CHAPTER 39: HER UNDOING.

Carla sat at the edge of the couch, folding her hands tightly on her lap. She’d been expecting Angela all day.

Angela suddenly barged into the room at exactly 4:46PM. She slung her bag over one shoulder, heaving breathlessly like she’d been running.

Carla’s eyes searched her face. "What happened Angie? why are you in such a hurry?"

Angela exhaled slowly, pulling the bag strap over her head and setting it on the coffee table. "You won’t even believe what I’m about to tell you."

Jonathan sat in the armchair opposite, stretching his legs out and scrolling absently through his phone. He didn’t even look up. But Angie could tell he was paying attention to their conversation.

Carla frowned. "Angela, tell me."

Angela lowered herself into the seat beside Carla. She rubbed her palms against her knees, gathering her thoughts. "I went to see Principal Morris this morning, concerning Bella’s case. But before that, I spoke to some students, her classmates actually. And I’ve been... collecting statements from some of them."

Carla’s eyes widened. "About Bella?"

"Yes," Angela said quietly.

"What did they have to say about her this time?" Carla asked angrily.

"No, no. It wasn’t something bad. You know I won’t entertain such rubbish let alone collect their statements."

"So what was it about this time?"

"You know I already told you the culprits were Mira and Raquel. They orchestrated the blackmailing. Now the nudes were leaked by one boy, Liam Kenner, Bella’s ex. So the statements were confirmation from other students about these three students’ behaviour, which I took to Principal Morris."

"Is this what you came all the way here to tell me? This is no new story Angie. Yes I know it was Mira, her best friend behind all this. I know it was the stupid boy Bella sent her photos to and he leaked it. I even saw him the day I was invited to school." Carla recounted, resignedly resting back on the cushion.

"Oh, can you just be patient and listen for once in your life Carla? That’s not all I came here with."

"Then spill girl, stop keeping me in suspense."

"The problem is..." Angela said, leaning forward. "They’re gone. All three of them."

"What do you mean gone, gone where?"

"These three children left school. No one has seen, nor heard from them since last week."

Carla sat back slowly, blinking as if the air had just been knocked out of her. Jonathan finally set his phone down on the armrest.

He gave a small snort. "Gone where?"

"No one knows, I just said that," Angela replied, her voice tightening. "They haven’t been to school since Thursday. I checked the attendance logs. And when I called their parents..." She shook her head. "Lies. Every single one of them."

Carla’s brow furrowed. "Lies?"

Angela turned to face her fully. "Liam’s mother thought he was on a week-long school excursion. Said she even called the school to confirm and someone answered, telling her it was legitimate."

"That doesn’t make any sense," Carla murmured.

"It does if one of them picked up the phone pretending to be a staff member," Angela said grimly. "Then Raquel told her parents she was at Mira’s house for a week-long sleepover. Her mother didn’t approve, but she left anyway. And Mira? According to the housekeeper at her father’s estate, she showed up there with Liam and Raquel for two days, then left again. No explanation. No one seems to know where they went after that."

Jonathan chuckled. "Smart kids. They chose to escape punishment. And there is Bella, swallowing her expulsion like juice."

Angela stared at him, her jaw tightening, but chose not to respond to him directly. Instead, she spoke to Carla. "I promised Bella I’d help her clear her name. I told her I wouldn’t let this slide. But now they’ve vanished, and I..." Her voice wavered. "I don’t know how to help anymore. I don’t know to get her justice"

Carla reached out and took her sister’s hand. "You’ve done more than anyone else, Angie. You’ve been there for her when—" She glanced at Jonathan, then looked away. "—when even her father decided to take the side of her offenders."

Angela gave her hand a squeeze. "It’s not enough. I feel like I haven’t done enough. Those kids... need to pay." She gritted.

Carla’s voice was heavy with disappointment. "What did Principal Morris say about this?"

"Morris wants to ’check the facts’ before doing anything official. He’ll call the parents, review their digital activity logs. But he won’t treat it like a missing persons case yet."

Jonathan snorted again. "Because it’s not. Missing person means you have reason to believe someone’s in danger. This sounds like three brats enjoying their little vacation. Escaping punishment like I said."

