Chapter 2

While the nurse dressed my wounds, I caught fragments of conversation between Caspian and Dad in the hallway.

“Jesus, Dad,” Caspian whispered harshly, “Val’s already destroyed. Do we seriously need to leak the assault footage to TikTok and Twitter?”

After a calculated pause, Dad responded with chilling detachment.

“Post it. No reputable ballet school will touch a student with that kind of viral scandal.”

Something shattered inside me as fresh tears spilled down my cheeks.

“Am I hurting you?” the nurse asked, alarmed by my sudden reaction.

I couldn’t even form words, unable to separate the searing pain in my legs from the gaping wound in

my soul.

The two men I’d built my entire world around weren’t satisfied with breaking my body–they were methodically erasing everything I’d ever been.

My entire existence reduced to collateral damage.

Within minutes, my phone exploded with notifications. Hands trembling, I unlocked it to find clips of my torture trending on TikTok, spreading across Twitter, and dissected in gruesome detail on multiple university subreddits.

beneath them gutted me:

always acting so perfect at Manhattan Dance Academy.

Constantly undermining

Dagonet watching your golden child crash and burn this spectacularly. Guess money can’t buy class!

91.5%

the air from my lungs until I was hyperventilating, my vision tunneling as my entire identity was shredded in real

brother role. He gently covered my screen. “Jesus, Val.

phone away, his Academy Award–worthy performance beginning: “Caspian, what the FUCK? I

had our tech team scrubbing everything, but someone must’ve saved footage. Don’t panic, Val–I’ve

deception was flawless–practiced, precise, and

realization made bile rise in

with practiced sincerity: “Valentina Catherine Dagonet, listen to me. No

anyone who tries to hurt you, sis.

does.”

primary videos disappeared

reposted, remixed with cruel commentary, transformed into

worked

future at SAB had

my chart, his expression grim: “Ms. Dagonet has sustained compound fractures to both tibias, two broken ribs, second–degree burns on approximately 15%

her arms.”

words carefully. “Most concerning are the facial lacerations. Fifteen distinct knife wounds, methodically inflicted. We’re looking at significant permanent disfigurement without extensive reconstructive

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