Chapter 193

I rode the bus to school the next morning with the same happy smile on my face. William had given me hope of regaining my life and home. It was a fantastic feeling.

Plus, it would clear my name.

Too many of my fellow students think I am the imposter. Having people think I was the type of person who would scam Alex made me angry.

It was hard seeing Olivia surrounded by many of the same Alphas who had befriended me while hearing them say horrible things about me that weren’t true.

I didn’t intend to speak to Olivia. And I don’t think she wanted to talk to me. Each time I saw her that morning, outside the school and again in werewolf history, she looked the other way and ignored me.

Maybe she felt guilty about what her impersonation was doing to me. I didn’t speak to her because I was afraid I’d ask her something to make her suspect somebody was looking into her sudden appearance in Alex’s life.

If she was a scammer, It was best to leave the investigation to William. If she knew someone was wise to her being a fake, she and her conspirators could do something to keep William from proving she wasn’t Alberta or even hurt Alex.

The silence between us only lasted until lunchtime. I was starving, but I was last in the lunch line.

When I walked into the cafeteria, the only empty table was one next to a group of the most stuck-up and petty Alpha girls in school. There was no choice if I wanted to eat.

I didn’t see Olivia sitting in the middle of them until I sat down with my lunch tray, and the chattering girls grew silent.

They were quiet until I began to eat. That’s when the whispering started. It made me miss my peaceful lunches with Victor in my office at Wilson, Inc. even more.

The whispering stopped as I finished eating my grilled cheese sandwich. But then, a red-haired girl who never liked me spoke loudly enough for the entire cafeteria to hear her.

“Olivia, I don’t understand how you can calmly sit there this close to Daisy. I would have to tell her off,” she said. “Nobody would blame you.”

I looked up after hearing her harsh words and saw Olivia do a palms up. “I’m enjoying my life now, and I don’t have time to waste on the person who stole my friends, my family, and my place in society.”

“It was such a lowlife thing for even Daisy to do,” another girl added. “Olivia, why doesn’t your father have her arrested and put in jail?”

The redhead then turned around in her chair and spoke directly to me. “Why don’t you have the decency to leave town after getting caught impersonating Olivia? You are trash to keep mooching off Olivia’s father.”

The cafeteria was buzzing. Some of the other Alpha kids agreed that I should leave town.

“I …I haven’t duh …done any …anything wrong,” I insisted.

“Puh …poor Day …Daisy can’t tah …talk again,” the redhead pretended to stutter to mock me.

There was no point in trying to defend myself. I was too upset to speak clearly, and it would give them the opportunity to make fun of me even more.

I left my uneaten lunch on the table and hurried from the room. The sound of their laughter echoed in my ears.

Where should I go? I wanted to go home to Alex’s mansion and take a long solo run in the field behind the pagoda pond. But that was impossible.

I had to settle for my apartment. But Mrs. Carson would probably be around, and I didn’t want to explain the humiliation I had just endured.

Yet, it was my only option.

The sound of laughter coming closer behind me made me hurry down the hall. Why wouldn’t they leave me alone?

William needed to hurry and prove Olivia was the impostor, not me. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could take the bullying.

After storing my books in my locker, I would slip out a side door and go to the bus stop. I would walk into the center of the city to get away from these mean Alphas. They made me feel worse than they did before Alex found me.

But after rushing upstairs to my locker, I spotted the stairs to the roof. My old sanctuary would do nicely as a respite from the bullies.

It had been a long time since I was on the school roof. But it was quiet, safe, and outside. It would give me the alone time I desperately needed.

I climbed the steps and made my way onto the roof, remembering all the times I had come here with Amy. Sometimes we talked. Other times, we sat quietly and enjoyed the peacefulness of the remote space.

How I missed my friend. I needed her badly and cursed myself for the hundredth time for losing her.

After everything that happened to me, I needed her calm presence that always made me feel like things weren’t as bad as they seemed.

The sun was bright, and the air was soft as I stepped onto the roof. Our favorite spot was a corner on the far side, concealed by H-VAC units that made the spot our private refuge.

I made my way there, thinking of all the great times Amy and I had up here. I could hear her laughter in my mind.

As I approached our spot, I thought I heard Amy’s voice.

Was it real or in my imagination?

What a stroke of luck if she was on the roof right now. Even if Amy didn’t want to make up with me yet, I needed a few minutes to hang out with my friend.

While I was hurrying to our spot, the sound of Amy’s voice became louder. She was here! Knowing she was this close, I ran the last thirty feet to her side.

She was sitting with her back against the wall, speaking to someone on her phone. Her voice was angry. “I told you last night that I don’t know if I can forgive you. I need time to think about it.”

I slowed to a walk and stopped a few feet in front of her to wait for her to end the call. It sounded like Amy could use somebody to talk to. It would be an honor if she confided in me about what upset her.

But when she looked up from her phone and saw me, the look in her eyes wasn’t friendly.

“I’ll call you later,” she said into the phone. “Someone is eavesdropping on me.” She ended the call and stood. “What do you want?”

Her anger caught me by surprise. “I …I’m having a bah …bad day,” I stammered. “I mmm …miss you, Amy.”

“You’re having a bad day!” she exclaimed. “Last night, I discovered that my boyfriend is an Alpha, and my supposed best friend knew all about it the whole time. Why didn’t you tell me, Daisy?”

It finally happened. Amy learned I knew about Justin being an Alpha at the worst possible time.

I nodded weakly. “I …I’m sorry, Amy, but …but I thought it wah …was Justin’s place to tah …tell you. I told him to …to tell you when I fah …found out.”

My words had no effect on her, and I knew she had a right to be hurt and angry at me.

“You should have told me,” she said. “I would have told you immediately if I found out the guy you loved was lying to you.”

All I could do was nod. Tears ran down my face, and I was shaking. I had tried to do the right thing for my friend, but it turned out to be all wrong.

“How could you not tell me Justin is an Alpha, Daisy?” Amy began crying too. “You knew I was falling in love with Justin, and you know how I feel about Alphas. Not telling me is the same thing as lying to my face.”

“You’re rah …right,” I sobbed. “I’m suh …so sorry, Amy.”

Everything that happened in the last few minutes was too much for me to handle. My mind whirled, making it impossible to think, and I couldn’t see through my tears.

I was ashamed of what I had done to Amy, and I was tired of being bullied. Maybe I should leave town. My life in Denhurst was totally messed up.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated to Amy and ran away sobbing.