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?”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kd3ZEIS6l
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.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bjQ3JI3vp
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.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pCRSL97Ot
“Massive legal issues daw. Fraud. Mismanaged investments.”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpTHzLpODr
“Bankruptcy levels na raw.”
Ysa walked the hallways in a daze.
The curse.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOGaKPL0xd
That night at the party.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWTy5xGPOe
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO2oylNVUc
But something—something old, ancient, and wild—had heard her.
And now, it was collecting.
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