Opening
In a driving rain, Addie Severson finally sees the truth behind the romance she’s been defending. A detective’s warning, a rival’s confession, and undeniable proof rip away her denial and push her toward action. By the end, former enemies stand together, ready to expose a predator and tell everything about Eve Bennett.
What Happens
Chapter 71: Addie
Addie trudges through the rain, haunted by her mother’s suspicion that she’s tied to her father’s death and Eve’s disappearance. Detective Sprague intercepts her for an “off the record” conversation and probes her about an inappropriate relationship with her English teacher, Nate Bennett. Sprague frames it as Nate’s fault, not Addie’s, but Addie clings to the idea that their connection is special and denies any wrongdoing.
Then Sprague detonates the truth: Nate is trying to frame her. He’s painting Addie as a lone stalker who followed Eve to the commuter lot, killed her, and disposed of the body. The moment crystallizes the power of Deception and Manipulation—Sprague uses the truth to cut through Nate’s lies and crack Addie’s loyalty. Before leaving, Sprague presses a personal cell number into Addie’s hand, a lifeline if she chooses to come forward.
Chapter 72: Addie
Soaked and shaken, Addie returns home to another standoff with her mother, who begs for the truth about Mrs. Bennett and promises to help. Addie repeats her mantra—deny everything—until the doorbell rings. Expecting Sprague, she opens the door to find her high school nemesis, Kenzie Montgomery, on the step.
Kenzie’s arrival shifts the battlefield from the police station to the social world of school. The visit feels like a threat—until Addie sees Kenzie’s face.
Chapter 73: Addie
Kenzie looks wrecked: makeup smeared, posture collapsed, voice unsteady—a stark reversal underscoring Appearance vs. Reality. In private, she apologizes for bullying Addie, then drops a bomb: she knows about Addie and Mr. Bennett. Addie denies it. Kenzie insists, saying she recognized the poem.
The twist lands hard when Kenzie adds, “Because he didn’t write it for you… He wrote it for me.” The recycled lines, once proof of Addie’s singular love, snap into place as a script.
Chapter 74: Addie
Kenzie lays out the pattern. Nate started grooming her when she was fourteen, a freshman reeling from being sidelined at home by her brother’s leukemia. He love-bombed her, called her his “soulmate,” and made her feel chosen. It’s the same playbook he used on Addie, exposing textbook Abuse of Power and Predatory Behavior.
After the Mr. Tuttle incident, Nate cut off the physical relationship, blaming new scrutiny at school. Kenzie channeled her rage toward Addie, thinking she’d stolen him. Finally, she shows Addie Snapflash screenshots—messages where Nate calls her “soulmate”—and Addie’s illusions collapse. Kenzie asks her to go to the police. Addie, reeling but resolute, agrees.
Chapter 75: Addie
At the station, Addie and Kenzie sit in a small interrogation room, hands cold, resolve wobbly. When Detective Sprague enters, Kenzie falters, overwhelmed. Seeing her unraveled—just a kid when Nate started—forces Addie to face the full horror of what he’s done.
Addie squeezes Kenzie’s hand and steps into the silence. She looks at Sprague and says, “the truth is Mr. Bennett and I have been sleeping together the entire year.” Sprague’s reply—“That bastard”—signals she believes them. She asks Addie what happened to Eve Bennett. Free of Nate’s spell, Addie braces herself to tell everything.
Character Development
The section turns victims into witnesses and rivals into allies. Addie and Kenzie move from isolation and shame toward clarity, solidarity, and action, while Nate’s mask drops completely.
- Addie: Moves from denial to decisive truth-telling; breaks her loyalty to Nate; chooses to protect others rather than protect a lie.
- Kenzie: Drops the “mean girl” armor; apologizes; reveals her abuse; brings hard evidence; catalyzes Addie’s shift.
- Nate: Exposed as a serial predator recycling the same poem and “soulmate” script; his careful persona collapses under proof.
Themes & Symbols
The web of Deception and Manipulation finally snaps. Sprague’s revelation reframes Nate’s charm as a strategy, and Kenzie’s screenshots convert suspicion into certainty. The chapters trace grooming as method, not mistake—an orchestrated performance designed to isolate and control.
Appearance vs. Reality drives the emotional punches: Kenzie’s polished image hides trauma; Nate’s romantic persona hides predation; Addie’s “soulmate” story hides exploitation. As the girls choose police over secrecy, the story pivots to accountability and Revenge and Justice.
Symbol: The poem—once sacred proof of unique love—now stands for the fraud of Nate’s seduction script. Its repetition exposes how interchangeable his “soulmates” really are.
Key Quotes
“Nathaniel Bennett is painting you to be a stalker who was acting alone. He’s trying to make us believe that you followed Eve Bennett to the commuter lot, killed her, and got rid of her body.”
Sprague’s blunt disclosure cuts through Addie’s denial and reframes Nate as an active threat, not a misunderstood lover. It also flips the power dynamic: information becomes the tool to break manipulation.
“Because he didn’t write it for you… He wrote it for me.”
Kenzie’s line detonates Addie’s most cherished proof of love. The recycled poem exposes Nate’s pattern and collapses the illusion of uniqueness that kept each girl silent.
“Soulmate.”
This word, repeated in Snapflash messages, is the linchpin of Nate’s grooming—intimacy as leverage. Its duplicity shows how language can be weaponized to bind and control.
“The truth is Mr. Bennett and I have been sleeping together the entire year.”
Addie’s confession marks her turning point from secrecy to agency. By speaking plainly, she validates Kenzie, anchors Sprague’s support, and opens the door to the truth about Eve.
“That bastard.”
Sprague’s reaction provides institutional validation without victim-blaming. It signals a shift toward protection, belief, and action.
Why This Matters and Section Significance
These chapters deliver the novel’s major turning point. Nate’s myth collapses under evidence; Addie rejects his control; and she and Kenzie form an alliance built on truth, not rivalry. With the victims united and the detective on their side, the power moves decisively away from the predator. The stage is set for the full account of Eve Bennett and the push toward justice.