Chapter 5: Secret Hustles and Broken Hearts

At the start of junior year, a new transfer student joined our class—a guy with bleached blond hair but really good-looking.

He swaggered into homeroom, backpack slung over one shoulder, a cocky grin on his face. The girls whispered and giggled. He knew exactly what he was doing.

His name was Tyler Beckett. Thanks to his looks, he was popular with the girls.

He had that bad-boy charm—ripped jeans, a dimpled smile, and a devil-may-care attitude. He was the kind of guy who broke hearts for fun.

But he was a total player. His motto was: never make the first move, never say no, never take responsibility.

He flirted with everyone, didn’t care who saw. Girls chased after him, hoping to be the one who changed him. None ever did.

He was shamelessly flirtatious, but girls still threw themselves at him.

He’d wink at them in the hallway, scribble song lyrics on their notebooks. He always had a new girl on his arm.

One night, Madison burst into my room as usual to check if I was gaming. But this time, she caught me hurriedly hiding a piece of paper.

She pounced, eyes narrowing. “What’s that?” My heart skipped.

My nervousness caught her attention. She walked over, pulled the book from under my arm, and took out a letter.

She waved it in my face, grinning. I tried to grab it back, but she was too quick.

“A love letter?” she said, excited.

She cackled, reading the first line aloud. My cheeks burned.

I tried to snatch it back, but she dodged me and read it.

She only read the first line, but that was all it took.

“Madison, please don’t tell Mom,” I pleaded. “My grades are already bad. If she finds out about this, she’ll be even more disappointed.”

I wrung my hands, desperate for her silence.

“You like Tyler Beckett?” she asked, curious. “That new guy in your class? I heard he’s cute. Is he?”

She grinned, elbowing me. I blushed, nodding.

“Yeah,” I answered shyly.

I looked away, embarrassed.

“Okay, I’ll come check him out tomorrow,” she said. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Mom.”

She winked, tucking the letter into her pocket. I didn’t trust her for a second.

The next day, Madison and her friends came to my class to check out the new guy.

They crowded the doorway, whispering and giggling. Tyler winked at them, soaking up the attention.

A week later, she was dating Tyler Beckett.

I saw them holding hands by the vending machines, Madison beaming like she’d won a prize. My heart sank, but I wasn’t surprised. Of course.

I saw it coming. I knew Madison too well—she loved taking things from me. Once she saw my love letter, she had to have him.

She made sure I saw them together, laughing and flirting in the hallways. It was her favorite game.

They were very public. Every break, she’d come to our class and flirt with him. At lunch, she’d sit on his lap, feed him, even kiss him.

Their PDA was legendary. The whole school watched, half in awe, half in disgust. I tried not to look.

It was a spectacle.

People started placing bets on how long it would last. I kept my head down, pretending not to care.

She’d always glance at me afterward, eyes full of smugness.

She’d flash me a triumphant smile, daring me to say something. I never did.

But everyone knew Tyler Beckett never kept a girlfriend for more than a month.

His reputation was well-earned. Girls came and went, none lasting longer than a few weeks.

Madison was no exception. Two weeks later, he dumped her for a new girlfriend, Lily Nguyen, a shy, timid girl. Tyler loved teasing her—he’d kiss her in front of everyone, and she’d blush bright red.

Lily was the opposite of Madison—quiet, sweet, and painfully shy. Tyler seemed to like that.

Madison was insanely jealous. She and her friends ambushed Lily Nguyen after school and beat her until she fainted.

It happened behind the gym, out of sight. I heard the rumors the next day, my stomach twisting with dread.

They didn’t know Lily had a congenital heart condition. The bullying nearly killed her.

She collapsed, gasping for air. Her friends panicked, but no one called for help right away.

If a kind passerby hadn’t taken her to the hospital, she might not have made it.

A stranger found her, dialed 911, and stayed until the ambulance arrived. Lily was rushed into surgery.

She needed emergency surgery and only woke up two days later.

The whole school buzzed with gossip. Teachers whispered in the halls. Madison stayed home, claiming she was sick.

She still needed heart surgery.

Her parents were beside themselves. The hospital bills piled up.