“So you’d rather have me be cruel to you?”

“That’s not what I meant!” Esther snapped quickly. “It’s just that you’re Vinson’s friend, and you never stepped in when he treated me badly, so I don’t see why you’d want to help me now.”

“Yes, I am Vinson’s friend, but I’ve been thinking about what you said at the ice cream shop. I think you were right, and it made me realize something. The cruelest person is the one who stays silent while watching someone else get ...