Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 360

At that moment, Liam couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy toward Claire.

Mixed in with his envy was a flicker of resentment.

If someone like Mandy-just a bystander-could become so tough, even a little extreme, because of Claire, then why couldn't Claire herself find the courage to stand up to her own family? Why did she always let herself get trampled on?

And now, thanks to Claire, even Mandy's birthday had been ruined.

As Mandy walked away, her figure growing smaller in the distance, Liam couldn't stop himself. He called out after her, his voice echoing down the empty street, "Mandy! Next year, on this day, I promise I'll throw you the biggest birthday party you've ever had!"

Mandy froze mid-step. A wave of complicated emotion surged in her chest- something close to gratitude-but in the end, she didn't look back.

Liam would never have imagined that, a year from now, he'd never get the chance to keep that promise.

After that day, life seemed to settle back into an uneasy calm.

Mandy, true to her word, showed up at the Grandeur Hotel every afternoon after school-always on time, always with the air of a strict supervisor-watching over the group in the private suite as they choked down slice after slice of cake.

The 101 Suite, reserved for VIPs, was outfitted with every comfort: a spacious dining area, a lounge, even its own bathroom.

revolting, fetid dump after just a few days, considering that

month was

cake until they were sick. And if anyone actually did throw up, Mandy, with all the cruelty of a demon, would force them to eat their own vomit. So they gritted their teeth,

person had to finish an entire five-tier cake every

torture, they ballooned before each other's eyes,

women, especially Scarlet and her friends in their signature red dresses, had once been the envy

so quickly that their bodies erupted in angry, jagged stretch marks, ugly as centipedes crawling across their skin-far worse than anything seen on a pregnant

overweight; their health deteriorated, too. Some became diabetic. Their beauty and self-confidence, once their greatest

fared no

school's golden boy-tall, athletic, lean-had shot up to two hundred pounds in just a few weeks. The once-handsome face in the mirror was

was so obese

them suffer, Mandy finally felt the anger that had

smile. "Since none of you managed to actually hurt Claire, I'll let you off-for now. But if any of you lay a finger on her ever

was capable of. No one dared protest. They nodded frantically, promising to behave, swearing they'd never bother Claire

Mandy

Asher, Mac Brown, and the rest were too terrified to even think

Claire had Sean in her corner. With the Foster family's wealth and power, trying to get back at her would