bullied (Possessed #0.5) (6 page)

Entering the economics building, she lowered her head so no one would see her torment and the stares wouldn’t hurt as much. But, of course, she would run into the biggest dick in the school.

“Hey,
Mark me crazy
! Does this mean you’ll put out for anyone that sticks up for you now?” She froze in shock.

They couldn’t know. How? Her dreams of Landon might be dashed, but she didn’t think he’d tell her bully that they’d had sex? Would he?

Her world was spiraling out of control again and she felt helpless to stop it.

Ignoring the jocks, she slunk into her first class of the day deciding to, at least, try to make the effort of being present instead of running away like she had the day before.

Sitting in the back of class, she watched as students piled in. Some she recognized, some she didn’t. A high-pitched cat call drew her attention to two boys sitting a few rows down from her. Looking covertly through her hair, they were pointing and laughing at her just as Ashley strolled through the door looking angrier than she’d ever seen her.

Her and Ashley had been in school together almost their entire lives. She’d never understood the other woman’s hatred towards her so she always tried to ignore her.

Cecilia watched in trepidation as she stomped up the steps to where she was sitting with a look of pure malice on her face.

Shocked when the back of her hand connected with her own cheek, she sat in stunned silence as the room grew quiet.

“You stupid bitch!” Ashley screamed at her. “You’re ruining everything!”

Confused, she didn’t know what do, what to say. So she sat there, one hand pressed to her throbbing cheek while the entire class watched in fascination of what would happen next. Some had looks of curiosity, some were confused. Others felt pity towards the freak with the scars. But the majority held laughter in their eyes.

“I didn’t… I don’t know… I’m sorry.” She stuttered out, mortified that she was apologizing after being assaulted. She’d done nothing wrong.

“Stay away from my brother you stupid tramp. He doesn’t want your crazy ass,” she snarled, making her way down to the two boys that had been laughing at her before.

It wasn’t long before rumors started to swirl around the classroom and spill into the halls.

Slut.

Tramp.

Gold-digger.

New names. New school.

Same Cecilia Marks. The girl forever bullied.

The first thing Landon heard when he walked into the building he’d first seen Cecilia in a few days prior was nasty comments and crude words.

“She’s such a whore. She deserves everything she gets.”

“I can’t believe she’s fucking so many men.”

“I heard she was found with a professor in a closet.”

“The football team has been bragging about how her mouth sucked like a hoover vacuum.”

The comments made him sick. He couldn’t believe college kids had nothing better to do than spread rumors about someone. When he was in school, he didn’t have time. Clearly the standards for learning had dropped.

The further he got, the nastier the comments. When he came upon his sister standing outside a classroom with some of her friends, she looked at him and any trace of amusement was gone from her face. She darted a guilty look towards the door she was standing by and he knew. He just knew the words being said, the nasty remarks, all of it was because of her. And it was all directed at Cecilia.

Storming up to her, he crowded her against the wall whispering only loud enough for her to hear, “You did this didn’t you?”

She looked away.

“You hate this girl that much you would choose to ruin her for popularity?”

Still nothing.

“You’ve always been a lot of things Ashley: spoiled, selfish, an airhead, but never, not once did I figure you for cruel. You are or were beyond this. Why?”

Her eyes were glued behind him as he heard a door open. Turning, he watched as a pathetic excuse for a human being walked out of the classroom; her clothes were torn. What he could see of her was bruised. Exhaustion weighed heavily in her face.

“Sweets?” he whispered, his voice cracking. “What happened?” he asked going over to her. She flinched as he put his hand on her back gently.
That hurt
.

“Who are you?” The older woman that was with her asked him.

“I’m her fiancé. What the hell happened to her?”

“Seems she
tripped
down the stairs.” The way she said tripped led him to believe she thought something else happened.

“All this bruising, though?”

“Happened yesterday, too…” She trailed off.

Lifting her chin carefully, he forced her to look in his eyes. Her normally dark brown orbs were dull, flat; the life was sucked out of them. His heart broke for her in that moment. He’d done this. He wanted to come see her but gave her some time, hoping she would cool off. That was his first mistake.

Spinning on his sister he demanded, “Who? And don’t you fucking lie to me, Ashley.”

She seemed to freeze at his words. “Tell me you didn’t do this?”

