Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 242

Chapter 242

Jessa

I knew something was wrong the second I stepped inside.

Not because anyone was yelling.

Not because anything was broken.

Because the house felt… tense.

Like the air had been stretched too tight.

Mom was in the living room.

So was Jackson.

And my brother looked like he’d just come off the field after a brutal hit–jaw clenched, shoulders rigid, that stormy look in his eyes that meant he was trying not to explode.

Mom’s face was pale, her arms folded like she was holding herself together.

I slowed.

“Uh… what’s going on?”

Mom turned toward me immediately.

“Jessa. Come here.”

The way she said my name made my stomach dip.

Jackson’s eyes flicked to me, and something in his expression shifted—like he hated that I was about to get dragged into this too.

I stepped closer anyway.

“Mom?”

She took a breath, sharp and shaky.

“I just found out that there’s an I*******m post going around this school claiming Mariah is pregnant.”

My brain stalled.

“…What?”

Jackson muttered, “It’s not true.”

Mom shot him a look.

“I know it’s not true. But do you have any idea what it feels like to see that on your phone? To have someone at work ask if you’re going to be a grandmother?”

Her voice cracked on the last word.

I stared at her.

“People are saying that?”

1/5

Chapter 242

+25 Bonus

Jackson’s jaw tightened.

“They’re saying a lot of things.”

My chest went hot with anger so fast it surprised me.

Mariah.

Pregnant?

With Jackson’s baby?

It was so ridiculous it would almost be funny-

Except it wasn’t.

Not when I could already picture the way this school worked. The way it took one rumor and turned it into a

weapon.

Mom’s gaze locked onto me now.

“And it scared me. It scared me more than I can explain.”

I swallowed hard.

“I’m sorry.”

Her expression softened slightly.

“This isn’t your fault.”

Jackson’s voice came out rough.

“It’s no one’s fault except the people who started it.”

Mom nodded, then looked between us.

“But I need you both to hear me. I need you to understand something.”

She took another breath.

“You are teenagers. And rumors are one thing. But pregnancy is real. Sex is real. Consequences are real.”

Jackson made a sound like he wanted to disappear.

I felt my face heat up instantly.

Mom kept going anyway, firm now.

“I’m not accusing either of you of doing something. I’m saying life can change in one moment. One mistake. One decision.”

My throat tightened.

I understood what she was saying.

Not just about Jackson.

About me too.

2/5

Ch 143

+25 Bonus

Because the truth was… I was dating Noah.

And even though everything between us was sweet and careful and slow-

We were still standing at the edge of something new.

Mom’s voice softened again.

“I raised you two alone. I’ve spent my whole life trying to keep you safe. Trying to make sure you had futures.”

Her eyes flicked to Jackson.

“Football, College,”

Then to me,

“Happiness, Confidence, Someone who sees you.”

My throat burned.

Mom exhaled,

“And I don’t want either of you throwing that away because of fifteen minutes of bravery.”

Silence,

Then Jackson, flustered and defensive, blurted-

“I haven’t even done anything!”

Mom’s eyebrows lifted.

“Jackson-”

“No, I mean it,” he snapped, then immediately looked like he regretted snapping at all.

“I swear. We haven’t. We haven’t done anything.”

Mom stared at him.

Then, because she’s a mother and mothers are terrifying, she said calmly:

“Then say it.”

Jackson froze.

“Mom…”

“Say it.”

His ears went red.

I covered my mouth, already horrified.

Jackson squeezed his eyes shut like he was about to jump off a cliff and yelled-

“I’M STILL A VIRGIN, OKAY?”

Dead silence.

3/5

Chapter 242

Then-

“Oh my God,” I whispered.

Jackson dropped onto the couch and covered his face.

“I’m moving out. I’m leaving the country.”

Mom blinked twice, like she was processing the most absurd sentence she’d ever heard.

Then she cleared her throat.

“…Alright then.”

Jackson groaned into his hands.

“This is the worst day of my life.”

And somehow, in the middle of all that tension, something cracked-

Not humor exactly.

Relief.

Because Mom wasn’t yelling anymore.

Because Jackson wasn’t being accused.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify