New York, December 2013.
It was approaching nine o'clock in the evening. All the girls had already returned to their rooms; only Hannah lingered in the bathroom, unable to finish in time. Steam clung to the cold tiles, and the sharp scent of soap mixed with the faint hum of the heating system. She ran a brush quickly through her damp hair, the strands clinging stubbornly to her fingers, then turned toward the door.
She was just about to step out when the door swung open. One of the sitters entered, her shadow stretching long across the dimly lit floor. Hannah instinctively pressed her hand against her left breast, feeling her heart race beneath her palm.
"You scared me," she said, forcing a friendly smile to her lips. "I'm already heading back to my room."
She tried to slip past her in the narrow doorway, but the woman's hand shot out, grabbing the back of Hannah's shirt and yanking her back inside. The door slammed shut behind them with a dull, decisive thud, the lock clicking into place.
"What is this about?" Hannah asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"It's time we talked honestly," the sitter said, her tone stripped of the warmth it once carried. Her eyes were cold, sharp, and unblinking. "I'm tired of pretending."
Hannah's stomach twisted as she froze, the air in the room suddenly feeling heavier. She covered her mouth with her hand as realization hit. That voice—there was no mistaking it.
"You… you were the one stalking me?" The shock drained the blood from her face. "Why?"
It made no sense. This woman had been kind to her from the beginning, offering help, smiling in passing, speaking gently. Had it all been an act? A deliberate game to keep Hannah from suspecting the truth?
"From the very start, I didn't like that you took the place that was supposed to be mine," the sitter said, her lip curling. "If you had moved to another room at the beginning of the year, I might have left you alone. But no—you had to cling to my guy."
Hannah's brows knitted in disbelief.
"Your guy?" she echoed, unable to grasp who they were talking about.
"I'm not stupid. Joseph is interested in you. That's enough for me to hate you."
"Excuse me?" The words barely left Hannah's lips. The thought of a guardian having a relationship with a student nearly ten years younger than herself made her skin crawl. And to keep it hidden for so long—it was unthinkable.
"Does it sound strange to you?" The sitter let out a bitter, humorless laugh. "I can't stand it when someone tries to take what's mine. I've already gotten rid of one rat. Maybe it's time for the other one."
Hannah instinctively stepped back—one step, two, three—her shoulders brushing the cold tiled wall.
"That's why Mariah told me it's hard to beat the person who destroyed Halsey," she said carefully, piecing the situation together. "You're the principal's daughter, aren't you? You think a student's word against an adult's means anything?"
The woman's eyes darkened.
"It kills me to think it only took you showing up here for him to notice you," she hissed. "I spent so long getting close to him. Eliminating the girl he loved. Becoming his support as a teacher until he finally trusted me. You did nothing—hated him, even—and yet he took an interest in you!"
Hannah crossed her arms, the fear in her chest twisting into defiance. She let out a short, cold laugh.
"He probably saw in you a mother, not a woman."
The words landed like a slap, igniting the sitter's fury.
In an instant, the woman lunged, striking Hannah across the face. Pain exploded in her cheek, sharp and hot, and before she could react, she was shoved violently against the wall. The impact sent a jolt down her spine, and she shut her eyes against the sting, struggling to keep her balance.
Fingers tangled in her hair, wrenching her head back. The woman dragged her toward the sink, forcing her under the cold metal faucet. Water roared to life, icy rivulets streaming over her scalp and down her face. Hannah choked, coughing and sputtering, her lungs tightening in panic.
"You should have left this school when I warned you, you little kite!" the sitter snarled over the sound of rushing water.
*
He dialed his father's number with unsteady fingers and sank down onto the bed, his gaze fixed on a single point on the floor. The ticking of the wall clock seemed unnaturally loud in the silence of the room.
"Before you called, did you even check the time?" his father's voice came through the line, heavy with fatigue. "I had a long day and went to bed early. You've woken me, son."
Jin rubbed his forehead, already bracing himself for his father's disapproval.
"Is it true," he asked carefully, "that you went back to Danielle mother…?" He hesitated, swallowing hard before continuing. "Has she… already recovered from the death of her daughter?" His fingers twisted in the bedspread, the fabric bunching beneath his palms.
"How do you know about that?" his father asked, suspicion flickering in his tone.
"I just… someone saw you two together and told me," Jin lied, forcing warmth into his voice. "I'm glad, if it's true." He wasn't glad at all, but if his father could have even a moment of happiness, Jin was willing to feign support. "You know… I've been meaning to tell you something for a while. There's a girl at Horace Mann who looks just like Danielle."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Only after a long pause did his father exhale and speak again.
"That's Danielle's sister."
Jin closed his eyes, the truth pressing heavily against the inside of his skull. He already knew, but what he didn't understand was why Hannah insisted on pretending to be Danielle's twin.
"The girls met in the spring," his father continued. "Danielle's mother kept the truth from us. I still don't understand why they did it—back then, we were family."
Danielle had never been honest with him. She had hidden things, kept her secrets locked away, playing quiet games that made running away seem effortless for her.
"Apparently," Jin said bitterly, "neither of them took us seriously. That's why I admire you for agreeing to go back to her."
His father ignored the remark, steering the conversation back to the twins. He refused to speak ill of the woman he loved.
"The girls were inseparable during that time," he said. "They became deeply attached to each other. That's why Danielle ran away." His tone was defensive, protective.
"Yes… and her mother blamed you," Jin shot back, his voice sharpening, "claiming it was your fault she ran." The words burned in his throat, and he had to bite back the tears threatening to rise.
"I understand your anger," his father replied sternly, "but some words are not appropriate for this moment. Adeline and I have resolved all misunderstandings."
