“What are you talking about?” Trina attempted to laugh it off, but her voice wavered, betraying her mounting fear.
Evan reached out, snatching the handbag from her arm. “This,” he held it up for everyone to see, “is as fake as the person carrying it. And the cash you embezzled, Trina? How do you explain that?”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Faces that had been mocking me moments ago were now watching Trina with a mixture of shock and disbelief. My heart raced, the humiliation of the wine incident temporarily overshadowed by this unexpected turn of events.
Trina spluttered, her carefully constructed facade crumbling. “Evan, I…I can explain—”
“Explain what?” Evan cut her off, his voice booming. “How you stole $200,000 from our joint account? How you’ve been lying to everyone, pretending to live this lavish lifestyle while you’re up to your neck in debt?”
The room was tense, the air thick with anticipation. Trina was cornered, her social empire collapsing around her. Her eyes darted around desperately, and for a brief moment, they met mine. I could see the panic, the pleading for help. But I was done. Done with the shame, the insults, the cruelty that had followed me for so long.
I took a deep breath, still shivering slightly from the cold wine seeping into my dress. Gathering the last vestiges of my composure, I spoke, my voice surprisingly steady. “Trina, for years you made my life miserable. But tonight, you’ve shown everyone your true colors. I think it’s time you faced the consequences of your actions.”
The crowd murmured in agreement, nodding at my words. I could feel the tide turning, support radiating from those around me.
Evan gave a curt nod, acknowledging my words. “It’s over, Trina. You can’t manipulate your way out of this.”
Trina stood there, defeated, eyes brimming with unshed tears. It didn’t bring me joy to see her like this, but a strange sense of closure settled over me. The bully had finally been unmasked.
With a final, dismissive glance, Evan turned on his heel and walked out, leaving Trina standing alone, her world in tatters. The crowd slowly began to disperse, whispers and murmurs filling the space.
I stood silently for a moment, then a gentle hand touched my shoulder. It was one of my old classmates, someone who had been silent before but was now offering a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, Maggie. About everything.”
I nodded, grateful for the support. As I left the venue, the cool night air wrapping around me, I realized that this was the beginning of a new chapter. I could finally leave the Roach Girl behind and step into the life I had built, unburdened by the ghosts of the past.