I looked at her.
“And he said yes?”
Mark started to speak, but Emily stopped him.
And then, finally, the truth came out.
“I can’t go back there,” she said quietly.
I felt my chest tighten.
“They all hate me. Not just one person—everyone. They move away when I sit near them. They whisper about me. In gym, they act like I’m invisible.”
Her voice cracked.
“It’s like I don’t exist.”
That hit harder than anything else.
Not because I didn’t believe bullying existed.
But because I had no idea it was happening to her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“Because you would’ve made it a big deal,” she said. “And it would’ve made things worse.”
Mark spoke softly.
“She’s been getting sick every morning. Stress. I didn’t know what else to do.”
I looked at him.
“You should’ve told me.”
“I know.”
I turned back to Emily.
“Running away from it won’t fix anything,” I said gently. “It just gives them more control.”
She didn’t argue.
She just looked tired.
Mark reached into the console and pulled out a notebook.
“We’ve been writing everything down,” he said. “Names, dates, what’s been happening. I told her if we document it properly, the school has to act.”
Emily wiped her eyes.
“I was going to report it… I just needed time.”
I took a deep breath.
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