"It's fine," Jin said, his voice hardening. "I'm just caught in some twisted game those twins dragged me into. It's time to end it."
He ended the call without waiting for a response. The late hour and the strict rules meant nothing to him now. He was done keeping it inside. He needed to confront Hannah—tonight.
*
Joseph, accompanied by an usher, pounded on the door with a force that echoed down the corridor. He had been shadowing the woman he was having an affair with for days now, driven by an uneasy knot in his stomach. After everything that had happened recently, suspicion had begun to gnaw at him—but suspicion alone wasn't enough. He needed to see it for himself. To witness with his own eyes that the person who had once been his anchor, the one who had filled the void left by the woman he loved, had in fact become his enemy.
Blinded for so long by Irene's lies, he had lashed out at students, tormenting them, blaming them for his girlfriend's departure. Irene had manipulated him with surgical precision, wearing a flawless mask of concern and loyalty. He hadn't seen through it—until now.
He should have guessed that Hannah would eventually become Irene's target. After all, the girl had moved into the very room where he and Irene had once met in secret. Irene wanted her gone, and later, jealousy had twisted her motives further.
Joseph's feelings for Hannah were not romantic—at least, not in the way Irene imagined. To him, Hannah was a mirror of what he missed most. At first, he told himself he saw Halsey in her… but deep down, he knew it was a lie he had told himself for comfort.
The usher finally unlocked the door. Joseph burst inside, his breath catching in his throat as his eyes took in the sight before him—Irene, holding Hannah's head over the sink, forcing water over her face.
He didn't think—he acted. Charging forward, he shoved Irene away with more force than intended, sending her sprawling onto the cold tiles. Water splashed across the floor. Joseph seized Hannah by the shoulders, his wide eyes fixed on her as she coughed and sputtered, struggling to expel the water from her mouth and lungs.
The commotion drew the attention of nearby schoolgirls, who began to crowd in the doorway, whispering. Among them, Jin appeared, his face tightening as he took in the scene.
Irene scrambled to her feet, fury twisting her features. She lunged toward Hannah, but Joseph stepped into her path, his arms locking around her to restrain her. She writhed and shouted, hurling venomous words at the girl without a trace of shame.
Jin dropped to one knee beside Hannah, cupping her pale, tear-streaked face in his hands. "It's okay, Hannah," he murmured, his voice low and steady, as if the misunderstanding between them had never existed. Her trembling gaze met his, and for a moment, the rest of the chaos faded.
Behind them, Irene thrashed in Joseph's grip, shrieking and sobbing in equal measure. With grim determination, he dragged her toward the door, forcing her out so Hannah wouldn't have to endure another second of her presence.
Hannah's voice shook as she spoke, her breath hitching between words. "It's… it's this woman. She's been bothering me from the very beginning. She wanted me to leave."
Jin's arm slipped gently around her shoulders, pulling her close in silent reassurance. She didn't hesitate—she pressed her face against his chest, seeking shelter from the storm.
*
Irene's breath came fast and shallow, her chest rising and falling as though she had been running. Her gaze locked on Joseph, a volatile mix of fury and disbelief burning in her eyes. He shoved her backward into the room, his movement sharp and uncompromising. The door slammed shut behind them, the metallic click of the lock cutting off her escape.
He stepped toward her with slow, deliberate strides, his shadow stretching across the narrow space. Pointing a rigid finger at her, he spoke through clenched teeth, each word heavy with restrained anger."You're not leaving this room until we talk. Understood?"
Her breathing grew harsher, almost ragged. She threw her hands up, her voice raw and edged with hysteria."What do you want to know?! You already know everything!" she shouted. "I'm the one who tormented that brat because of you! I'm the one who drove your precious love out of this school!"
Joseph closed the space between them in a heartbeat, his hands gripping her shoulders with bruising force. He shook her once, hard enough to jolt the truth out of her."Why? What did Halsey ever do to you? Was it because of me? Was this your way of trying to get close to me?"
"Yes!" she shot back, her voice breaking yet fierce. Her eyes blazed with unrestrained fire. "When I saw you, I fell madly in love with you! I didn't care that you were a student, that we were ten years apart. I fell for you, and it turned me into a monster."
He met her fiery stare without flinching, his voice cold and merciless."But I never loved you."
The words seemed to hit her like a physical blow. The flames in her eyes dimmed, replaced by a deep, aching sorrow. Still, she forced a bitter smile onto her lips."You were… more like a protector and a lover all in one for me," she murmured, counting it off slowly on her fingers, her tone almost sultry despite the tension. "I enjoyed spending nights with you."
Joseph saw the glint of tears before she stepped back—one step, two, three—like prey retreating from a predator.
"The only girl I ever loved was Halsey," he continued, his voice unwavering. "Getting rid of her didn't erase my feelings. Did you really think you replaced her? You're not even close. No one can replace her. No one."
Her hand struck him across the face with a sharp crack, the sound echoing in the silence. Joseph's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile.
"That was your last chance," he warned, his tone icy. "You're in serious trouble now. Daddy won't save you this time. Bullying schoolgirls, having an affair with a minor… this will end badly for you."
Her mouth tightened, fury trembling in every muscle, while tears streaked down her cheeks."How could I have been such an idiot?" he said with bitter disbelief. "I guess I enjoyed our secret nights too much to believe Mariah."
"You destroyed me!" she cried out, her voice breaking under the weight of her emotions. "Your presence in this school changed me. I regret everything I did to be close to you. If I had known that"
"If you had known I would never love you," he cut in, his words like a blade," would you have spared yourself? You should have."
For a long, heavy moment, he stared at her with unmasked disgust. Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and walked out, leaving the door swinging open behind him. In his gut, he already knew—by tomorrow morning—she would be gone, and they would never cross paths again.