I clenched my jaw, trying to stay calm. There was no way I was going to let Amber win this. No way I was going to let her control this moment.
But before I could say anything, Amber sneered and pointed at me. “Oh, look at you, still pretending to be innocent. You’re not fooling anyone. You’ve been hanging around my fiancé for months, acting all high and mighty, but now the truth is out!”
The crowd held its breath, waiting for me to respond, all eyes burning into me. I had to stay strong. “You think Darren cares about you, Amber? He’s been using you. You’re just a pawn in his game.”
“Don’t you dare talk about Darren like that!” she hissed. “He loves me, and I’m going to be his wife! You have no place here.”
The crowd fell silent for a moment. Then, Amber’s eyes flicked to the car, and a wicked grin spread across her face. “That’s Darren’s car, right? You think you can show up here, driving his car? Trying to act like you’ve got it all?” she mocked.
Before I could respond, Amber bent down, grabbed a jagged stone from the ground, and dragged it across the side of my car. The screech of stone on metal made my stomach twist.
I stared at the deep scratches carved into the paint, my heart sinking. “You’ll regret this, Amber.”
But…
Amber wasn’t done! Fueled by anger, she picked up another stone and threw it at the windshield with all her might. The glass shattered instantly, spiderweb cracks spreading across it. She didn’t stop. Grabbing another stone, she smashed the headlights, the mirrors, and the hood. Her rage was completely out of control.
“You don’t deserve anything nice!” she screamed.
The crowd, hyped up by Amber’s destruction, joined in. People grabbed anything they could—stones, sticks, even their shoes—and began tearing into my car. I just stood there, watching, as my once-beautiful luxury car was reduced to nothing.
“Isn’t this just perfect?” someone from the crowd shouted. “Elliana’s been pretending to be something she’s not, and now she’s getting what she deserves!”
I stood tall, refusing to let them see how much this was breaking me. Their insults stung, but nothing compared to the betrayal that still burned inside me.
Then, one of the onlookers pried open the trunk, their voice rising with excitement. “Hey, look what’s inside! She’s got designer bags and shoes in here!”
Amber’s eyes lit up as she stepped forward, her cruel smile growing. She pulled out a limited-edition handbag, the fine stitching and craftsmanship unmistakable. She held it up for everyone to see.
“Elliana,” she sneered, “a woman like you owning something this exclusive? You’re a joke!”
I met her gaze without flinching. “Those items are worth more than you could ever imagine,” I said, calm despite everything. “You don’t know what you’re messing with.”
Amber laughed bitterly. “Oh, I know exactly what I’m doing.” With that, she tossed the bag to the ground and stomped on it, grinding her heel into the delicate leather.
She grabbed another item—a pair of limited-edition heels—and waved them in the air. “These? From Darren, right?” she demanded. “You think you can take what’s mine?”
Before I could even respond, she threw the shoes to the ground and smashed them with a nearby rock.
“Everything in here probably came from my fiancé,” Amber spat. “And since it’s technically mine, I have every right to destroy it. I absolutely HATE mistresses!”
The crowd cheered her on as she wrecked my belongings—bags were slashed open, heels snapped in half, and people joined in, tearing and stomping on whatever they could grab.
“You should’ve stayed away from Darren!” Amber screamed, throwing a pair of broken shoes at my feet. “You’ve been nothing but a parasite, clinging to him for money and gifts!”
I clenched my fists, holding back the tears that were threatening to spill. “You’re wrong about everything,” I said quietly, but firmly. “And when the truth comes out, you’ll regret all of this.”
Amber’s face twisted in fury. “The truth?” she mocked. “The only truth here is that you’re a shameless homewrecker!”
I reached for my phone to call the police, but Amber lunged at me, snatching it from my hand. With a smirk, she threw it to the ground and stomped on it, smashing it into pieces.
“You think you can call the cops after what you’ve done?” she yelled. “You don’t get to play the victim!”
Then her eyes landed on the bracelet I was wearing—a delicate piece with a shimmering gemstone. Her expression darkened. “That bracelet. Did you get that with my fiancé’s money too?”
Before I could react, she yanked it off my wrist, leaving me gasping!
“Give it back!” I shouted, reaching for it.
Amber smirked, dangling the bracelet between her fingers. The delicate chain shimmered in the sunlight, but in her grasp, it felt tainted—like everything else she touched. “This?” she mocked, her tone dripping with cruelty. “You should’ve stayed in your place, Elliana. You never belonged in Darren’s world.”
My chest tightened, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Amber, please. That’s not just a bracelet. It belonged to my mom. It’s all I have left of her.”
Amber’s grin widened as if my pain was her fuel. “Oh, save it. You didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings when you went after Darren. Now you want sympathy?” She lifted the bracelet higher, taunting me like a cat playing with its prey.
