Invisible To Her Bully (Jessa and Noah) novel Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Jessa

I pasted on a smile so tight it made my cheeks ache.

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The hallway was alive with the usual Monday morning chaos–lockers slamming, kids shouting greetings, the thud of sneakers on the linoleum. Normally, I’d keep my head down and try to slip through unnoticed. But today? Today was different.

Today, I refused to let anyone see me crumble.

I’d spent most of the weekend hiding under my blankets, replaying every awful second from Friday night in my head. Noah’s kiss. Daniel’s cruel words. The look on Noah’s face when the recruiter pulled him aside – like Jessa Lombardi didn’t even exist anymore.

The humiliation burned deep in my chest, but I wasn’t about to let anyone know it.

I was done being the quiet, invisible twin.

So, I’d gotten up extra early, straightened my hair until it was perfectly smooth, and picked out an outfit that made me feel confident -well, as confident as I could manage. A fitted top, dark jeans, and boots that clicked against the floor with every step, reminding me to hold my head high even if my stomach was doing backflips.

Beside me, Mariah was chattering away, her voice full of that bold, unshakable energy I’d always envied.

“You’ve got this,” she said, linking arms with me as we navigated the crowded hallway. “Smile like you’ve got a secret everyone wants to know.”

I huffed out a laugh that wasn’t entirely fake. “I think my secret is that I want to throw up.”

Mariah gave me a sharp look. “Nope. We’re not doing that today. Today, you’re confident. Untouchable. You hear me?”

“Right,” I said, forcing my shoulders back. “Untouchable.”

It sounded good in theory.

But as we walked past a group of girls from my math class, I could feel their eyes on me. Whispering Judging. My skin prickled, and my pulse spiked, but I didn’t let my smile falter.

I couldn’t

If I showed even the tiniest crack, they’d see it – and they’d pounce.

“Jessa Lombardi finally decides to join the human race,” one of the girls muttered, just loud enough for me to

catch.

My fingers curled into fists at my sides, but I kept walking like I hadn’t heard a thing. Mariah, on the other

18:31 Mon, Oct 13

Chapter 66

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