Suddenly Sophie popped out from behind me. She feigned an innocent smile on her face as she said, "Hey, what's going on? You're scaring my brother's sweetheart!"
“Vanessa, I’m extremely sorry for their behaviour. They are just drunk, and no one can understand better than you how people behave after being drunk.”
She added, her voice laced with sarcasm, only to humiliate me even more as the crowd erupted with the laughter.
“Yeah, no one can understand it better than Nolan's wife. She is the clear example of why one should not drink in public if you can't take it.” I heard someone yelling this from behind.
“Don't mind them, Vanessa.” Sophie said before she dragged me to the center of the room, the light from above making me feel even more exposed.
I glanced at Nolan, who was sitting in the corner, shaking his wine glass lazily and watching the scene unfold without intervening.
Our eyes met, and he smiled warmly, just like he used to. It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had ruined my reputation.
A glass of wine was thrust in front of me, blocking my view of Nolan. Sophie's smile was starting to unnerve me.
"Vanessa, I'm really sorry about what happened last week. Had I not requested you to drink wine, you might not ended up drinking so much alcohol and causing a scene in the party that ruined your as well as my brother's reputation.”
She handed me her phone, showing me the photos that had been circulating online. "And about these photos...?"
She looked at me with feigned concern. "Is this really you? If it is, who took these photos? You wouldn't...be cheating on my brother, would you?"
“Everyone, please don't believe Vanessa's pictures you have downloaded from the internet. It must be edited. You know the kind of pictures in which they edit the face of someone with another's body?” Sophie announced, looking at the crowd.
“The girl laying naked in that picture had a mole on her right thigh. How about you remove Vanessa’s skirt and let us see?” One of them shouted from the crowd.
“Vanessa, it's a good idea! This way we can prove the woman in that picture is not you, and you have not cheated on my brother.” Sophie said excitedly, “How about you take your clothes off and let us see?”
I felt a shiver run down my spine with their humiliating words. I turned to Nolan, hoping he would stop everything. But, he remained calm on his seat, grinning as his friends continued insulting me.
“Nolan…” I whispered, my voice hoarse, “Aren't you going to do anything?”
Nolan got up from his seat and walked up to me. I took a sigh of relief, hoping he would at least not let me be humiliated in front of his eyes.
However, all my hope shattered with his remarks when he said in a calm voice, “Sophie is only trying to help you, Vanessa. If you let them see your thighs, they won't talk bad about you.”
My legs trembled as I watched Nolan in terror.
My boyfriend, whom I had entrusted my life to, was asking me to undress myself in front of his friends.
Just how embarrassing it could be for me?
I remained still at my place, staring at Nolan in a daze. Meanwhile, Sophie glanced at Nolan and then at the crowd as she continued,
“It seems like Vanessa is afraid of something, or maybe I’m wrong. She is just shy, right Vanessa?”
“Or else why would you refuse to clear your image?” She added, her voice sarcastic.
“It's because she is guilty!” Someone yelled, “She got laid with someone else. She cheated on Nolan, and is now afraid of being called out. That's why she is not undressing herself.”
“It's okay if Vanessa doesn't want to show her thighs to us. My brother definitely believes her. Please, don’t force her.” Sophie remarked.
I did not feel like I could stay a little longer on my legs. So, I turned to Nolan and said, my voice indifferent, “I want to go home. I’m tired, Nolan.”
Before Nolan could respond, Sophie jumped in our conversation and said, “How can you leave Vanessa? The party has just started and you haven't taken anything yet.”
As if I cared!
I scanned the hall through my eyes and realized there wasn't anything available other than several kinds of drinks.
“Come on, have a drink, Vanessa, and let's forget about it!" Sophie pouted before she pushed the wine glass towards me again. "We can't let you leave hungry or thirsty."
Nolan intervened, his voice smooth. "You drink it, Vanessa. With this drink, let's forget everything that happened in the past."
I felt a surge of anger at his words. It was laughable that he thought I would believe everything he says.
I took the wine glass, my eyes locked on Nolan's. "If I drink this, can I leave?"
Nolan hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, you can leave after you drink it."
The wine burned my throat as I downed it in one gulp. I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me as I stood up to leave.
This time, no one stopped me.
As I reached for the door handle, my body suddenly gave out, and I slumped to the ground. The room erupted in cheers and laughter, and I was surrounded by the jeering crowd.
My vision blurred, and I couldn't breathe. I looked up at Nolan, who was calmly serving wine to Sophie.
"Did you...did you drug me?" I stuttered.
The man who had grabbed my wrist earlier sneered at me, blowing smoke in my face. "This is called water of shame, sweetheart.”
“You'll do whatever we say after drinking it. We are going to make you kneel before Nolan and accept that you are a b*tch who slept with another guy, cheating over our friend, Nolan."
Before I could turn to leave, someone hit me on my knees and made me fall in front of Nolan.
“Where are you running, bitch? Now you have to accept it with your own mouth that you cheated on Nolan but he is kind enough to forget the past for the sake of his love for you.”
