COURTNEY's POV
"Yes, I got your letter. I know your secrets and I can play as dirty as it takes to ensure Chad won't end up with someone like you."
Olivia sneered, her tone lacing with hatred and spite towards me.
Did she just threaten me? Me?
That was clearly a threat. There's no doubt about it. I know one when I hear one, as I had threatened others many times before.
I guess it takes one to know one, huh?
"Oh really?" I laughed sarcastically. "Do you honestly think your threats will work on me? Scare me? I don't care about my secret. You're a week late for that already. And unlike you, I don't care about popularity shit. You don't have what it takes to intimidate me, Olivia. And you never will." I crossed my arms and continued. "So stop this non-sense and just give up. Because I don't care what that secret does to me anymore."
For a moment there, I thought I had won. That I managed to intimidate this fake innocent bitch, but her knowing smile told me I was wrong. She wasn't intimidated, she was only amused.
Olivia smirked and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't think you understand the severity of the situation. You may not care what this information does to you, but how about Chad's reputation?"
"What?" My voice quivered as I asked, "What do you mean? My secret doesn't have anything to do with Chad."
I made that loud and clear to her, but she insisted on pointing out that Chad's reputation could be impacted by my secret.
"Seriously?" I knew she was cunning, but I didn't expect this level of deceit and deception! "After what you did to him? You're still willing to put him on the line just to get what you want? You are effin crazy." I breathed out the words, still unsure of how to make sense of what she just implied.
Olivia didn't flinch at my words, her expression unchanging. Still smug and completely unfazed.
"Well, unlike you, I don't plan on giving up. Chad was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I regret everything that destroyed us. So yeah, I'm ready to do it again if it means you two won't end up together." She looked determined, like there was no stopping her.
Un-fckin-believable!
"I read everything, Courtney. I can't believe that after everything you did to that Jeremy, you still have the audacity to show your face here and be near Chad. Haven't you done enough already?"
I refused to let her words affect me. I did something wrong, and I admitted it. I even tried to take the high road by distancing myself away from Chad.
But look where it got me? Nowhere.
This secret won't affect Chad. Olivia is just making empty threats.
Don't you dare give in to her wants, Courtney! I reminded myself.
If anything, I should be the one protecting Chad from Olivia.
"And you're the one to talk, huh? Someone who is willing to hurt him again just for what? Enough already, Olivia. No matter what you do, it won't change the fact that--"
"At least I regret everything I did. How about you? Huh? Did you?" She cut me off. Her tone challenging. "Did you even apologize to that guy? You basically ruined his future for your own good. Didn't it occur to you that he was also like a Chad in someone's world?"
Honestly, she caught me off guard on that one. I hate to admit it, but her words hit straight to the core. I had never thought about it like that before.
"Cat got your tongue?" She had a smug look on her face as she said it, as if she thought she had won the argument. "Come to think of it, like me, you did everything in your power to make sure your popularity wouldn't be compromised. So you won't be left behind, to protect your image."
"Don't you dare compare me to the likes of you." I spat angrily. More like defensively.
"Likes of me?" Olivia laughed bitterly. "You mean the likes of us. I am you, and you are me, Courtney. Admit it. The annoying thing about you is that you keep saying you're just trying to save Chad, thinking about what's best for him. But did you actually think of Jeremy?" She raised her brow at me challengingly. She didn't wait for my response, she just continued, her voice full of contempt.
"Chad is my Jeremy in your world. But unlike you, I was trying to make things right with him. I will do everything in my power to make sure what I did to him doesn't happen again. To save him from the likes of me, which is you. If you think he doesn't deserve me, well guess what queenbee, he doesn't deserve you even more. You are nothing but a hypocrite. You keep on complaining about the people around Chad, but you didn't even have time to look at yourself in the mirror."
Olivia's resentment towards me was palpable. This could be the reason why she was so hell-bent on making me look bad in front of Chad. To keep me away from him.
"Mirror check, Courtney. Before you go and confessing your feelings to someone or even think you deserve them, make yourself deserving first. But let's face it, no matter what you do, you still disgust me. And you're right, I shouldn't compare myself to you, because I own up to my mistakes, try to make amends. But you?"
Her face twisted, she didn't even try to hide that disgust look on her face. She leaned forward and back on her threats again. "If you don't want your secret to hurt Chad, then just keep your distance and don't talk to him. Don't even look at him. Your school ends soon anyway. And by the looks of it, I think you finally achieved what you've always dreamed of--being a prom queen and graduating. Just savor what you have and fuck off."
