Chapter 16

“Katrina’s here!” Ivy nearly leapt up in excitement, rushing to the door.

Katrina was more than a best friend; she was closer than a sister.

“Katrina!” Ivy called out, her voice bubbling with joy as she spotted a girl climbing out of an old, battered Mercedes parked in the driveway. She quickened her pace, but as she drew closer, something stopped her in her tracks. The smile faded from her face; her footsteps faltered.

If Katrina had come straight to her house, she must have heard Ivy was back. And if she’d heard that, then she probably knew all the ugly rumors swirling around: the whispers about Ivy being “HIV positive,” about “having a child with an old man.”

Would Katrina look down on her now?

Before Ivy could steel herself, Katrina spotted her and, unable to contain her excitement, rushed forward and pulled her into a fierce embrace.

“Oh my God! It really is you! Ivy, you’re alive. You’re really back!” Katrina sobbed, her voice raw as she clung to the friend she’d lost for three years.

Katrina’s hug nearly knocked Ivy off balance, her heart quivering with disbelief and gratitude.

Katrina didn’t think she was dirty. She wasn’t avoiding her.

Did that mean she didn’t know, or that she just didn’t care?

“Katrina…” Ivy’s voice was thick with emotion, her eyes stinging with tears.

Katrina finally pulled back, scanning Ivy from head to toe. “You’ve lost so much weight! God, what did they do to you? Look at your arms–those scars…”

Her fingers traced the marks gently, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Standing in the doorway, Rosetta and Emma watched the reunion, both frowning deeply.

“Katrina, are you out of your mind? Don’t you care about your own health?” Emma called out, staying a safe distance away.

Katrina turned to glare at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“She has HIV! She had a kid with some old man! And can’t you smell her? She’s been living with pigs for three years!” Emma’s voice was shrill, her words sharp and deliberate, as if daring anyone to miss her meaning.

Katrina’s brows knit together as she looked back at Ivy. “Is this how they treat you now that you’re home?”

“Just ignore her,” Ivy said with a small, confused laugh. “But–are you really not scared of catching anything from me?”

Katrina rolled her eyes. “I have a brain; hugging you isn’t going to kill me.”

Ivy’s chest tightened with gratitude.

“Katrina, seriously… Haven’t you ever heard ‘better safe than sorry’?” Emma tried again, undeterred.

But Katrina didn’t waste another second on her. She grabbed Ivy’s hand. “Let’s get out of here. I have a million things to say to you.”

Fed up with the Windsors’ contempt, Katrina didn’t even bother with a goodbye. She pulled Ivy straight to her car, slamming the door behind them.

As the old Mercedes pulled away, Emma turned back to Rosetta. “Mom, shouldn’t we tell the Lesters? If Katrina gets sick, they’ll blame us for sure.”

Rosetta nodded. “We should call them. It’s our responsibility.”

“Exactly! Katrina must be out of her mind.”

The Lesters were another old-money family in Neo Haven. But Katrina, despite being their eldest daughter, held little standing.

Her father had made his fortune then promptly cheated, fathering two more children. The divorce was ugly. Her stepmother–once the mistress, now the new wife–barely tolerated Katrina, who walked on eggshells at home.

“I’m living in the grad student dorms now,” Katrina said as she drove, glancing at Ivy in the passenger seat. “I only found out you were back when I went home last night, and when I couldn’t get hold of you, I came over first thing this morning.”

She glanced at her friend again, unable to stop her tears from falling. “I can’t believe you’re alive. That’s all that matters.”

Ivy’s heart clenched. “Katrina, you’re the only one who doesn’t judge me.”

“Judge you? Never. I just wish I wasn’t a broke student–if I had my own place, I’d get you out of that house for good.”

Ivy took in the state of Katrina’s car–ancient, clearly a family castoff–and realized her friend’s situation wasn’t much better.

“Katrina, I have money. A lot of it. But I can’t leave just yet,” Ivy said quietly.

“Why not?” Katrina asked, genuinely surprised.

Ivy’s face hardened. “The one who set me up to be trafficked was Emma. But I don’t have proof yet. I can’t bring her to justice until I do. I have to-”