Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 248

Chapter 248

Mariah

By the time lunch rolled around, I was done pretending this was just noise.

Noise is background.

Noise is something you ignore.

This?

This had teeth.

The ultrasound on my locker.

The I**

‘m post.

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The whispers that shifted from “is it true?” to “well… you never know.”

I sat at the lunch table with my phone in my hand, not really scrolling, just staring at the Ridgeville Gossip account like it had personally insulted my intelligence.

Jessa was beside me, quiet but steady.

Jackson was across from me, jaw tight, fork untouched on his tray.

Noah sat next to him, trying to act normal, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.

The account had reposted the ultrasound picture.

Someone must’ve snapped it before we tore it down.

The caption read:

Baby Lombardi loading…

With a bunch of stupid emojis.

The comments were worse.

“Guess King moves fast.”

“She trapped him.”

“Scholarship down the drain.”

“She doesn’t look innocent anyway.”

That last one sat heavy.

Not because it was true.

Because it was lazy.

I locked my phone.

Set it down.

Exhaled slowly.

“You’re too quiet,” Jackson said, watching me.

Chapter 248

“I’m thinking.”

“That’s dangerous,” Noah muttered.

I shot him a look.

“Don’t start.”

He held up his hands slightly. “Noted.”

Jessa leaned in closer.

“What are you thinking?”

I picked my phone back up.

“I’m thinking I’m tired of letting them write the script.”

Jackson’s eyebrows pulled together.

“Mariah…”

“I’m serious.”

I opened I*******m.

Not the gossip account.

Mine.

My followers list wasn’t massive, but it was enough.

Cheer squad.

Friends.

Classmates.

People who actually knew me.

I tapped the camera.

Jackson leaned forward slightly.

“What are you doing?”

“Fixing it.”

He frowned. “By starting a war?”

“By ending one.”

I stood up.

“Come here.”

He blinked. “What?”

“Come here.”

He hesitated for half a second, then stood.

We moved a few feet away from the table, near the windows.

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Chapter 248

The courtyard outside was still dusted with leftover snow.

Bright.

Cold.

Clean.

I turned my phone around and held it up.

“Stand next to me.”

He did.

Automatically.

Without arguing.

I looked at him through the screen.

His jaw was still tight.

Protective.

Annoyed.

But when he looked at me?

It softened.

Just a little.

Good.

That’s what I wanted.

“Look less like you’re about to murder someone,” I muttered.

He exhaled through his nose. “Hard request.”

“Try.”

The corner of his mouth twitched.

There it is.

I snapped the picture.

We looked like us.

Not staged.

Not dramatic.

Just solid.

I dropped back into my seat.

Jackson leaned over my shoulder.

“Mariah.”

“Relax.”

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Chapter 248

I started typing.

My fingers didn’t shake.

That surprised me.

Caption one:

For the record, I’m not pregnant.

Pause.

Delete.

Too boring.

Type again.

For the record, I’m not pregnant.

New line.

But if I were, at least I’d know who the father is. Try harder.

I glanced up.

Jackson stared at the screen.

“You’re ruthless.”

“Accurate.”

I hit post.

The photo uploaded.

Then I immediately posted a second slide.

Same photo.

Different caption.

Rumors don’t make babies.

Pause.

Then:

But they do make insecure people loud.

Post.

I locked my phone.

Set it face down.

The table was quiet.

Noah blinked first.

“Well,” he said slowly. “That’s one way to do it.”

Jessa looked like she was trying not to grin.

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Chapter 248

“That was kind of iconic,” she admitted,

Jackson was still staring at me.

“You sure?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah.”

He searched my face.

“You don’t owe them that,” he added.

“I know.”

“Then why?”

Because I’m tired of being the girl who absorbs it.

Because I refuse to let them think I’m embarrassed.

Because I refuse to let them define me.

“Because I’m not hiding,” I said simply.

He nodded slowly.

Then he did something that surprised me.

He pulled his phone out.

Opened I*******m.

And reposted it to his story.

With one line:

She said what she said.

I looked at him.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I did.”

Across the table, Noah let out a low whistle.

“Oh, Ridgeville is about to implode.”

Jessa’s phone buzzed almost instantly.

Then mine.

Notifications lighting up the screen even though it was face down.

Comments.

Likes.

DMS.

I flipped it over.

First comment:

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Chapter 248

“OKAY QUEEN.”

Second:

“She ate.”

Third:

“Finally someone said it.”

Then-

“You’re so trashy.”

Block.

Delete.

I didn’t hesitate.

The narrative shifted almost in real time.

People who would’ve never commented on a gossip account were suddenly commenting here.

Publicly.

And that mattered.

Because it meant the story wasn’t anonymous anymore.

It had a face.

Mine.

And I wasn’t ashamed.

Jackson leaned closer.

“You feel better?”

I paused.

Checked in with myself.

Yeah.

Actually.

“I do.”

He studied me like he was trying to make sure that was true.

Then his hand brushed lightly against mine under the table.

Not dramatic.

Not claiming.

Just there.

Solid.

The lunchroom noise felt different now.

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Chapter 248

Less pointed.

More… uncertain.

Because I hadn’t cracked.

And now?

The rumor looked stupid.

Not scandalous.

Just petty.

Across the room, I saw two girls whispering while staring at their phones.

One of them looked irritated.

Good.

Be irritated.

Be uncomfortable.

That’s what you wanted for me.

Jessa nudged me gently.

“You just flipped the whole thing.”

“I didn’t flip it,” I said.

“I just stopped letting it roll over me.”

Noah nodded.

“That’s worse for them.”

Jackson leaned back in his chair, watching the room.

“They wanted a scandal,” he muttered.

“They got a statement.”

I smirked slightly.

“Exactly.”

My phone buzzed again.

This time it wasn’t a comment.

It was a message request.

From a college sports account that followed Jackson.

I froze.

Jackson noticed immediately.

“What?”

I turned the screen slightly so he could see.

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Chapter 248

It wasn’t accusatory.

It wasn’t harsh.

It was simple.

“Just checking in saw some things online. All good?”

Jackson exhaled slowly.

“Unbelievable.”

I looked at him.

“You see?” I said quietly. “This is why we don’t let them control it.”

He nodded once.

Then typed back calmly.

“All good. Rumor. Handled.”

Send.

He locked his phone.

Looked at me.

“Thank you,” he said.

“For what?”

“For not letting this spiral.”

I tilted my head.

“I’m not spiraling.”

He gave me a look.

“I know.”

The bell rang.

Chairs scraped.

Students stood.

But something had shifted.

The gossip account still existed.

The rumor still existed.

But it wasn’t powerful anymore.

It was exposed.

Petty.

Small.

As we stood up, Jessa leaned toward me and whispered–

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Chapter 248

“You know this is going to make them try harder, right?”

I smiled.

“Let them.”

Because now?

Now I’m not scared of the spotlight.

If they want to look?

Let them look.

They’ll just see me standing.