Betrayal has a sound—quiet at first, like a whisper behind a closed door. Then louder, like a crack running through glass. That was how it felt the day everything exploded around Beck, Carly, and the people who were supposed to love them.
Everyone thought Beck and Carly were unshakable. They had the kind of connection people talked about like it was destiny. But destiny doesn't protect you from secrets. And this secret was big enough to tear through two families and an entire friend group.
Emma sensed it before anyone said a word—the tension thick enough to taste. Carly's sister avoiding eye contact. Her friends acting too sweet, too careful, like they were rehearsing every sentence. Beck always on his phone, always "busy," always somewhere else.
Then the truth hit, not like a rumor, but like a storm door bursting open.
Carly's sister.
Her own sister.
And not just her—her friends too.
People who sat at her table. Borrowed her clothes. Promised they'd always have her back. They weren't just part of the betrayal—they helped build it.
The air in the room went cold when Carly found out. She didn't scream at first. She just stared, like she was watching someone else's life fall apart. Then everything came crashing at once—shaking hands, sharp words, voices rising until the walls themselves seemed to flinch.
Beck tried to defend himself.
Her sister tried to explain.
Her friends tried to pretend it wasn't as bad as it was.
But betrayal doesn't soften just because someone regrets it.
Family dinners turned into war zones—every glance another accusation. Friends picked sides fast, some disappearing overnight. The world Carly knew burned down in front of her, and she had to watch every flame.
And through it all, Emma stayed at her side, steady in the chaos. She didn't tell Carly to calm down. She didn't say "it'll be okay." She just held the space while Carly's world cracked open and rebuilt itself piece by broken piece.
Because betrayal doesn't just change relationships.
It changes people.
And Carly—hurt, furious, shaken—was becoming someone stronger than she had ever been before.