Every time Seth and I went on a date, she tagged along.
I stumbled home and shoved the door open.
The scene on the couch hit me before I could brace for it.
Seth saw it was me and frowned：“You don't know how to knock?”
Leonora scrambled to fix her clothes. Her eyes landed on the handprint across my face, and panic flooded her expression：“Clara, who hit you?”
That show of concern made my stomach turn.
When I didn't answer, her eyes reddened instantly：“Clara, tell me. Who hit you? I'll go and……ah!”
“Leonora! Cut the act!”
I shoved her to the floor, my eyes burning red.
“Clara, what the hell is wrong with you?”
Seth strode forward and pulled Leonora behind him, his face dark as he turned on me：“She was worried about you. What are you doing?”
Leonora was still looking at me：“Clara, what happened? Just tell me, okay? Whoever hit you, I'll make them pay.”
I hurled my phone at her：“Still pretending?”
Leonora saw what was on the screen. Her hands went limp at her sides.
“Clara, it wasn't me! I would never do something like that!”
She came toward me crying, reaching for my arm. I backhanded her across the face.
“I treated you like my best friend. I gave you everything! And you slept with my fiancé and leaked the video of me being assaulted. Leonora, how could you? You……”
“Why should she owe you anything?” Seth cut me off, his expression cold. “You hear a few words from someone and turn on her just like that. Some best friend you are. Besides, hasn't she always been the one who was good to you?”
“On your birthday, she baked you a cake. When you got sick, she carried you to the nurse's office. When people trashed you online, she went after every single one of them. And now you accuse her? Hit her? Are you even human?”
“And besides, weren't they right? Didn't you hand them the condom yourself? Didn't you go along with it willingly?”
My whole body went cold, shaking so hard I couldn't stop.
Seth was using that against me too.
“Seth! How dare you say that to Clara!”
Leonora shoved him away, eyes brimming.
Seth frowned. “She attacked you first. Stop being so forgiving all the time.”
Leonora ignored him and pulled me close.
“Clara, don't listen to him. That wasn't your fault. You were the victim! Those animals are the ones to blame!”
My eyes were red. I said nothing.
Leonora broke into sobs. “Clara, say something. Please. Don't do this.”
She grabbed Seth and pulled him over. “You're the person she cares about most. Say something to her.”
Seth looked at the hollow emptiness in my eyes and realized he'd gone too far.
He reached for me, and pain cracked across his other cheek.
I put everything I had into that slap.
“I don't want to see either of you! Get out! Get out of my sight!”
Seth's face went completely dark：“Clara. Look around. This is my apartment. The one who needs to leave is you.”
I froze. Then I started laughing, tears streaming down my face.
“Fine. I'll go. I'll never set foot in this place again.”
……
Walking down the street in shambles, it finally hit me.
After all these years, after everything, I was still the one left behind. I didn't even have a place to go.
The best friend I thought I had. The fiancé I trusted. All of it was a joke.
I kept walking, numb, with no idea where I was headed.
