Chapter Thirty-Eight – Collateral Damage The gym incident didn’t fade quietly. By the next morning, Malachi’s breakdown was everywhere — shaky phone videos posted online, captions dripping with speculation. Some called it “heartbreak.” Others claimed he was confessing to something darker. And somehow, Yn’s name was in almost every thread. She’s the reason he’s crying. He’s still in love with her. She ruined him. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t spoken to him in weeks. It didn’t matter that she’d been sitting in the back, silent. The narrative had already been written, and it was ugly. When she walked into school, the stares were sharper than before. People whispered as she passed, their eyes flicking between her and Malachi — who was slumped against his locker, looking like he hadn’t slept. She approached him, her voice low. “We need to talk.” He looked up, and for a moment she saw the boy she used to know. But then his expression hardened. “Talk? Now? After everything?” “After everything?” she echoed, heat rising in her chest. “You’re the one who stood in front of the whole school and—” “I didn’t say your name,” he cut in, his voice rough. “But they still blamed you. And now you’re blaming me for that?” Yn’s jaw tightened. “You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to be dragged into your mess?” His laugh was bitter. “Maybe you didn’t want it. But you didn’t stop it either.” The words hit harder than she expected. They stood there, locked in a silence that felt heavier than any argument. Around them, the hallway buzzed with whispers, phones recording, eyes watching. Whatever had broken in the gym had now shattered completely. And as Yn walked away, she realized the damage wasn’t just bad — it was irreversible.
