"Oh, thanks, Vee," Dawn said with a smile.
Veronica didn't bother replying.
"I need to go," she muttered before turning away.
Dawn simply nodded and watched as Veronica climbed into her car and drove off. Once she was gone, Dawn headed inside the house.
Her eyes landed on the photo lying on her desk.
She let out a small laugh.
Goodness… this is Julie? she thought mockingly. She really looks like a human pig here.
She picked up the photo, tilting her head as she studied it.
So… what should I do with this?
An idea sparked, and her lips curved into a slow smile.
Ah. Let me hear their opinions first.
She opened Messenger and sent the photo to her group chat. Almost instantly, replies flooded in.
Laughter. Emojis. Insults.
Dawn laughed quietly as she read them.
Then Airah replied:
Post it on Facebook. It'll turn into a meme for sure.
Facebook…
Dawn's eyes gleamed.
Post it on the confession page, Camille added.
We've got you, another replied.
Dawn leaned back on her bed, smirking.
Midnight, she decided. When everyone wakes up—boom.
She imagined Julie's face. Her friends' reactions.
I'm really excited, she thought, giggling softly.
Scrolling through Facebook, she paused at a post—Julie, smiling brightly with her friends.
Let's see if you can still smile like that tomorrow, Dawn mused cruelly.And your friends? Will your big brother save you again?
She shrugged and kept scrolling until her eyes grew heavy.
Her phone buzzed nonstop—her friends urging her to post already.
"Fine," she muttered.
She logged into her dummy account and opened the confession page. No admin approval needed. Anyone could post.
What should I caption this?
She smirked as words formed in her head.
She typed:
Guess who this little fatty kid is?Oh no—everyone has a secret, but I just want to share this one!Guess who?It's JULIE MARIE NAVARES!Yup. The younger sister of our president.So—cute? Or just a little pig-ass?
Without hesitation, she posted it.
Her Messenger exploded.
YOU'RE INSANE. IT'S BLOWING UP. LOOK AT THE COMMENTS. HAHAHA, Camille messaged.
Dawn opened Facebook again.
Notifications flooded her screen.
Laugh reactions. Shares. Comments piling up.
This is fun, she thought, grinning.Julie… I can't wait to see your face tomorrow.
Satisfied, Dawn placed her phone down and went to sleep—completely indifferent to the damage she had just caused.
*******
The next morning, Julie walked quietly down the hallway.
Whispers.
Stares.
Suppressed laughter.
Her brows knitted together.
What's wrong with them? she wondered.
She felt eyes following her. When she turned, a few students quickly looked away.
"Julie."
She turned at her brother's voice.
Chris stood there, his expression serious—too serious.
Her chest tightened.
Before he could speak, another voice called out.
"Julie!"
Kelly rushed toward her, followed closely by Nicole and Melissa. Their faces were tense, worried.
Kelly pulled her into a hug without warning.
Julie stiffened. "I—Is something wrong?"
No one answered immediately.
"Chris," Dave called, holding his phone.
"I know," Chris said quietly.
Julie's heart began to race.
Something's wrong.
They guided her to an empty table in the cafeteria.
"Julie," Joel said softly, handing her his phone. "Just… breathe first, okay?"
"You're scaring me," Julie laughed weakly.
"Keep scrolling," Raymond said gently.
She did.
"Stop there," he said.
Julie froze.
Her old photo stared back at her.
Her hands went cold.
Her chest tightened.
She scrolled down—reading the comments.
Is that really Julie Navares?What a pig.If she were my sister, I'd be ashamed.No secret stays hidden forever.
Tears fell onto the screen.
"Stop," Joel said quickly, taking the phone away.
Julie broke.
Melissa hugged her tightly. "We're here. Don't cry. Please don't cry."
Julie couldn't speak. She just sobbed—until another pair of arms wrapped around her.
"Gabriel…" she whispered.
He didn't say a word. He just held her.
"Don't run away this time," Raymond said gently. "We're here. Face it with us."
Nicole hugged her too.
"You're not alone anymore," Kelly said softly, ruffling her hair.
Julie nodded weakly.
As they walked to class, the whispers echoed in her head—voices from her past.
I don't want to hear it again.
She almost covered her ears—but Raymond stopped her with a steady look.
Don't run.
When they entered the classroom, silence fell.
Julie sat down, hugging herself.
You're not alone anymore.
Her body still trembled.
Then—a soft tap on her head.
"Cielo," she whispered.
"Don't wear that worried face this early," he murmured. "You're strong. And I'm here."
He smiled gently before returning to his seat.
Julie inhaled shakily.
Yeah… I'm not alone this time.
Her hands still shook—but this time, she didn't break.