It Keep's Getting Worse Chapter 35 Holden's POV The man in charge of my surveillance had contacted me to say that it had been compromised . I had just hoped that no one had fallen while it was down . Seeing Ana with a segment of the footage that I was missing had really concerned me . Had she been the one to do it ? Then she played the audio , and I knew it had been Tiffany . I had heard several loud blows , but Tiffany had sounded completely different than she usually does . The hate she felt for Ana was evident . To hear her threaten her at the end was an eye - opener . When Ana suggested that her mother and her best friends leave the room , dread crept in . What I just witnessed and heard was pretty bad . What could be so much worse than that she had to send the others away ? Her brother and father were here , but Ana had a hard look in her eyes . I wanted to leave with them . I no longer wanted to know why she hated me . I could tell from the look on her face that , as far as she was concerned , she had a valid reason for it . They exited the room , with her bodyguards exiting last . Both of them gave me a death glare , as if they were warning me not to do anything to her while they were gone . I would never intentionally hurt her . The only thing I have to look forward to is finding out what I did so I can fix it . I will help her deal with everything else . Even against my own sister . The room was quiet for a few minutes before Ana motioned for us to sit down . " You'll need to take a seat . Just let me get through as much as I can . My head still hurts , and I honestly didn't want to go through this just yet , but there's no point in hiding what happened anymore . Might as well get it all out in the open , " she said . He father took the seat next to her and took her hand in his . She smiled at him , but it wasn't the same smile that she used to give . She is still pretty upset with the three of us . " Okay , do you want me to bring you up to speed about what Tiffany did , or start with Holden ? " she asked . I knew for a fact that I didn't want to start with my sins , so I promptly said , " Tiffany . " Thankfully , Seth said the same thing . " You and Holden told me to stay near Tiffany , that she would protect me . Except my Sophomore year , which was your first year at college , that wasn't the case . That's when the bullying started . You both knew that Tiffany had a thing for you , " Ana pointed at Seth , " and Gretchen had a thing for you , " she now pointed at me . " Knowing that , how could either of you seriously think that either of them would help me ? Let alone protect me . How could you think it would end well ? " " She promised she would look out for you . Naomi assured us that she would also keep an eye out for you , " Seth argued . He was already trying to pin the blame on someone else . " Right , because Tiffany always told the truth . Like how she told her parents she was a good girl because she didn't date . She didn't have to date ; she did whatever she wanted at school . She didn't have to date . You know first - hand about Tiffany , don't you , Seth ? She loved telling me how good you were . She then told me that one day she would be my sister - in - law and continue doing the same things she always did to me . It was the very 1/3 MONI O < It Keep's Getting Worse +15 Points ) reason I made sure to stay in the dorms in college and didn't return home . Not unless I was forced to . You all were just caught up in your own lives . No one cared about what had happened to me or was still happening . I was told to " Get over it " and to " Stop being petty " , instead of anyone making any real effort to check on me . Sending me off to therapy as a cover for you to get someone else to figure it out , and just tell you what happened ," Ana faced her blanket on the bed , but I saw the first tears drop onto her sheets . " I'm sorry , Ana ," Seth said , but his voice was husky with tears he was fighting not to spill . " We were only trying to help . You didn't want to talk to any of us , " her father's voice was raw with guilt as every word she spoke was the truth . We had all failed her , in one way or another . " If I had spoken up , would you have believed me back then ? Or would it just be my word against hers ? Wouldn't it have torn your close friendships apart ? Or would I have just been shipped off to a facility to get the ' help ' I needed ? I didn't need that to happen . I needed someone who was willing to stand up for me , to protect me . Like I now have with Charlie and Drew , they stand up for me , " Ana said . I felt jealousy bubble up inside me . I knew I shouldn't have said anything , but I couldn't hold it in . " Ana , they don't care for you ; of course , they stand up for you . It's their job . It's what they're paid to do . " " No , it's more than that . I trust them . They've proven themselves to me over and over again , despite it only