Chapter 10: Collateral
Ysa had always thought the worst part of high school would be group projects or cafeteria rumors. Not this.
Not her mother coming home—red-eyed, lips trembling, holding back sobs.
Trinity Santos was never one to cry. She was a storm of a woman—poised, precise, a force in heels. But that night, she walked through the door looking like she’d barely survived a wreck.
“Mama?”15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2byEZJj1I
Ysa put down her fork. “What happened?”
Trinity hesitated. Then—she sat down slowly, carefully, like her bones had turned brittle.
“They’re suspending me,” she whispered.
“Who? Why?”
“The Mayor’s Office. The… the de Silvas filed a complaint against me. They accused me of tampering with documents. Fabricating city expense reports.”15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3qI7IpNMu
Her voice cracked. “I didn’t. I swear to God, Ysa. I didn’t.”
Ysa felt like the air had been punched out of her.
“Wait—Bella’s family?”
Trinity nodded. “They’re powerful. And dirty. They’ve always pulled strings for their own good. But this time…” She looked away. “They want to destroy me.”
Ysa’s hands curled into fists.
It didn’t make sense—how could things spiral this fast? Bella had always been mean, yes. Cruel, even. But to bring her mother into this? To have her career destroyed?
“I’m suspended for three months. No pay,” Trinity said, eyes dull. “If they pursue this… I might lose everything, Ysa.”
That night, Ysa didn’t sleep.
She sat at the edge of her bed, staring at her hands. The warmth in her fingers. The quiet thrum in her chest. The way the world around her had tilted since the party.
It couldn’t be a coincidence.
First the girls... now Bella’s family? Things weren’t just falling apart around her—they were echoing.
The next morning, the whispers in the halls got louder.
“Did you hear? The de Silva company’s shares dropped overnight.”15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8atVNyrmH
“Massive legal issues daw. Fraud. Mismanaged investments.”15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8y19X2i4Dx
“Bankruptcy levels na raw.”
Ysa walked the hallways in a daze.
The curse.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRWNwxqQTG
That night at the party.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLhoPD1D4C
Her words, her fury… it meant something.
“All the pain you’ve caused others… may it all come back to you—twice as much.”
She had said it in rage.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIOxv3gcfq
But something—something old, ancient, and wild—had heard her.
And now, it was collecting.
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