Crimson Hearts

𝒯𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒽 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 ౨ৎ

The day after dress shopping trip, Chloe found herself unable to focus. Something about Ella's behavior had been bothering her all morning. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but the way Ella had been so skeptical of Hook, almost too skeptical, didn't sit right with her. As she wandered through the empty corridors of the school, her thoughts swirling, she found herself near one of the older, less frequented parts of the building.

As she turned a corner near the old library, Chloe heard voices—low and urgent. Instinctively, she pressed herself against the wall, moving silently closer. The voices were coming from the room just around the corner, and as Chloe approached, she recognized one of them as Ella's.

"You don't understand, Uliana," Ella's voice trembled slightly, though she was clearly trying to keep it steady. "Bridget's my friend. I can't—"

"Friend?" Uliana's voice was sharp, cutting through Ella's hesitation like a knife. "I don't care about your friendships. If you don't do as I say, then I'll make sure everyone knows what you've been hiding. You'll lose everything—your place here, your future. And maybe even more."

Chloe felt her heart skip a beat. What was Ella hiding? She edged closer, trying to get a better view through the small crack in the door.

Ella took a deep breath, clearly shaken. "But what you're asking me to do . . . It'll ruin Bridget. She doesn't deserve that."

Uliana's laughter was cold and cruel. "Oh, please. This is bigger than your little friend group, Ella. Bridget needs to be brought down a peg, and Hook—well, he's just collateral damage. You're going to help me, or I'll make sure you regret it."

Ella was silent for a moment, and Chloe could feel the tension thick in the air. "What do you want me to do?" Ella finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Good girl," Uliana purred, her tone dripping with satisfaction. "You'll deliver the final piece of the prank. I'll handle the rest. And remember, not a word of this to anyone—or else."

Chloe's blood ran cold. She had to stifle a gasp as she realized the full extent of what was happening. Ella was being blackmailed into betraying Bridget. The shock and fear in her mother's voice were unmistakable, but Chloe knew that whatever Ella was being forced to do could destroy Bridget and Hook.

As Uliana's footsteps faded away, Chloe risked a glance through the crack in the room, her face pale and her hands shaking. She looked like she was about to crumble under the weight of what she had just agreed to.

Ella turned abruptly, heading toward the door. Chloe quickly ducked behind a pillar, holding her breath as Ella passed by, her steps quick and unsteady.

Once she was sure she was gone, Chloe emerged from her hiding spot, her mind racing. She knew she needed to confront Ella, but she also needed to figure out a way to stop Uliana's plan without making things worse for everyone involved. One thing was clear: time was running out, and the stakes were higher than ever.

༺༻

Chloe's hands were still shaking as she made her way back to the dorm she shared with Red. The weight of what she had just overheard was suffocating. As soon as she stepped into the room, Red looked up from her book, immediately noticing Chloe's distress.

"Chloe, what happened?" Red asked, concern lacing her voice.

Chloe couldn't hold it in any longer. The worlds tumbled out of her in a broken rush. "It's my mom, She's . . . she's going to help Uliana with the prank. She doesn't want to, but Uliana's blackmailing her. Red, I don't know what to do."

Red stood up, her face pale. "What? Are you sure? Ella would never—"

"But she is," Chloe interrupted, her voice cracking, "And I think it's going to hurt your mom, maybe even worse than we thought. I never imagined. . . I never knew. . "

Chloe's voice faltered as the realization hit her, the full weight of it crashing down like a tidal wave. She sank to the floor, her back against the bed, and buried her face in her hands.

Red knelt beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Chloe, it's okay. We'll figure this out."

Chloe shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No, Red, it's not okay. I thought I knew her. I thought I knew who I could trust. But she's going to betray Bridget—she's already betraying her. And if we don't stop it, you'll lose your mother. But how can we stop it without hurting Ella, too?"

Red's heart ached seeing Chloe like this, but she had no answers, She felt just as lost, just scared. She held Chloe closer, not knowing what else to do.

Chloe's voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke again, the realization tearing her apart from inside. "I thought I knew my mother, Red. But I didn't . . . I never knew her at all."

Chloe wiped her tears with the back of her hand, taking a shaky breath. "We need to go to Glinda. Maybe she'll know what to do. We can't just sit here and wait for everything to fall apart.

Red nodded, helping Chloe to her feet. "Let's go. We'll figure it out together."

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•this chapter is so messy I could have done a better job writing it 😭