being a short amount of time . They blocked me from the cameras when they certainly didn't have to . I told them to go grab lunch and come to the police station later , but they were behind me every step of the way . I've had security before ; they are different from the teams that you three have . They actually care about my well - being ," Ana replied . She pointed to her laptop , the screen frozen as that jerk carried her out . He had her blood on him , but it was obvious that he was worried about her . She was right . Now that hurts , because she is willing to defend them when she's only known them for a day . That's completely ridiculous . I hate that she is willing to trust them so easily , when we've known each other our whole lives . Seth didn't like it either , but he stayed silent . " Tiffany and Gretchen left me alone for the first few months . They were too busy cheering and doing other stuff , and I was fine . Just a little bullying , a shove here , a trip there , from their friends . But then , things changed about two weeks before Thanksgiving . Our team hadn't made the playoffs , and suddenly , they had a lot more time on their hands . By November , they had my class schedules down . I had a free period right after P.E. , which one of my favorite teachers ran . She knew why I showered last . She knew that I had gained weight and didn't want to be made fun of . So she let me come to class late ," Ana statedly with almost no emotion as she spoke . She had to shut down to do this . She stared out the window at something far away . Why did she have to shut down to do this ? I looked at Seth , and he was glaring back at me . I've never seen him so angry in all the years that we have known each other . " Tiffany took pictures of me naked in the showers . She shared some of those pictures with her friends . She put a large sticker that said fat ass on my locker with super glue that I got blamed for , and it couldn't be removed because of the super glue . The camera in the hallway malfunctioned during the time frame that the sticker was put on . Just like they malfunctioned the time she let some of the football players into the girls ' locked room while I was trying to get dressed . No camera , no crime , " Ana said . " Did they touch you ? " Seth asked through clenched teeth . 16 O < 2/3 דיון < It Keep's Getting Worse +15 Points > " No , but they took more pictures of me . It was bad enough they were even there . Then Tiffany released photos she took that looked like I wanted to be in there with them . Hiding my face , so you didn't see I was crying . That experience was the very reason I learned how to hack . I was isolated and tormented . I became anxious and depressed . Designing became the only thing that helped me get past it . I started to see a therapist in college , and that helped , " Ana answered . " I am so sorry , Ana . I hope you know that I condemn her actions . I speak for my parents as well . None of us knew what she was doing to you , or we would have stopped her . I would never hurt you like she did ." I replied . I was so glad they hadn't touched her . I know that would be something that Ana might not have been able to get past . " But you already have , Holden . Tiffany wasn't the only Vaughn that hurt me back then . Why would I punish you for her actions ? I didn't blame you or Seth for what she did . She was just a horrible choice to assign as a protector when she was my biggest bully . Tiffany's actions are just that , her own actions . Gretchen's actions . were her own . Although Gretchen never put her hands on me . What she did , in my opinion , was worse ," Ana said . " Whatever you need , we will help you with . I will pay for your stay here . I will also pay for any therapy you need . I wish I could take it all away , but I swear to you that I never knew that you were put through so much . I want to make this right , " I offered . " Ana is a Caldwell ; she doesn't need your money , Holden . I won't let Tiffany traumatize my sister any longer . We don't need your help ; we will handle this ourselves , " Seth advised quietly . Things were going very badly , and I wish I had just listened to Seth and left . This conversation might have been better just between the two of us . I didn't want to ask , but I knew that was exactly what she was waiting for me to do . " What did Gretchen do ? " I managed to ask . Ana's low chuckle let me know immediately that I wasn't going to like what she said , " What did Gretchen do ? Funny how you would phrase it that way , Holden . Like it was all her fault . " My scalp tingled at her reply . I could tell from the way Seth was glaring at me , he was waiting to find out exactly what I did to her , too . His hands were clenched into fists as he stared at me . I think Seth was actually ready to swing on me . Her father looked the same way . Like he was ready to burn the world down to protect Ana . KatVonBeck