The second Riley stumbled into the bathroom, I was behind her—heart racing, jaw clenched so hard I thought I’d crack a molar. She pressed her hand to her cheek, her fingers trembling where Javier had struck her. I’d never wanted to kill someone more in my life.
Zara slammed the door shut behind us, and the sound echoed loud across the tiles—like a gunshot announcing war.
“Riley—” Zara started, but then we all froze.
Sobbing. Real. Raw. Not hers.
It came from the far stall, quiet and cracked open at the seams. I tilted my head, spotting the edge of a white sneaker poking out under the door.
Zara’s eyes went wide. She mouthed it without needing to say it aloud: The PT.
Everything inside me locked down.
Riley stepped forward and knocked softly. “Hey… are you alright?”
There was a beat of silence. Then came the voice, fragile and splintered. “I… I don’t know.”
I watched Riley kneel beside the door, calm and steady even with the slap mark still pink on her skin. “It’s okay. You’re safe. Can you come out, please?”
The lock clicked. The stall creaked open.
And there she was—my new physical therapist—mascara smudged to hell, her entire frame shaking like she might shatter. She looked nothing like the girl who sat across from me earlier, accusing me of things that could’ve ended my life.
Zara stepped closer. “What happened?”
The PT’s voice broke on the inhale. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
I tensed. My stomach dropped, like I already knew what was coming.
“For what?” Riley asked, though the look on her face said she already knew too.
“I didn’t want to lie,” the PT whispered. “I never wanted to say those things about Lucas. But I was blackmailed.”
Everything stopped.
My pulse, the air, the sound in the room—gone.
“Blackmailed?” Riley asked. “By who?”
The girl’s lips trembled. Her eyes flicked toward me, then away. “Javier Santos.”
Zara let out a sharp breath, almost a laugh. “Of course.”
Riley stepped closer, her voice low and careful. “What did he have on you?”
She panicked—shoulders jerking, breath quickening. I could see it. The fear. It made me sick.
“Please,” Riley said gently. “You can tell us. No one’s going to hurt you now.”
And that’s when she finally broke.
“He had photos. Messages. Stuff I sent years ago—before I got my license. Dumb things. He found them, and he said if I didn’t play along, he’d send them to my parents. He even mentioned my little sister. He knew where she studied.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “He told me to exaggerate everything. Make it sound like Lucas crossed a line. That I was afraid. I didn’t know how to say no.”
I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat. How far would Javier go?
“You should’ve told someone,” Zara said softly.
“I thought I’d lose everything,” she choked out. “My job, my license—my family’s respect. But… when I saw you walk in today, Riley… I couldn’t keep lying.”
Riley knelt beside her, hand light on her arm. “You did the right thing now. It’s not too late.”
“But what if they don’t believe me?” she whispered. “What if I lose everything anyway?”
“You won’t,” Riley said. “You’ll tell the truth. And I’ll back you. We’ll back you. You were manipulated. That matters.”
The girl wiped her eyes. “Do you really think I’ll keep my license?”
And that’s when I spoke. My voice was gravel.
“I’ll make sure you do. If I have to stand in front of every medical board in the country and explain it myself, I will.”
Zara nodded. “And we’ll make sure Javier pays.”
The PT took a long breath, nodded, and said, “Okay. Let’s go.”
***
The boardroom felt like a morgue.
I sat in the back this time. Still. Silent. Watching every inch of Riley’s face as she walked in, the PT beside her, Zara flanking her like a bodyguard.
I didn’t breathe until they were standing at the front.
A gray-haired board member leaned forward. “You asked to speak again?”
The PT nodded, voice trembling. “I need to correct my previous statement. I was blackmailed by Javier Santos.”
The entire room stiffened.
She lifted her chin, shaking but strong. “He threatened to expose private information, endanger my family, ruin my career—unless I followed his instructions. He made me file false reports about Lucas Rivera. None of it was true. He never harassed me. He never made me feel unsafe. I lied… because I was scared.”
I stared at her. Not with hate. Not even anger anymore.
Just sadness.
Dead silence blanketed the room. No scribbling pens. No whispered debates.
Just the truth.
And now… they had to listen.