Chapter 21

Although Elliot's friends had seen it coming, hearing him say it aloud still left them stunned. Vanessa, however, smirked coldly, as if he were now a stranger to her. She and Elliot had been childhood sweethearts. As she once told Serena, he had watched out for her since they were five. They walked to school and back together every day, working on their homework side by side. He was always coming up with little surprises just to make her smile. Even when they were apart, they kept in touch. His letters were full of passion. He never actually said how he felt, but everyone assumed they'd end up together. Then, Vanessa returned and discovered that Elliot was already dating someone else—his stepsister, Serena. People said that his actions were for the sake of revenge, but real revenge wouldn't come with second thoughts. Vanessa should've seen the truth way sooner. A tear rolled down her cheek as she watched Elliot break bottle after bottle like he was trying to destroy the misery a