Carla shot him a look sharp enough to cut glass. "Jonathan, do you even hear yourself?"

"What?" he said, feigning innocence. "I’m being practical. The more you stir this up, the more attention it gets, the more it comes back on Bella. People will start asking questions again. Maybe you’re fine with that, but—"

"I’m fine with the truth coming out! I’m fine my daughter’s offenders getting due punishment," Carla said, her voice firm.

Angela’s chest ached as she watched the two of them. She could feel the weight of her own helplessness pressing down harder with every passing second. "I just wanted to bring her some justice," she said quietly. "Now it feels like we’re further from it than ever."

Carla turned back to her sister. "Then we keep going. If Morris won’t treat it seriously, we find someone who will. Maybe we should go to the police directly."

Jonathan muttered, "That’s the fastest way to get our family name dragged through the mud. You’ll be stirring the waters again."

Carla ignored him. "Angie, do you still have those statements from the students?"

"Yes," Angela said. "And the copy of the blackmail message."

"Then that’s where we start," Carla said, her voice hardening. "If those kids think they can do this and run, they’ve underestimated us."

Angela looked at her sister, searching her face. "You really mean that?"

"I do—"

"No one is going to any police and that’s final." Jonathan’s voice echoed in the room.

Carla turned toward him sharply. "You don’t get to decide that for me."

"I’m your husband," Jonathan replied, his tone carrying that familiar edge of authority. "And as long as we’re married, you don’t drag our family name through more dirt than it’s already in."

Angela’s brows knit together. "Jonathan, this isn’t about your name, it’s about Bella. Your daughter. Or have you forgotten she’s the one who’s been humiliated?"

He leaned back in his chair, resting an ankle over one knee. "I haven’t forgotten. I’m just trying to keep it from getting worse."

Carla let out a humorless laugh. "Worse? Tell me, how exactly does it get worse than a seventeen-year-old being expelled from school because of a silly mistake and wicked classmates?"

Jonathan shifted his gaze toward her, his jaw tightening. "It gets worse when her name shows up in those police reports, together with theirs. Don’t forget the newspapers, blogs that will surely carry the news. She has trended once on the internet for scandal, let it pass.

If you don’t go to the police now like I’m advising, just those kids’ names would be on the report for truancy. Simple."

Angela leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "So what’s your plan then? What do you suggest we do?"

Jonathan didn’t reply. He picked up his phone instead.

Carla sighed and shook her head. "You know what your problem is, Jonathan? You’d rather avoid discomfort than stand up for your own child."

"Don’t talk to me woman." he warned.

"I will! And you will do nothing about it.," Carla said, her voice rising, "My child is away in another school starting over, while her father—" she jabbed a finger in his direction "—sits here worrying about his reputation instead of hers."

Jonathan’s eyes hardened. "You’re acting like I’m the enemy here, Carla."

Carla shot back, "Yes, I think you are! You’re protecting yourself, Jonathan! You’ve been protecting yourself since the day this scandal broke. You’re just so mean and evil!

Angela shifted uneasily. "Carla, maybe we should—"

But Carla wasn’t done. She leaned forward, her voice shaking with rage. "You think your precious reputation is worth more than justice for your own child. You are a terrible father and you make me sick!"

Jonathan slammed his palm on the armrest. "And you think dragging the police into this will magically fix everything? It’ll make it worse! You don’t even know where those kids are—"

"I don’t care where they are! They should rot for what—" Carla’s voice cracked mid-sentence. She suddenly pressed a hand to her chest.

"Carla?" Angela’s voice sharpened.

Carla’s breathing became uneven, her other hand gripping the edge of the couch. "I... I can’t—" she gasped, her eyes wide.

Jonathan stood up abruptly. "What’s wrong with you?"

"Call an ambulance!" Angela shouted, already moving to support her.

Carla’s knees buckled, and she collapsed sideways onto the couch.

Jonathan fumbled with his phone to call the ambulance, showing concern for the first time ever.

Angela held Carla’s hand tightly. "Stay with me, Carla. Stay with me, please..."

Carla’s eyes fluttered, and with a weak whisper, she forced out some words before going limp.

"I think... I’m having a heart—"