Crossing her arms defensively, she glared at him. Her friends began to back away as they saw the seriousness of the situation.

Movement from his left caught his attention and he saw the jock from a couple of days ago stalking towards him. He prepared himself for whatever crap the kid was going to try and pull only to be shocked when he told him, “She didn’t personally.” Nodding his head towards one of the guys she’d been with.

Narrowing his eyes on them, he told the woman still standing with Cecilia, “Call the cops. I want them all charged with assault.” When his sister went to say something he turned his back on her saying, “Ashley included.”

“What! Landon, you can’t!” she screeched.

“I am, Ashley. You crossed a line. I warned you to leave her the fuck alone, but you stepped in it by scaring her off and filling her head full of bullshit lies. Now you spread disgusting rumors and have her assaulted? I don’t fucking think so. For once, you’re going to face the consequences of your actions.”

Walking away from her, he went to Cecilia who’s eyes were wide in wonder. “Landon?”

“I don’t care what she told you, sweets, none of it’s true. What we shared? That was special and I’m telling you now, nothings ever going to change that,” he vowed vehemently.

Wrapping an arm gently around her shoulders, he handed the woman his card with his numbers on it for the police to contact him about charges.

Guiding her outside and to his waiting car, he took her home, making a quick call to his doctor to come give her an exam at his penthouse so she didn’t feel any more traumatized than she already was.

Cecilia was so wrapped up in her mind, she hardly paid any attention to her surroundings. She knew she was in Landon’s car because she heard him speak to someone on the phone as he was driving, but nothing registered.

She had a hard time associating herself with the goings on, having no interest in what was happening around her. Locked in her mind as the cruel words taunted her and the pain assaulted her body, as her classmates watched in fascination.

It brought to life the deep-seated root that any good left in humanity was gone. Students that didn’t know her gathered around to see what would happen next. Students that did know her and what had happened to make her the way she was had turned their backs and walked away. The students that had tormented her, her entire life laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world to watch a person be brought down to the lowest point they could reach before they broke.

And she wondered, not for the first time, if she would be better off dead. The pain would end. No one would miss her. And for once, she would be free.

The sad thing was, the only thing holding her back was not wanting them to find someone else to make their target. If they were tormenting her, they weren’t after a new target.

She would save the innocent and become the damned.

As they pulled into the parking garage, she watched as Landon got out coming around to her door to help her. They made their way to the elevator that went directly to his penthouse. As they stepped off, she couldn’t help but murmur, “Back to where it all began.”

Hurt flashed across his face so quick she nearly missed it, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. If it weren’t for him locking onto her and demanding her to let him in, then she wouldn’t be targeted with such vengeance from Ashley.

Over the years, she’d watched the girl become more bitter and angrier with a vindictive streak a mile wide. She had always feared what would happen if her cruelty was aimed at her. Now she knew.

With his hand on her back, she followed where he led as he sat her on the couch facing the window where he’d so thoroughly loved her just a few days ago.

“Cecilia,” he murmured kneeling before her, her hands crushed between his. “I’m sorry, sweets. I should have come for you sooner. I shouldn’t have waited. I thought you might need to cool down.” Wiping a hand down his face, he looked pained. “I still don’t know what she said to you. I wish I did. I wish I’d never left, but I swear to you Cecilia I won’t let anything touch you again.”

She heard the promise in his voice, the pain he was feeling. She believed him. At least, her mind did. He hadn’t done anything wrong towards her but his actions put her in a difficult spot. A painful spot. One she was having a hard time finding her way out of.

Averting her eyes, she watched the clouds in the breeze, the birds fly high, and the sun shine so bright it was blinding. Wishing for another life. One where she was perfect and not this ugly broken girl

He watched the light in her eyes fizzle and die. In that moment, Landon Powers, thirty-two years old, owner of multiple successful businesses, richest man in the state felt like the lowest form humanity had to offer. He helped do this. He made her question what little self-worth she had.

He didn’t take his eyes off of her while he waited for the doctor to get there. He needed to know if she was still in there. The girl who gave herself to him so freely had to come back. She had so much fire and passion held deep inside; he’d only gotten a small glimpse and he wanted it all. Every little spark, the giant flames, and the anger. God, did he want to feel her anger right now. She would have so much of it too.