“What could you possibly want from me?” she asks, her voice tight and exhausted.
“Why did you do the interview?”
She blinks, clearly not expecting that. “What?”
“You know what she did, who she is. You believe me, I know you do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t change your book to cut outmywords. So why would you say those things? Why would you help her?”
She exhales slowly, crossing her arms. “I don’t know anything. I’d already agreed to the interview. I couldn’t exactly change my mind without giving her a reason.”
“So you give her a reason. You tell her you’re feeling shy. Or talk to Stella, ask her to cut the interview.”
She chews the inside of her lip, eyes drilling into mine. “I’m not going to do that. I’m sorry. Whoever you think I am, I’m not.”
“Don’t do that.” Once, I told myself that same lie. That I wasn’t enough—strong enough, smart enough, important enough—to stand up to her.
“Professor Ralston isn’t my enemy, okay? She’s never done anything to hurt me.”
“Except set you up to get called out for plagiarism.”
She shifts her weight from one foot to the other. Something has changed in her face, ever since the art exhibit. For the first time, I see it.
She’s been warned about me, too.
“What did she say to you? What did she tell you about me?”
Dani flinches. Just barely. “Nothing.”
“You’re lying.”
She twists her mouth, fidgeting with the collar of her shirt. “I need to get back to my table.”
“She wrote about me in her book. Do you know that? Said I was sad. That I mistook her mentorship for manipulation, made her question her work. She stole from me, used my words, and then she painted me as a villain for questioning her. If she’s not already doing the same thing to you, she will. I’m not the first, and you won’t be the last.” I watch her face, seeing that she’s registering my words, even if she won’t meet my eyes. “She knows how to twist the knife directly into your vulnerabilities. To make you feel chosen. Like she’s the only one who would choose you. The only one who can see you. But what she sees are your weaknesses. She lifts you up until you’re high enough to mistake it for flight—and then she moves her hand and watches you fall. You’re safe, for now, but that’s just until she needs someone else. Until you’re dried up and useless to her.”
My words are harsh—probably too harsh—but they’re true. I need her to see this. I wish someone had done this for me. That Jade would’ve tried harder. Kept coming back. Offered me proof. Refused to be ignored.
When Dani’s eyes finally meet mine, her voice is calm and measured. She’s not even listening. “You thought she was your friend, not your mentor. That’s where you went wrong. I know the truth. I’m not delusional about what I am to her. It’s enough for me.”
Her words hit harder than I expected—a punch to the gut. I swallow, clenching my jaw.
“Delusional.” The word is soft on my lips, almost inaudible. “That’s what she told you I am.”
“You are the cautionary tale, Lila. The one we all get warned about, even if we don’t get a face or a name. You are what we strive not to become. Bitter. Jealous. Unable to let go.”
I step back as if she’s slapped me. Honestly, a slap would’ve been less painful.
That’s what I am now. What my legacy has become. A whisper passed down. A warning.Don’t do what Lila did.
I can’t breathe. The small alcove is suddenly too small, too cold.
“She’s just…she’s going to keep winning, isn’t she?” My voice is thin, hollow. My chest feels empty.
Dani’s eyes soften, just slightly. “Someone has to win. It should be someone who’s fought for her place. For all of our places. Our seats at the table. Even while you try to bring her down, she fights for you.”
The statement sounds media-trained. Something she’s been coached on. Something she’s heard over and over again.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She shakes her head, dropping her hands to her sides. “Sometimes the battle isn’t worth whatever you’re hoping to win. Maybe it’s time you put down your weapons and realize we’re all in this together. We don’t need infighting. Professor Ralston understands that.”
