Blair O'Connor was the life of every party-popular, fearless, and always the center of attention. But behind the perfect image was an abusive boyfriend who slowly stripped away the girl she used to be.
After finally breaking free, Blair transfers...
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Ronan had tried touching Shannon. That alone was enough to make my blood boil, but the fact that Ronan was my ex's cousin? It made me want to scream. Clearly, being a pervert ran in their family.
Patrick had been the one to tell me. I could still hear his voice, quiet but filled with anger, when he let me know what Ronan had done. The moment he'd said it, something in me snapped. So when Connor—my ex—showed up at my workplace again, I couldn't hold back anymore.
I caught him outside the building, leaning lazily against the wall like he didn't have a care in the world. My heart was pounding with rage as I marched straight up to him. "You tell your cousin to stay the fuck away from her!" I shouted, not caring who heard. My hands were trembling, and it took everything in me not to lose it completely.
Connor just raised an eyebrow, smirking like this was all some big joke. "Can't control him," he muttered, his tone dismissive, as if Ronan's actions weren't worth addressing.
Eloise pushed the door open behind me, stepping into the cold air. She took one look at Connor and scowled. "He's still here?" she asked, her voice sharp as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Yeah," I muttered, pushing my hair back from my face, my fingers shaking from frustration. "Fucking waste of space."
Eloise wasn't one to hold back, and she didn't now. "When're you gonna leave Blair alone?" she snapped, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "I swear, we'll get the police involved if you don't stop showing up here."
Connor's smirk didn't waver. If anything, it grew wider, more infuriating. "The police?" he scoffed, his tone dripping with mockery. "They'll do fuck all. Who're they gonna believe? Me—who has money and connections—or Blair, who's barely got a cent to her name right now?" His eyes gleamed with smug satisfaction as he added, "It's obvious whose side they'll take."
His words hit me like a punch to the stomach. I hated how true they were. His dad had connections with the Garda. It didn't matter how much evidence we had or how many people spoke up against him. They'd never believe me. They never believed people like me.
"Fuck you!" I shouted, my voice trembling with rage.
Connor just smirked, tilting his head as if he enjoyed seeing me unravel. "You wish," he said, his voice low and taunting.
My vision blurred with pure fury. Before I even realized what I was doing, I lunged at him, fists clenched and ready to make him pay for every disgusting word that had come out of his mouth. But before I could reach him, I felt an arm slide around my waist, pulling me back.
"Blair, stop," Patrick's voice came from behind me, steady and firm, as he held me close, stopping me from doing something I couldn't take back. His grip was strong but careful, like he didn't want to hurt me, but he wasn't letting me go, either.
Connor's smug expression faltered for the first time as his eyes flickered over Patrick, who had clearly arrived just in time. The tension between them was palpable, like the air was about to crackle and explode. Connor's confidence wavered as he took a small step back, his smirk fading.
