CHAPTER FOURTEEN
NADIA
“Why weren’t you in school last week?” Sandro asked, his voice oozing with false concern. For a second, I contemplated staying silent, but as their presence loomed over me, it became hard to hold my tongue.
“I just needed some time off,” I said simply, refusing to let them see how much they affected me.
Sandro tightened his grip on my shoulder, a mocking laugh escaping his lips. “Time off? Or maybe you were just busy thinking about how poor you are?”
“Let go of me,” I said, trying to pull away, but their grip only tightened.
Both of them burst into laughter. Their mocking voices made my heart pound in anger and humiliation. “Look at you, Nadia! Poor Nadia, always down on her luck,” Alex joined in, and it felt like a punch in the gut.
“Shut up,” I murmured
