lovely | thirteen reasons why

prologue

Libby was stressed enough as it is making sure the house was clean for her aunt's guests. Millicent was missing her favorite brosche so of course it was her fault.

She'll gladly take this distraction over thinking about what happened. It's been weeks but it still plays out in her head over and over.

She has no regrets though. For him, she would always do it again.

Aunt Millie has no idea either. Not like she'd report her it's more she'd tell her father and that would start a spiral that would end in many deaths. She shudders at the thought.

Libby Clarke lives with her aunt, has almost her entire life. She used to live with her mother before her father found her.

See, Giles Clarke is an enigma nobody knows they should be trying to solve. A cold and calculated man with more power than anyone realizes. She was an unplanned pregnancy conceived by his relations with a prostitute, at least that's what she's been told. Her mother had her in secret and ran away, but the thing about Giles is nothing stays secret for long. She signed her death warrant when she tried to hide her from him, and the consequences orphaned a small child. Her father tried to raise her with his other children, but that ultimately failed. After this Libby was sent away and raised in a small town.

The 'guests' her aunt so vaguely mentioned to be arriving were more of her father's men. This made Libby nervous but she knew they would never suspect her, and they would never find anything that would trace it to her anyways. This was one weekend she had to get through by keeping her head down and distracting herself. She just prayed there would be something to keep her mind off it.

As if like magic, a ring on the doorbell spooked her out of her thoughts. Who would be here?Millie never had guests she didn't personally bring to the house and those that came to see her knew to go through her window to avoid suspicion.

In case this was for her, Libby leaped towards the door thankful no one was home but her. When she peeped out the keyhole who she saw shocked her.

Ryan Shaver. A senior from her high school. Someone she has never personally talked to whatsoever was running off her porch.

What the fuck? Was this a joke?

Or did he leave something for her?

With hesitant fingers, she undid all the locks on the door and swung it open. She looked down and was met with a small box.

Was she scared? Intrigued would be the more accurate description. But she couldn't stay outside for too long, so she scooped up the box and ran to her room.

She carefully lifted the lid of the box and unwrapped the paper on top to reveal a bunch of cassette tapes. Now she was even more intrigued.

Who even owns a tape player? Someone in her family is bound to. Millie collects everything.

Hiding the box under her bed, Libby carefully made her way down to the basement. It was filled with a bunch of rich people shit that belonged to her family.

There it was, a Walkman that most definitely belonged to one of her brothers. They liked to keep things old school. Really play with their victims.

As she walked upstairs however, a voice stopped her from leaving. "What were you doing down there? Is that a cassette player?"

She took a deep breath before facing her aunt. "Project for school. Not that it's any of your fucking business. This thing probably cost like ten dollars."

Millie grasps onto her arm. "It's my business when sticky fingers take things that don't belong. That stash belongs to your father. Make sure everything is returned without a scratch or you'll be dealing with him."