Chapter 3I Can't Stop Crying

I forced myself to look up, blinking rapidly to keep the tears from falling.

Chelsea spun her chair around, crossing her arms as she stared down at me.

"Sienna, didn't you just tell your brother you wanted to handle things yourself?"

"If you want to be independent, stop pretending to be strong while secretly running to your family for protection."

The words hit me like a slap to the face.

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

She was right.

I had promised my family I could handle college, but the moment things got difficult, my first instinct was to look for Nathan.

The mockery in Chelsea's eyes deepened.

"Do you know what people are saying about you online?"

She unlocked her own phone, opening her comment section and reading the words aloud.

"The board member's sister is so fragile, the whole school has to tiptoe around her."

"People like her should just stay locked in their mansions instead of ruining other people's lives."

"Sienna, your brother might look powerful, but do you really think he can fight the entire internet for you?"

I lowered my head, my tears falling silently onto my sleeve.

Becca sat at her desk, staring at her computer in silence. Ashley pretended to study, refusing to look up.

Chelsea set her phone down, her tone softening slightly, though her words remained sharp.

"Your brother might defend you in public, but don't you think he's getting tired of your drama?"

I snapped my head up. "Nathan would never feel that way."

"Are you sure?" she countered with a smug grin.

"Of course he comforts you. You've been coddled your entire life."

"But you're eighteen now, and you can't even handle a simple roommate dynamic without your big brother rushing the stage to save you."

She paused, her eyes scanning my face.

"Sienna, don't you find that embarrassing?"

The color drained from my face.

A cold wave of dread washed over me.

What if Chelsea was telling the truth?

What if Nathan was tired of constantly managing my emotional sensitivity?

What if my parents had spent eighteen years protecting me, only to realize I couldn't even survive a normal university dorm?

I clenched my fists so tightly my knuckles turned white.

"They don't think I'm a burden," I whispered, my voice trembling.

Chelsea let out a quiet laugh.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

She stood up and walked over to me, looking down at me with disdain.

"I'm not like you, Sienna. I built my platform from nothing. Do you have any idea how many sleepless nights I spent, how much hate I had to endure to get here?"

"I finally earned my followers and my scholarship, and you almost ruined all of it with a few cheap tears."

"My brother funded that scholarship to reward real creativity, not exploitation," I managed to say.

Jealousy and resentment flared in her eyes.

"And what do you have, Sienna? Aside from your constant crying?"

"If your last name weren't Brooks, do you think a single person on this campus would care about you?"

I couldn't find the words to reply.

Three days later, the university scheduled a formal review of the scholarship.

Chelsea had stopped filming me, but our academic advisor, Ms. Gable, called me into her office.

"Sienna, I know you are a sensitive girl, but Chelsea has worked incredibly hard for her achievements."

"The public backlash against her is growing, and the administration wants to resolve this quietly. We need to make sure the situation doesn't escalate."

She slid a document across the desk toward me.

I, Sienna Brooks, hereby confirm that the videos filmed by Chelsea were entirely voluntary roommate logs, and no coercion, threats, or harassment took place.

I stared at the print, my vision blurring as tears pooled in my eyes. My hand shook so violently I could barely hold the pen.

Ms. Gable let out a long sigh.

"You said you wanted to integrate into campus life, didn't you? It's best not to burn bridges with your peers."

In the end, I didn't sign it.

When I returned to the dorm, Chelsea’s face was dark with anger.

From that night on, she placed that document on my desk every single evening.

I could barely swallow any food. The sound of a phone notification made me physically nauseous.

Whenever I managed to fall asleep, I dreamed of standing in that massive auditorium, with hundreds of faceless students staring at me while I sobbed.

The days blurred together.

On the night before the final review hearing, Chelsea pushed the paper in front of me once more.

"You're going to read this tomorrow."

I looked at my name on the page, my tears dripping onto the paper and smudging the signature line.

Chelsea leaned down, her whisper cold against my ear.

"Sienna, if you want to prove you can survive in the real world, stop running to your brother like a child."