As much as I hate to admit it, this blackmailing bitch has a point. I was too focused on my mistakes, protecting Chad to the point that I forgot about the person I wronged. I should have started with Jeremy, instead, I sulked.
What does sulking do? Nothing, just self-pity, and it didn't even make any difference or change to our situation. This is my karma. Ruining someone and not making amends will haunt me for the rest of my life.
Well, who would have thought talking to Olivia would give me insight? But that was it, insight. I wouldn't let someone like her order me again and tell me what to do.
Because it's clear to me now what I should do.
"I admit, you almost got me with all this faux-concern thing of yours. Your words were not even for Chad's benefit. It's still centered on you. But one thing I agree with is, we're not the same. I can't stress that enough. Because I won't sell-out my friends for popularity. I wouldn't ruin someone I love for my selfishness. Yes, what I did to Jeremy was unacceptable and I should have done the right thing."
I removed my sunglasses, not really caring how my face looked right now. I just want Olivia to see how I feel about her-disgusted to the core.
"Hearing you preach about this sickens me. Stealing someone's letter, fake drowning and blaming someone else for it just to get Chad's attention. You didn't learn anything afterall. Making amends?" I laughed mockingly. "No way. You're still that manipulative selfish bitch who wouldn't think twice about hurting anyone to get what you want. At least I know myself now that I won't do that again. I learned my lesson."
Olivia just sat there, expressionless, and I knew my words cut her deep.
"Chad doesn't deserve any of us. In fact this world doesn't deserve someone so forgiving like him. And to think that after everything you did, he still sees the goodness in you. That you were just blinded by your ambition that's why you did what you have to do. Little did he know, deceit was already etched on your skin and running in your blood. You will never change, Olivia. You are hopeless."
The more I talked, the more confidence I gained. I realized that I could actually be strong and I don't need to be so scared of the consequences. More importantly, not let anyone walk all over me.
"Don't worry, I won't rat you out. I won't tell him all your dirty tricks just to get him because I don't stoop that low. One thing I learned from Chad is to: kill them with kindness. But this is not kindness I'm showing you, but pity. So, if you still have conscience left in you or even love for him. You know what to do."
I stood up, ready to leave. But I stopped and turned back to her, "One more thing. I'm so sick and tired of people threatening me, telling me what to do and having to be tied up to that secret. Go ahead, I'm done anyway. But if you try to drag Chad into this, I'll make sure all the hard work you put in just to get where you are right now will disappear. Ruining someone is my forte after all, right?" I didn't waste any time, I turned my heel and left.
* * * * * *
True to what I said to Olivia, I was really tired of all this. This time, these won't be just empty words.
I'm really done. It's time to make things right. Something I should have done sooner.
I took a deep breath before knocking. I heard a faint voice from inside saying, "Come in." I opened the door, determined to face my fate and finally own up to my mistake.
"Hello, Mr. Duval."
"Miss Collins. I didn't expect to see you." Mr. Duval sat down on his principal's office chair and looked up at me with a worried expression. "Is everything okay?"
He gestured to me to sit down. But I didn't. Instead, I remained standing.
Oh god. This is it.
I took a deep breath and spoke. "I cheated on my exams. I made someone steal the exam papers for me last year so I could advance to senior year. His name is Jeremy and I ruined his life." My voice cracked, but I pushed myself to continue. Not even letting Mr. Duval interrupt my speech in case I would mess it up.
"Months ago, when you told me that my grades were slipping again and I might not graduate, I got pissed. So I tried the same trick again on the new student assistant, Chad Treyson. But despite my threats and attempts to ruin him, he still refused. He even told me to stop goofing around and actually study. He even offered to tutor me! Imagine how furious I got after that." A small smile spread across my face. But I swallowed the bitter-sweet memory of that incident and just focused on the task in hand.
"I am not the role model you think I am. I am conceited, mean, and someone who will ruin anyone that comes my way. So I don't deserve all the grades I get from cheating. I don't even deserve to be in senior year. And most importantly, I don't deserve to graduate."
I walked closer to Mr. Duval and gather up all the courage in me, and finally say.
"So, I'm dropping out."
-END OF CHAPTER 60-
A/N: Ohhhlala! My favourite part! Yeah, this is meant to happen. No bad deeds go unpunished afterall. Also, only real queens own up to their mistakes so... Now, let's see how this will affect our love birds. What do you think will happen? I love to hear your thoughts!