Chapter 6: The Price of Their Sins

After waking, Lily told her parents what happened. They were furious and threatened to press charges.

They stormed into the principal’s office, demanding justice. The police got involved. Everyone was on edge.

Madison was the ringleader and bore the most responsibility.

Her name was at the top of every witness statement. The other girls pointed fingers, but Madison couldn’t escape blame.

Mr. Porter and Mom panicked, visiting the hospital every day to beg Lily’s parents for mercy.

They brought flowers, apologized over and over, but Lily’s parents were furious.

Madison wasn’t yet an adult, but if they pressed charges, she’d still face serious consequences.

She could be tried as a juvenile, face probation, even juvie time. Mom was terrified. None of that mattered to Madison.

Eventually, after Mom’s tearful begging, Lily’s parents relented. Maybe, as parents themselves, they felt for her, or maybe because the doctor said the surgery wasn’t too risky. In any case, they agreed not to press charges.

They made Mom and Mr. Porter promise it would never happen again. Mom sobbed with relief.

But all medical expenses would be paid by Madison and the other girls.

The bills were staggering. Insurance barely covered a fraction. We were screwed.

Since Madison was the main culprit, we had to pay most of it—over $50,000.

Mom’s face went white when she saw the total. She started making frantic phone calls.

Mom’s savings were already gone. She set her sights on our old apartment—she wanted to sell it to pay the bill.

She called the realtor the next day, voice shaking. I listened from the hallway, heart pounding.

But she couldn’t. She’d rented it out for three years, rent paid yearly. To break the lease, she’d have to pay a hefty penalty.

The tenant refused to budge. Mom cursed under her breath, slamming the phone down. No luck.

After some discussion, they decided to sell Mr. Porter’s current apartment.

He grumbled, but agreed. They needed the money, and fast.

It still had a mortgage, and they had to sell quickly, so it went cheap. After paying off the loan, just enough was left for Lily’s family.

The moving boxes piled up in the hallway. We left behind everything we couldn’t carry.

With the apartment sold, Mr. Porter rented a place.

It was smaller, dingier, with peeling wallpaper and creaky floors. Madison complained non-stop. She never stopped whining.

I seized the chance to ask to live in the dorms, saying it’d save them money on rent.

I packed my bags, heart pounding with excitement. For the first time in years, I felt free.