. It was about finally letting herself feel everything she’d been running from.
