Page 17 of Revenge is a Witch

This isn’t about justice anymore.

It’s aboutretribution.

Phase One

Iflip through the empty pages of the fake grimoire, my mind racing with plans—small, simple things at first. Enough to make Kyla squirm. Nothing too drastic, not yet. I don’t want to hurt her. Just… disrupt her life. Make her question everything, the way she’s made me question myself. Fear is a powerful weapon, and right now, it’s the one thing I can control.

I glance over at Derek, who’s watching me with quiet intensity. “Look,” I say, closing the book, “if you’re not on board with this, you need to leave. I can’t have you half in, half out.”

Instead of leaving, Derek walks over to my bed and sits down, stretching out and making himself comfortable, as if he’s settled in for the long haul. “I’m not going anywhere.”

I raise an eyebrow, surprised by his calm acceptance. “Thanks,” I murmur, genuinely grateful. I didn’t expect him to stick around, but here he is, making himself part of whatever this is going to become.

Derek nods. “I’ll help in any way I can. Even if it’s just being here, being a shoulder to cry on.” He pauses, his gaze meeting mine. “But on one condition.”

My eyes narrow slightly. “What’s the condition?”

“We don’t tell Sam.”

His words hit like a punch to the gut, and I blink, confused. “What do you mean, we don’t tell Sam? She’s my best friend. Why would I keep this from her?”

Derek sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Before I came here, after the assembly… I told Sam I was done. We’re done.”

The room feels like it shifts for a second, and I stare at him, trying to process what he just said. “What do you mean, done?”

“I mean, I don’t love her. Not the way I’ve been pretending to. No matter how hard I’ve tried, she’s just… not the person I thought she was. I’m exhausted, Zaria. I can’t keep pretending anymore.” I sit down on the edge of the desk, still trying to wrap my head around what he’s saying. Sam and Derek breaking up wasn’t on my radar. At all. And now, I’m caught in the middle of this tangled mess.

“I’m sorry, Derek,” I say, and I mean it. Sam’s my best friend, and I never wanted to see her hurt, but at the same time… I get it. Relationships aren’t always what they seem from the outside. “But I don’t know what to do here. Sam’s my best friend. I can’t just—”

“I’m not asking you to take sides,” Derek interrupts, his voice low but steady. “But I can’t be involved in this revenge plan if Sam knows. She wouldn’t understand, and she’d try to stop us. I don’t want to make things more complicated than they already are.”

I bite my lip, torn between loyalty to Sam and my own need for revenge. Sam wouldn’t be on board with this, that much is clear. She’s too good, too sweet for this kind of thing. But Derek… he’s offering to help. To stand by me when I need it most.

And, deep down, I know I need someone in my corner right now. Even if that means keeping this from Sam.

I nod slowly. “Okay. I won’t say anything to her.”

Derek looks relieved, though there’s a flicker of something—maybe guilt—in his eyes. “Thanks.” I stand up and pace the room, my mind already racing again with ideas. “So, what’s the first step?” Derek asks, watching me closely.

I stop, turning to face him, a smirk pulling at my lips. “Oh, I’ve already got that figured out.” The plan is already forming in my mind, piece by piece. It’s not just about getting back at Kyla—it’s about showing her that I’m not someone to mess with. And this is just the beginning. “Let’s just say,” I add, “Kyla’s about to have a very bad week.”

Derek sits up a little straighter, clearly intrigued. “How so?” he asks, leaning forward slightly. His eyes are focused, like he’s already in this with me, fully committed.

I cross my arms, pacing the length of the room as the plan solidifies in my mind. “Kyla loves herself. I mean,reallyloves herself. She’s got a list of things she adores, things that make her feel like she’s untouchable. So, the goal is simple—tear those things down. One at a time.”

Derek nods, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “Okay. What are the top five?”

I stop, turning to face him with a sharp grin. “Glad you asked.”

I hold up a finger. “Number one: her hair.” I roll my eyes, remembering how Kyla constantly flips it around like it’s made of spun gold. “She’s obsessed with her perfect blonde waves. Always talking about how she’s got ‘the best hair in school.’ A little spell, and maybe that hair isn’t so perfect anymore.”

Derek chuckles. “A bad hair day to start with. I like it. What else?”

I raise a second finger. “Number two: her social status. Kyla thrives on being at the top of the food chain, surrounded bypeople who adore her. She feeds off it, like it’s her lifeblood. If her little minions stop seeing her as perfect... well, that’s gonna sting.”

He nods. “So, we isolate her, knock her down a few pegs with her so-called friends.”

“Exactly.” I add another finger. “Number three: her grades. I know she cheats. Everyone knows. But somehow, she’s been passing all her classes with flying colors. Messing with that could cause her a few sleepless nights.”

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