The playground should have been a refuge—a place where Lily could forget the world outside, even if only for a little while. But that afternoon, it felt more like a cage.
She stood frozen as the boy's fingers tangled in her hair, yanking hard enough to sting but not enough to make a scene. "Trash," he muttered, low and cruel. His words slithered into her ears like poison.
Lily clenched her fists, biting her bottom lip to hold back tears. No one was close enough to stop him.
Then Zane came rushing up, his eyes sharp and furious. Without thinking, he shoved the boy back, sending him stumbling.
For a moment, everything froze.
The principal appeared almost instantly, his face hard and unreadable. "Zane Lockwood, come with me."
Zane didn't say a word. Neither did Lily.
She watched from a distance, her heart pounding like a wild drum, as Zane was called out for standing up for her.
The Lockwoods didn't ask what happened. They didn't want to hear her side.
Lily felt invisible.
Her throat tightened with guilt she couldn't explain. She had stayed silent, terrified of what would come next.
At home, things were worse.
Her stepbrother's smirks were sharper than knives. His cruelty wasn't limited to the playground. It followed her into the house, a silent shadow stalking her every step.
He wasn't just mean—he was dangerous. Hands grabbing too hard in dark corners, eyes filled with cold threats.
Her mother turned away when Lily tried to tell her. Maybe she was too scared, too exhausted from fighting her own battles.
Her father was gone. Left years ago, leaving a hole that no one could fill.
Her mother remarrieda man with a name that sounded important, rich and well-known. But that didn't change anything for Lily.
Her new stepfather's son was her stepbrother her tormentor and the favorite in the family.
Lily was the outsider.
At family dinners, she sat quietly, the air thick with unspoken accusations and cold glances.
They whispered about her father's abandonment, about the shame she carried just by being born into a broken family.
Every whispered word, every sidelong glance, made her smaller.
At night, Lily curled into herself, hiding bruises no one could see, pretending the whispers weren't real.
She wanted to tell someone, to break free from the silence—but the weight of her family's hatred crushed every bit of courage she had.
So when Zane got in trouble for defending her, she thought maybe silence was safer.
Maybe it was better if she stayed invisible.
But inside, the truth was a heavy stone in her chest, waiting to break free.
She knew she had to be brave. Somehow.
Because staying quiet only made the darkness grow.
If you want me to continue from here with Lily's perspective in the principal's office or explore her relationship with Zane more deeply, just say so!