Gwen Hollow will do absolutely everything Iris Catton tells her to.

When Gwen arrives at Oxford friendless and alone, she's desperate to try and make a friend. At least one. She doesn't expect for fate to work in her favor when she's wandering around alone, finding a very drunk Iris alone and on the verge of passing out. Playing the role of the dutiful hero, Gwen takes her back to her dorm and nurses her back to health. From there, the two of them are inseparable. Gwen is initiated into Iris' tightknit circle of ruthless and powerful girls, becoming one of them overnight. But Iris keeps her just a little closer than the others. Gwen does whatever Iris wants, determined to pay her back for the gracious gift of power and love. She eats that love from the palm of Iris' hand, falling for the mysterious and at times cruel blonde. 

No one knows the true Iris Catton, just the persona she presents to the world around her. She and her brother, Felix, have that in common. Fraternal twins, the both of them were beautiful and popular and had just about everyone worshipping the ground they walked on. They were loved by everyone but known by no one. Gwen was sure that she was close to figuring out the mystery behind Iris Catton though, the obsession with her best friend consuming her very being. She had to be around her constantly, even going as far as sleeping in the same dorm as her. Most saw their relationship as strange, but Iris loved the attention Gwen showered upon her, the unconditional adoration Gwen gave her. The two of them were happy in their own little twisted world.

If Iris asked Gwen to rip her heart out of her chest and hand it to her, Gwen would do it.

So when summer comes around, Iris decides to bring Gwen with her to Saltburn. She wants to show off her new and shiny toy to her family. Apparently, Felix has the same idea - bringing Oliver Quick, a complete nobody, with them. There's plenty of room inside the large castle for them and yet, everything feels suffocatingly small. 

Gwen knows two things the moment she steps foot inside the castle. One: she's an outsider, no matter how hard she pretends. And two: there's something wrong with Oliver. There's a look in his eyes, a glimmer of darkness behind his soft and clueless facade, that reminds Gwen so much of herself and it makes her blood run cold. If she's going to survive this summer and win Iris' heart once and for all, she'll just have to outsmart Oliver in order to win.

But in this wicked game, there are no real winners.

Emma Corrin ✷ Gwendolyn 'Gwen' Hollow

Hannah Dodd ✷ Iris Catton

medalion rahimi dana bahrami / luca hollestelle virginia dreyfus / zoe kravitz buffy walton / tom blyth william booth / millie brady zoey clermont

final notes...

✷ iris and gwen are the absolute worst for each other, iris has the personality traits of a literal cult leader and gwen has a shopping cart full of issues

✷ but this is supposed to be toxic and dark (hello have you watched the movie?)

✷ gwen and oliver are going to hate each other so much. they're different but they are also so alike that it's kind of scary

✷ iris hating her family but being very close with her siblings. she competes with felix all the time but she still loves him in her own twisted way 😭

✷ gwen is down so bad for iris it's kind of pathetic but iris loves her too... again in her own twisted way

✷ this story belongs to me and only me so please do not steal and plagiarize it or else i'll be very pissed but also very sad, so just be kind please.

✷ this story contains mentions of sexual content (there's not gonna be any smut whatsoever but it will be mentioned), violence, murder, self harm, alcohol, drugs, suicide ideation, eating disorders, shitty rich people, etc.