“Did you hear? She was playing them both the whole time,” someone whispered loudly, not bothering to keep their voice down.
Another girl smirked as Hanna passed by. “I heard she was leading Finn on while she was still with Marco. Classic.”
It didn’t matter that they didn’t know the whole story, that they didn’t understand the turmoil Hanna had gone through. All they saw was drama, scandal, and a girl who’d become the villain in their school’s latest tale of betrayal.
For Finn, the fallout wasn’t much better. His friends pulled him aside in the cafeteria, their faces lined with disapproval.
“What were you thinking, man?” one of them asked. “Going after another guy’s girl? Not cool.”
Another chimed in, his voice laced with frustration. “Bro code, Finn. You don’t break the bro code.”
Finn clenched his jaw, frustration flashing in his eyes. He tried to explain, but they waved him off, leaving him feeling isolated and judged by the very people he’d thought he could count on.
Amid the chaos, only Emily and Elordi stood by Hanna, refusing to let the gossip and rumors sway them. Emily linked her arm through Hanna’s, lifting her chin defiantly as they walked through the halls together. “Ignore them, Hanna,” she said firmly. “They don’t know you like we do.”
Elordi nodded, offering her a comforting smile. “People love drama, and they’ll move on soon enough. Don’t let them get to you.”
But despite their words, the weight of the rumors was heavy, and Hanna felt like she was drowning. Her world had been turned upside down, and every passing day only seemed to dig the knife deeper.