A girl they bullied enters

Juliet and Rachel sat uncomfortably on the soft carpet of the reading circle, their padded rears crinkling loudly with every fidget. They each held onto their assigned teddy bears, clutching them as though they were life rafts in an ocean of humiliation. Around them, other teenagers in similar “baby attire” were also seated, some sucking on pacifiers while others played with blocks or twirled rattles. Juliet’s face burned with embarrassment as she caught sight of herself in the mirror-lined walls of the room—her pink t-shirt barely covered the top of her diaper, which peeked out every time she shifted. Rachel sat beside her, her jaw clenched around her pacifier as she avoided Juliet’s gaze.

The air was already thick with their shared humiliation when the door to the room creaked open. Both girls froze. Their stomachs sank as a familiar figure stepped inside, clipboard in hand.

It was Molly.

“Alright, everyone, it’s time for storytime!” Molly’s cheerful voice filled the room. Her brown hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and she wore the official staff uniform—a plain polo shirt with the daycare’s logo embroidered on the chest. Her sharp eyes scanned the room, pausing for a fraction of a second when they landed on Juliet and Rachel. Her lips curled into a knowing smile, but she said nothing.

Juliet felt her heart drop. This couldn’t be happening. Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be Molly? Molly, the girl they used to torment relentlessly in school. Molly, who they’d spread cruel rumors about just for fun. And now, Molly had all the power. Juliet’s palms felt clammy, and she tightened her grip on her teddy bear, wishing she could disappear into the floor.

“Hi, everyone!” Molly chirped, walking to the front of the room. “I’m Molly, and I’ll be reading to you today.”

Juliet and Rachel exchanged panicked glances. They wanted to run, to hide, to do anything other than sit here and endure this. But the stern daycare staff watching from the corner of the room ensured that escape wasn’t an option. Reluctantly, they stayed put, hoping against hope that Molly wouldn’t recognize them—or, if she did, that she would at least pretend not to.

Molly walked over to the bookshelf and scanned the rows of brightly colored children’s books. She took her time, her fingers brushing over titles like Goodnight Moon and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Finally, she plucked out a book with a smirk. The title read: Naughty Babies Learn to Behave.

“Perfect,” Molly said, her tone dripping with amusement. She turned to face the group and held up the book. “Today, we’re going to read about some very naughty babies and how they learned their lessons.”

Juliet and Rachel’s faces turned crimson. They ducked their heads, staring intently at the floor, but they could feel Molly’s eyes boring into them. The other “babies” in the room seemed oblivious to the tension, giggling and clapping their hands in excitement.

Molly sat down in the oversized reading chair, crossing her legs elegantly as she opened the book. “Once upon a time,” she began, her voice light and sing-song, “there were two very naughty babies who didn’t listen to their grown-ups. They thought they could do whatever they wanted, but soon they learned that being naughty had consequences.”

Her eyes flicked up from the book, landing squarely on Juliet and Rachel. Juliet squirmed under her gaze, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. Rachel, who rarely showed weakness, bit down harder on her pacifier, her knuckles whitening as she gripped her teddy bear.

Molly continued, her tone becoming more exaggerated with each line. “The naughty babies threw tantrums when they didn’t get their way. They refused to share their toys, and they made life hard for everyone around them.” She paused dramatically. “Do you know what happened next?”

The room was silent, save for the crinkling sound of diapers as a few of the “babies” shifted excitedly. Molly leaned forward, her grin widening. “Their grown-ups decided that if they wanted to act like babies, then they would be treated like babies.”

Juliet felt a lump form in her throat. She wanted to scream, to tell Molly to stop, but she knew she couldn’t. Not here. Not like this. She glanced at Rachel, who was now staring at the floor, her cheeks bright red. Molly’s voice seemed to echo in Juliet’s ears, each word driving the knife of humiliation deeper.

“The naughty babies were given diapers to wear,” Molly went on, flipping the page with a theatrical flourish. “They weren’t allowed to use the potty anymore. Instead, they had to learn how to behave like good little babies before they could be big girls again.”

One of the other teens giggled loudly, and Molly smiled sweetly. “Can you imagine how embarrassed they must have been?” she asked, her eyes locking onto Juliet and Rachel. “Sitting there in their soggy diapers, knowing everyone could see what they’d done?”

Juliet clenched her fists. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of Molly.

Rachel, on the other hand, seemed ready to snap. She pulled her pacifier out of her mouth and whispered harshly, “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

Molly’s smile didn’t waver. “Oh, I’m just reading the story, Rachel,” she said, her tone sugary sweet. “Why? Does it sound familiar?”

Rachel’s jaw tightened, but before she could respond, one of the staff members intervened. “Rachel, pacifier back in,” the woman said firmly. “You know the rules.”

Reluctantly, Rachel obeyed, slipping the pacifier back between her lips. Molly smirked, clearly savoring the moment. She turned back to the book and continued reading, her voice dripping with mock innocence.

“As time went on, the naughty babies started to learn their lessons,” Molly said, flipping to the final page. “They realized that being kind and respectful was much better than being mean and selfish. And so, they promised to be good from that day forward.”

She closed the book with a snap and looked up at the group, her eyes twinkling with barely concealed glee. “The end,” she said brightly. “What a nice story, don’t you think?”

The room erupted into applause, but Juliet and Rachel remained silent. They sat frozen, their humiliation complete. Molly stood up, setting the book aside, and walked past them without another word. But as she passed Juliet, she leaned down and whispered just loud enough for her to hear, “Karma’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

Juliet’s face burned hotter than ever, and she bit her lip to keep from crying. She wanted to yell, to fight back, but she knew there was nothing she could do. Molly had all the power now, and she was making sure they knew it.

As the staff began to organize the group for the next activity, Juliet and Rachel exchanged a glance. For the first time, they didn’t see anger or blame in each other’s eyes. Instead, they saw the same thing: dread. If Molly decided to share what she’d seen today, their humiliation would follow them far beyond the walls of this daycare.