Chapter 135: Telling The Truth (I)
{Elira}
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"And then," Nari continued dramatically, lifting her chin high, "she turned on her heel and cat-walked away like the hallway was her personal runway. I swear, if someone had thrown rose petals, she would have thought it was part of the script."
That did it. The entire table burst into laughter. Even Tamryn, who rarely cracked, covered her mouth with one hand as her shoulders shook.
I laughed so hard my fork slipped, and the bite of rice I had just taken went the wrong way. A sharp and sudden cough tore through me.
Immediately, Juniper grabbed the nearest bottle of water, twisting it open with practiced ease and pushing it into my hand. Tamryn’s palm pressed lightly against my back, steadying me while Cambria leaned closer with quiet concern in her eyes.
I gulped the water, the cool liquid soothing the burn in my throat until the coughing eased. My eyes watered, but I managed a shaky laugh. "I’m fine," I whispered. "Thank you."
Nari tilted her head, lips twitching. "See? My comedy’s dangerous. Regina should hire me as her stunt double. I would save her a lot of energy."
That set everyone off again, laughter bubbling over the table until even I couldn’t resist joining in. But as the noise settled, a heavy ache crept quietly back into me.
Their kindness and their joy made the weight in my chest sharper.
I forced another smile, clutching the water bottle tighter as I made a promise to myself to tell them the truth tonight.
It was high time they knew who Regina was to me, and the depth of her cruelty towards me in the past.
---
Dinner passed quicker than I expected. Between Nari’s endless impressions and Tamryn’s dry remarks that made them even funnier, the food disappeared before I had even realized that I had eaten half of it.
The study hall was no different. We studied until somehow, the hours blurred together.
And then, just like that, we were back in our dorm.
The clock ticked softly on the wall with only around forty minutes until lights out.
Juniper was sprawled on her bed, flipping through a thin novel instead of her notes. Cambria sat cross-legged on top of her own bunk, brushing her hair with slow, absent strokes.
Tamryn was at her desk, writing something down neatly, and Nari was stretched out, one leg swinging over the edge of her bed as she scrolled her tablet with an easy grin.
I sat on my bunk, the blanket cool beneath my palms, my heart beating far too quickly for how quiet the room was.
This seemed like the right time to spill the truth. It was now or never.
I swallowed hard and looked at them, my throat tight. "I have something important to tell you all?"
My words hung in the air for a few seconds. Then when I thought I wouldn’t get a reaction, Cambria and Juniper came down from their bunks and found a seat.
Then one by one, they all turned to me, giving me their full attention as they waited with curiosity flashing across their eyes.
My heart thudded in my chest nervously, because once I said this, nothing would ever be the same again.
I gripped the edge of my blanket tighter to gather some courage. "It’s about Regina Shaw," I said, my voice low but clear.
The name alone was enough to make Nari’s brows shoot up. Juniper leaned forward slightly, her usual calm sharpening. Tamryn’s lips pressed into a thin line, and Cambria’s eyes softened in quiet concern.
I took a breath. "She’s... not just the Student Council’s PR officer. She’s my cousin."
The silence that followed was thick, the kind that made my pulse pound in my ears.
I could feel and even see their shock from where I was sitting. What else was I expecting after dropping that bomb?
Nari was the first to react. "Wait a second," she sat up straighter, her tablet slipping from her lap. "Cousin? As in blood relative?!"
"Yes." I nodded slowly, forcing the rest out before fear could drag me back.
"Her father, Uncle Marc, is my father’s younger brother. My father was a Beta. After he and my mother died, Uncle Marc stepped in as Beta and moved into the Beta house. Regina—" my throat tightened just saying it "forcibly took over my room. She and Lady Maren treated me like a slave. All without Uncle Marc’s knowledge."
The room went quiet again, heavier this time.
Tamryn, who rarely let emotion crack through her calm, asked bluntly, "Did you ever report it to your uncle?"
I lowered my gaze to my lap, my hands twisting together.
"At first, I did. But every time I told him, he confronted them. And afterward, they would double my punishment. Sometimes worse. So eventually, I stopped reporting. I thought it was safer to endure it silently."
Nari shot up from her bunk, fists clenched. "Those sick, twisted—! How dare they? Elira, you should’ve told me sooner! I’d have stormed into that Beta house and dragged them both out by their hair!"
Her outburst made me laugh weakly through the ache in my chest.
Cambria leaned closer, her voice gentler, eyes wide with sympathy. "Elira, I can’t believe you went through all of that alone. You must have been so scared, especially after losing your parents."
The mention of my parents made my throat ache again, but I nodded faintly. "I didn’t have a choice. It was either break down or survive."
Nari sat back down with a thump, still vibrating with fury. "You’re not surviving alone anymore. If Regina or her mother ever tries anything again, they will answer to me first. I swear it."
"But why didn’t you tell us about it sooner?" Cambria asked, with three lines on her forehead.
My voice faltered as heat pricked my eyes. "I couldn’t bring myself to tell you. I was ashamed. Afraid."
Cambria let out a deep breath and leaned forward, with a steady gaze. "Ashamed? Elira, none of that is your fault."
Juniper’s face was tighter than I had ever seen, her usually composed voice edged with anger.
"This makes everything fall into place. The way Regina looks at you, like she’s holding some private grudge. And Kaelis’s blind confidence in backing her? It’s not just politics for them. It’s personal."