Horrors no one should ever have to go through.

Because of him.

And the worst part is, she never got to have her freedom.

Because she’s dead.

I clutch my stomach as another wave of nausea surges through me.

I’m about to run to the bathroom, but a knock on my door halts me in my tracks.

I quickly usher Sawyer and Dylan inside.

I can’t tell my brothers what happened because it would mean telling them about our mom’s affair, and I can’t tell Oakley because he was close to Hayley and I know he’s shouldering enough guilt already.

I also can’t tell Stone because he’s super busy with work and school.

If Hayley was still here I could be strong and keep her secret for as long as she needed…but she’s not.

And I know this knowledge will slowly eat me alive over time if I don’t do something about it.

Therefore, that leaves me with Sawyer and Dylan to confide in.

I’m hoping the three of us can sit down and come up with some kind of plan to get justice for Hayley since she never got the chance to do it herself.

However, that requires me telling Dylan and Sawyer something that no one else knows.

Unless you count that piece of shit Mark Young.

“What’s going on?” Sawyer questions.

“You sounded really freaked out on the phone,” Dylan notes.

I motion to the bed. “Have a seat.”

When they do, I utter, “I need your absolute word that what I’m about to tell you won’t ever leave this room. I don’t care if my brothers beg, plead, or threaten to end things with you. I need you guys to swear you won’t ever fucking tell them.”

Their eyes widen.

“Okay you’re really starting to scare me,” Sawyer says.

Dylan nods. “Me too.”

What they feel right now is nothing compared to what they’re going to feel once they know the truth.

“Swear you won’t tell a soul.”

After exchanging a nervous glance, they both nod.

Since I can’t bring myself to say the words aloud, I typed up a letter with everything they need to know.

I pluck it off my dresser and hand it to them. “Read this.”

With shaky fingers, Sawyer unfolds the note and they both start reading.

The first gasp comes a few seconds later.

Sawyer looks up at me with glassy eyes. “Your mom…the accident. She—”

“Keep reading,” I press.

Because it gets so much worse.

Dylan’s mouth drops open. “Your mom was having an affair?” She shakes her head. “But Jace said your dad was the one having an affair.”

“Keep reading,” I repeat, my heart in my throat.

Sawyer slaps her hand over her mouth. “Oh, my God.”

Dylan clutches her stomach. “Holy shit, I feel sick.”

After they’re done, I snatch the letter back, walk to my bathroom, and light it on fire in the sink.

I come back to see Sawyer praying and Dylan with her head in her hands.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Dylan whispers.

Sawyer tries to speak, but she only ends up crying.

And me? I’m trying to find a way to go numb, but it’s not working.

“I tortured a girl who was being tortured by her father in secret for years.” A shudder runs through me. “I’m so disgusted with myself I want to wash my soul out with bleach and then light myself on fire.”

Hell, it’s what I deserve.

A full minute passes before Sawyer speaks. “You didn’t know.”

I open my mouth to argue, but then she says, “You only found out what he was doing to her after the fact.”

I scoff. “Still doesn’t make it right.”

Neither of them put up an argument.

Sitting on the floor, I draw my knees to my chest. “I need to make him pay.” Revulsion pushes through my veins. “For her.”

Dylan chews on her thumbnail. “Not to be negative, but I don’t think there’s much we can do.”

Sawyer nods. “Yeah. I mean if Hayley was still here, we could support her and urge her to go to the police to report him, but…she’s not.”

I know.

A nauseating thought occurs to me. “He sees kids in his office sometimes.”

Who’s to say he might not do the same thing to them?

He’d do it to anyone he suspects might make an easy target.

Because that’s what repulsive assholes like him do.

First, they charm you, then they manipulate you, until eventually…they break you.

“Jesus,” Dylan exclaims. “That’s…fucking sickening.”

Sawyer’s bottom lip quivers. “So that means there has to be another victim for him to get caught?”

I jump to my feet because I can’t take it anymore. “I have to do something.” I start pacing the floors again. “Something that will make him pay without giving up Hayley’s secret to the rest of the world.”

Sawyer and Dylan exchange a strange glance.

“No,” Sawyer hisses. “We’re not doing it.”

Dylan concedes. “You’re right. We can’t.”

It’s safe to say they’ve piqued my interest. “Care to share with the class?”

Dylan starts fidgeting. “You don’t know this, but back in high school Sawyer and I came up with a plan for me to seduce Tommy in order to get him to confess to what he did to Liam. I ended up recording it so Jace could hear it, but it turns out he didn’t even listen to it.”

They might be on to something.

“That could work.”

They both look at me like I’ve sprouted another head.

“What could?”

“Well,” I begin as a plan starts formulating in my brain. “I highly doubt he’d confess what he did to his daughter so I could get it on tape, but there might be a way I can seduce him and then…you know, report him to the police.”

Dylan blinks. “Report him for what exactly?”

“Rape, sexual assault…does it really fucking matter? The bastard deserves to have the book thrown at him.”

Dylan stands. “Okay, first of all, that’s incredibly dangerous—”

“You did it with Tommy,” I point out.

“Tommy was confined to a hospital bed with a broken leg.” She looks at Sawyer. “He couldn’t do anything to me even if he wanted to. Plus, Sawyer was waiting right outside the room just in case it went south.”

“So, you two can wait outside his office. If things get out of hand, you guys can swoop in.”

Sawyer rubs her forehead. “I don’t like this at all.”

“Fine.” I throw up my hands. “I don’t need you guys. I can do it myself.”

“You’re not doing this by yourself,” Dylan argues.

Sawyer sulks. “You shouldn’t do it at all.”

“Well, it’s happening. Whether you like it or not.”

It’s the best course of action.

Will he fall for it? Probably not. But I know if I don’t at least try, I’ll never forgive myself.

And yes, it’s wrong to claim to be a victim when you’re not, but his real victim doesn’t have a voice anymore.