Ravenswood Academy wasn’t just a school. It was a stage where status was everything. I wasn’t rich, I wasn’t elite, and I certainly didn’t belong. My family wasn’t wealthy, and I rode the bus every day, sharing a small, loving home with my joint family. But at Ravenswood, that made me invisible, or worse, a target.

Everyone except Chanel.

Chanel Vexley, the social queen, everyone’s idea of perfection. Gorgeous, ruthless, and the epitome of the elite. People assumed she was a bitch, and sure, she could be. But not to me. She was my savior, never judging my cheap clothes or humble background. She was my anchor in a school that felt like a battlefield. Or so I thought.

Then there was her brother, Dominic. Light-haired, blue-eyed, the brooding senior everyone feared. His presence was enough to silence rooms. We never really spoke, but I often saw him when I visited their mansion. He always looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

I had no idea the rumors flying around about me were started by Chanel. I was still her friend, oblivious to the whispers that followed me. Dominic knew, though, and he hated that I was still stuck by her.

One day, while we were paired for the school fair, he made it clear how much he despised me.

When I approached him, his cold blue eyes met mine. “If it isn’t your sister’s pet,” one of his friends sneered.

Dominic’s gaze darkened. “Don’t be a goddamn pet,” he muttered, his voice dripping with disgust. “It’s pathetic.”

I stood there, stunned. My heart dropped as I realized how much he hated me.