Caoimhe had always trusted too easily.

That was one of the things you worried about most when it came to her.

She saw the good in people even when they didn’t deserve it. Gentle by nature, soft hearted and endlessly patient, Caoimhe had a way of excusing behavior other people would immediately recognize as wrong. She wanted to believe everyone had kindness in them somewhere.

But from the very first moment you met Mark Allen, something about him unsettled you deeply.

It was impossible to explain properly.

On the surface, Mark was exactly the kind of boy adults adored. Charming smile. Easy confidence. Good looks polished enough to make people overlook the colder things lurking underneath. Teachers liked him. Parents trusted him. Most people saw a respectful young man with charisma and intelligence.

You saw something else entirely.

A predator hiding behind a perfect mask.

The way he watched people always felt calculated. Like every smile was rehearsed carefully. Every kind gesture performed for an audience. There was something deeply unsettling beneath his calm exterior, something cruel sitting just under the surface waiting to emerge.

And when it came to Caoimhe, your instincts only grew worse.

You both had grown up together practically attached at the hip. She was your closest friend, your person, and because of that you noticed things others missed. The subtle comments Mark made disguised as jokes. The way he corrected her constantly. The way her shoulders tensed whenever he walked into a room.

He chipped away at her confidence slowly enough that most people never noticed.

But you did.

The cafeteria buzzed loudly around your table that afternoon, packed with students laughing and throwing food while rain battered the windows outside. Your friends sat crowded together as usual, Caoimhe beside you quietly picking at her lunch while Mark leaned lazily back in his chair across from everyone.

At first, it started small.

Another comment about her appearance.

Another cutting remark disguised beneath amusement.

The kind designed specifically to humiliate while still sounding harmless enough that people second guessed reacting to it.

Except this time, he kept going.

Picking apart Caoimhe’s body. Mocking her softly. Speaking about her like she wasn’t even sitting right there listening.

And the worst part was the way she immediately shrank into herself.

Eyes lowered. Hands trembling slightly. Embarrassment flooding her face while Mark sat there looking entirely pleased with himself.

Something inside you snapped instantly.

You had spent months biting your tongue for her sake. Months tolerating his manipulative behavior because Caoimhe cared about him and you didn’t want to make things harder for her.

But not this.

Not watching him publicly tear apart someone you loved.

Your chair scraped harshly against the cafeteria floor as you stood so suddenly the entire table went silent. Rage burned through your chest so violently it made your vision blur for a second.

Mark barely had time to react before your fist collided directly with his face.

The impact cracked through the cafeteria loudly.

Gasps erupted around you immediately as Mark stumbled backward into the table, trays crashing onto the floor while chaos exploded across the room. Adrenaline consumed you completely after that. Months of anger and disgust pouring out all at once as you lunged for him again before several of your friends grabbed onto you desperately.

It took multiple people to drag you backward.

Your entire body shook with fury, breathing ragged while you fought against their grip trying to get back to him again. Across the floor, Mark wiped blood from his mouth with an expression darker than anything you had ever seen from him before.

And beside the overturned table stood Caoimhe.

Frozen in complete shock.

Because for the first time since she met Mark Allen, someone finally reacted to him exactly the way they should have from the beginning.

Like he was dangerous.