3: 3
In my past life, I'd heard these exact same words.
A ringing filled my head.
My legs nearly gave out.
In a daze, I followed the crowd up to the rooftop.
The wind hadn't died down, and rainwater ran down the railing.
The same scene played out in front of me again.
Lorraine Pruitt stood at the edge of the rooftop, her skirt suit crumpled beyond recognition.
She clutched a wad of torn fabric in her hand.
Her eyes locked onto me in the crowd, tears spilling over.
"Willow, look what Ray did!"
Weeping, Lorraine lifted the shredded strips of underwear.
"Willow, I really didn't want to make a big deal out of this."
"But every time I close my eyes, it's all last night."
"I'm so scared! Your brother ruined my life!"
The murmurs around me grew louder.
Plenty of people turned to look at me strangely.
The boss's face was grim.
"Willow, where's your brother?"
I said nothing. I pulled out my phone and called Ray.
"Sis?"
I put it on speaker.
"Where are you?"
"At home."
"Did you go out last night?"
Ray paused, confused.
"No. Didn't I do what you said and stay in my room all night?"
Lorraine's head snapped up.
"You're lying!"
She screamed at the phone through her tears.
"It was you last night! You wore a black jacket, you drove an SUV!"
She sobbed until she could barely breathe.
The boss's brow furrowed.
"Willow, get your brother down here right now."
"This ends today, one way or another!"
Fifteen minutes later.
Ray arrived at the rooftop door.
Facing a Lorraine crying so hard she was almost fainting, he was terrified.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I was in my room playing games all last night."
Lorraine acted as if she'd suffered some unspeakable disgrace, screaming hysterically.
"Liar!"
"It was you last night!"
"You had on a black jacket, you drove an SUV, you said your sister talks tough but she's soft-hearted, that she'd still sent you to come get me, so I got in your car!"
The tears came pouring out again.
"I'm a decent girl. Why would I ruin my own reputation just to frame you?"
The way my coworkers looked at Ray and me turned even more contemptuous.
"Rich kids really are shameless. He does something like this and still denies it to your face without blinking."
"This brazen? His family's company needs a full investigation!"
"This isn't his first time, I'd bet. Animal!"
Ray was frantic.
"It has nothing to do with me!"
"I really was playing games all last night. I have a witness!"
"Don't believe me, ask—"
Before he could finish, Lorraine burst into loud sobs.
"Willow's your sister, of course she's on your side!"
She cried until she could barely catch her breath.
"Wasn't it enough to bully me, to violate me? Now you have to twist it all around and blame me too. Won't you be happy until you've driven me to my death!"
Seeing her like this, the coworkers worked themselves into a frenzy.
"This is too much! Picking on a girl with no one to protect her?"
"Do something awful and then smear the victim? Is there no justice left?"
A few worked-up male coworkers balled their fists and moved to hit Ray.
"Stop wasting words on him. Beat him first and let Lorraine have her justice!"
Just as I moved to stop them, a familiar voice came from behind me.
"Don't touch him!"
I turned and saw my parents hurrying up onto the rooftop.
"There has to be a misunderstanding here!"
"Our Ray is such a good boy. He'd never do something like this!"
The male coworker who wanted to throw a punch sneered.
"You're the rapist's own father. Of course you won't admit it!"
My dad's face went red with panic.
"No. We have a security camera at our front door. One look and you'll know whether my son left the house or not!"
