Thanks to the class monitor’s organization, I decided to attend our high school reunion. It had been years since I saw many of these familiar faces, and just as I was reminiscing and catching up with old friends, the atmosphere shattered.
The doors burst open, and stormed Inez Hoover—rumored to be engaged to a wealthy heir—followed by a small entourage. Without a word of warning, she marched up to me and slapped me across the face in front of everyone.
"Lindsay, you bitch! How dare you seduce my fiancé?!"
Stunned, I instinctively took a step back, my hand flying to my cheek. “Are you insane? I don’t even know who your fiancé is.”
“You dare do it but won’t admit it? Fine! I’ll make sure you die knowing! My fiancé is Patrick Patton!” she snarled.
I blinked in disbelief. Patrick?
The same man who grovelled before me, clinging to his connection with my mother’s family for favors? The one who followed me around like a puppy?
That man... was her fiancé?
How ironic.
That slap you threw, Inez? You didn’t just ruin your fantasy of marrying rich. You just dragged the whole "wealthy family" down with you.
——
“You finally realize your guilt, don’t you?” she sneered as I stood there, silent. “Too late for regrets!”
She turned to her lackeys. “Teach this vixen a lesson. I’ll take full responsibility. Let her see what happens when she dares steal someone else’s man!”
The group lunged forward. One yanked my hair, dragging me to the ground. A kick landed hard on my stomach, followed by punches. I curled into myself, shielding my head and torso, every blow leaving me breathless.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Only then did the others in the room come to their senses. The class monitor rushed over, trying to separate us.
“Inez, this must be a misunderstanding,” he pleaded. “We’re all classmates here. Let’s talk it out. There’s no need for violence.”
“Yeah, it’s a reunion, not a brawl. What’s so serious that it has to come to this?” others added, stepping in to deescalate.
Back in high school, I had good relationships with nearly everyone. Inez, on the other hand, always looked down on the rest of us, thinking her beauty made her untouchable. So now, when things turned ugly, the room naturally leaned in my favor.
“Huh? You’re actually defending this homewrecker?”
Jealousy flickered in Inez’s eyes. She let out a bitter laugh before tossing a stack of photos onto the table.
“Don’t be fooled just because we’re classmates. Some people specialize in playing innocent while scheming behind everyone’s backs. You think I came here without proof? Look at these. This is the vixen you’re all protecting—cozying up to my fiancé!”
In the photos, Patrick was holding an umbrella for me, opening the car door with a smile, even picking out food for me during dinner. From the angles, someone had clearly been following and photographing us secretly.
I remembered that night. I had tossed the food he offered straight into the trash—but of course, that moment wasn’t included.
Looking at those photos, I could feel the doubt spreading in the room. Even I would question my own intentions if I were seeing these for the first time.
“Still going to make excuses for her?”
Inez’s voice dripped with venom as she scanned the crowd, watching the shift in their expressions.
