Chapter 15: Why Greer Chose Me

Greer's attorney requested that the school enforce the no-contact order more strictly after our hallway exchange.

I agreed.

That surprised them.

I didn't need a private confrontation.

I needed facts.

By afternoon, my mother received a call from Richard Pierce.

She put it on speaker only after telling him she was recording.

His first words were:

“We need to handle this quietly.”

I nearly laughed.

Quietly.

That word had protected everyone except me.

My mother said, “Handle what?”

A pause.

“Imogen knows.”

“She has a right to.”

“This isn't the time.”

I leaned toward the phone.

“When would be the time?”

Silence.

Then:

“Imogen.”

It was the first time my biological father had ever said my name to me.

I felt nothing warm.

“Mr. Pierce.”

My mother's eyes flicked toward me.

Richard exhaled.

“I understand you're angry.”

“I'm interested in why Greer targeted me.”

“Greer made a stupid mistake.”

“Did she know I'm your daughter?”

Another silence.

Longer.

“Richard,” my mother said.

“Answer her.”

“She found out last year.”

My fingers curled.

“How?”

“She saw documents in my office.”

“And what did you do?”

“I told her it was an adult matter and that she was not to contact you about it.”

I closed my eyes.

That explained so much.

Greer's hostility had begun subtly last year.

Comments about my clothes.

Jokes about scholarship students.

Invitations that disappeared before I could accept them.

At the time, I thought she simply disliked me.

“Did you tell her why I attend Westbridge?”

“You attend because you earned a scholarship.”

“Did you arrange it?”

“No.”

His answer came immediately.

I believed that part.

“Did you tell anyone at the foundation who I was?”

“No.”

My mother asked, “Then who called me six months ago?”

Richard sounded genuinely confused.

“What call?”

We explained.

He went quiet.

“Give that information to the police.”

“We already did,” I said.

For the first time, his voice lost its controlled tone.

“Good.”

That caught my attention.

“You're scared.”

“I'm concerned.”

“About what?”

“There are people around my family who care more about reputation than they should.”

My mother laughed bitterly.

“Including you.”

He didn't deny it.

I asked, “Did your wife know about me?”

“Yes.”

Everything stopped.

“Since when?”

“Before I married her.”

My mother stared at the phone.

That was apparently new information to her too.

Richard continued.

“Elaine knew about the pregnancy. She knew I had offered support. She knew you chose to raise Imogen separately.”

“Has she ever contacted us?”

“Not that I know of.”

Something cold moved through me.

Greer's mother.

At the school meeting, she had barely spoken.

She had kept touching Greer's shoulder.

I remembered the anonymous screenshot.

Imogen wasn't supposed to fight back.

“Does Elaine know Greer discovered the truth?”

Richard hesitated.

“Yes.”

“And what did she tell her?”

“I don't know.”

I stood and paced carefully.

“You live in the same house.”

“My marriage is not your concern.”

“It became my concern when your daughter started a sexual rumor about me and someone began sending threats.”

His voice hardened.

“Do not accuse my wife.”

“I didn't.”

I smiled without humor.

“Interesting that you heard an accusation anyway.”

He ended the call shortly afterward.

We saved the recording.

Then we sent it to Officer Ramirez.

The next day, Greer returned to class under supervision.

No one openly mocked her.

The school had finally started enforcing its harassment policy.

During lunch, I saw her sitting alone.

I remembered sitting alone in my previous life.

For a moment, pity tried to surface.

Then I remembered the private chat.

She's gonna cry lol.

Watch this.

Want me to scare her?

Not yet.

Pity didn't require forgetting.

After school, Dr. Patel asked whether I wanted to speak with her.

I almost refused.

Counselor Bennett had poisoned that office for me.

But then I thought of my mother.

If you're hurting, we get help.

So I went.

Dr. Patel didn't ask me to forgive anyone.

She didn't tell me to ignore rumors.

She asked one question.

“What are you most afraid will happen now?”

I stared at my hands.

The real answer was impossible.

That I would die again.

That my mother would follow.

That changing one event wouldn't change the ending.

I said, “I'm afraid that even if I win, I'll still be the person they hurt.”

Dr. Patel nodded.

“Winning and healing aren't the same task.”

I looked at her.

That sentence stayed with me.

When I left school, Officer Ramirez was waiting outside.

He held a folder.

“We identified the anonymous email sender.”

My heart jumped.

“Who?”

“A hospital employee.”

“Why would they send me Greer's photograph?”

“That's what we're trying to understand.”

He paused.

“But there's more.”

I waited.

“The employee says someone paid them to watch Greer.”

“Who?”

Ramirez's expression tightened.

“Elaine Pierce.”