Winning the Heir Who Bullied Me Chapter 38

It’s an effort to unwrap June from around me without waking her up. The whole time, my heart is pounding wildly in my chest, Eliza’s words repeating in my mind like a broken record.

*Your dress. Your dress. Your dress*

.

When I finally climb out of bed, I rush to Eliza.

“What happened?” I whisper urgently.

Her eyes are glassy with unshed tears, and she just grabs my hand and pulls me out of the room.

The hallway is alive with activity as everyone rushes in the same direction Eliza pulls me towards.

Finally, we stop in front of the drawing room where we fitted today—where all our dresses are kept.

All the girls, including the ones that were eliminated, are already there.

I shove through the girls, mumbling, “Excuse me,” with a shaky voice.

I finally break into the room, and a small squeak escapes me when I see the scene that has caused all this ruckus.

Nathan Ashford stands in the middle of the room, holding a scrap of material. Kneeling on the floor before him is May Rush, Valerie’s former lackey who was eliminated today.

In her hands is a huge pair of scissors, and all around her, scattered like a cloud of confetti, is the same material Nathan grips in his hand—*my dress*.

I open my mouth to scream, but all that comes out is a guttural moan that does nothing to embody the stabbing pain that hits my gut.

At the sound, May and Nathan turn to me, and May—whose face is already streaked with dried mascara and tears—starts crying afresh. “I’m so sorry, April,” she sobs, rubbing her hands together as if in supplication.

“I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry!”

My legs give out, and I sink to the floor unceremoniously. The material of my dress poofs in the air as I land; a loose bead digs into my knee, and another choked sound escapes my lips.

“Y-you—you…you.” I can’t make the words come out. Because if I do, they’ll be true. And they can’t possibly be true.

The dress I worked tirelessly on for days, the single most beautiful thing I’ve ever created—it can’t possibly be in tatters around me.

I look at May, who’s sobbing like an abandoned baby—and then at Nathan, who’s looking down at both of us with a hard look on his face.

“Did you—were you…did you—”

Nathan’s frown deepens. “You’re not seriously asking if I was a part of this, are you?”

I don’t know what to think. My brain isn’t processing right.

I move, sorting through the scraps of clothing and scattered beads. I find the bodice of the dress and let out a strangled gasp. May cut through the wings at the back and slashed through the bodice.

My dress, my beautiful, ethereal dress that made Nathan Ashford stop and stare—is a rag.

I feel a hand on my back.

“April, I’m so, so sorry,” May sobs.

I turn to her, feeling the numbness give way to rage that boils my blood. Before I can scream bloody murder at May, something behind her catches my eye.

Valerie stands at the head of all the watching girls, her arms crossed. Her eyes are wide in shock, and she keeps whispering loudly to the other girl, whose name I won’t know until she’s eliminated, too. “I can’t believe May. What would possess her to do this?”

“You!” I growl, standing to my feet. I climb over May and the material of my dress and tightly grip the collar of Valerie’s robe. “*You* did this!”

Valerie’s eyes widen in innocence. “Me? I was asleep in bed.” She looks down at her lackey. “Nathan caught *May* in the act.” Her lip twitches, and she tilts her head sympathetically. “You poor dear. Has the shock made you confused?”

“Spare me the bullshit!” I hiss. “You convinced her to do this somehow.”

“Why would I do that?” She looks at Nathan in false panic. “Natey, are you going to stand there and watch this?”

Almost immediately, I feel Nathan grip my hand and firmly pull it away from Valerie’s collar. “That’s enough, April. I caught May here and no one else.”

I look up at him indignantly. “You can’t be serious!”

He sighs. “April—”

“She manipulated you once already, and you’re going to let her manipulate you again?” I screech.

Valerie gasps. “Manipulate? I would never dream of manipulating anyone.”

I turn back to her. “Oh really, how about you tell Nathan who made the knee brace, you thieving bitch!”

Valerie’s eyes widen. “Whatever are you talking about?”

The girls watching whisper among themselves, and I can see their eyes alight with the endorphins the drama gives them—all except Eliza, who’s crying softly by the door.

“That’s it,” Nathan snaps. “Everyone to their rooms. Now.”

A loud cackle explodes from me, bitter and incredulous. “Why? You don’t want them to know the truth about the sabotaging thief?!”

“April!” Valerie gasps in shock.

“Everyone. Out. Now.” Nathan grits out.

Everyone turns around and walks away, Eliza included, who shoots me a sad look before she leaves with the rest.

That leaves Nathan, me, May, and Valerie.

The she-devil sighs when everyone is gone. “Now, April, I hope we can sort all this out, I can’t bear any animosity between us caused by a silly misunderstanding.”

“You too, Valerie,” Nathan grits out.

This time, her shock looks genuine. “What? Nath—”

“Get out!”

She flinches, and she’s unable to school her expression anymore, so the venomous look she gives me is plain as day for all to see.

“Bitch,” I hiss as she leaves.

Nathan sighs when she’s gone. He runs his hands through his hair and looks down at May.

“Did anyone put you up to this?”

Her head is down, and she doesn’t look up when she shakes it.

“Really?” I snap. “Valerie didn’t hint that since you were already eliminated, you could help her take out the competition?”

She stiffens, and I know I’ve hit the nail on the head, but then she shakes her head again.

“Go back to your room,” Nathan says quietly. “Before you leave tomorrow, you’ll have a meeting with the legal team.”

May’s head snaps up, and fresh tears start again. “Please,” she starts to beg afresh.

“Leave,” he insists.

Sniffling, she stands to her feet. She turns to me, and I would feel bad for her if it weren’t for a piece of my dress stuck in her hair.

“I’m s-so s-sorry, April,” she stammers out.

“I hope whatever shallow, fake little friendship you think you have with Valerie was worth it,” I spit.

She doesn’t answer that and just turns on her heels and trudges out of the drawing room.

Nathan and I are the only ones left in the room.

He sighs heavily. “April—”

“What were you doing here?”

“I was up working, and I realized I left an important document from when I was here earlier. I came up and found May with the scissors. She really was the only one here, April.”

I look up at Nathan then. He looks troubled. Because of what happened to me?

“You can’t accuse Valerie without evidence.”

Oh, *that’s* why.

“Because she’s a St Claire?” I ask. “Because my family doesn’t own companies and have sway in the media. Because it’s okay for me to be a victim, but a St Claire being addressed as the perpetrator is abominable, right, Mr. ‘I hate liars’?”

He sighs. “April.”

“Four cars,” I whisper.

Nathan falters. “What?”

I fall to the floor on my dress. “Have four cars ready for tomorrow, not three,” I clarify, gathering the fabric of my dress.

“I’m leaving.”