“Allie! That's your name, isn’t it?”
I froze. She actually knew my name.
“The night you took me to that hotel, I was drunk. But I got one look at your ID, so I remember your name. For three years, not a day, not a night have I forgotten you! Allie, you ruined my life. Why do you get to walk away without paying anything?”
Her cries were so raw that the crowd exploded again.
“And here I was thinking she got the wrong person, turns out the name matches! What else is there to say?”
“You slept with her, just admit it! Don’t act like some delicate maiden!”
“Look at you panicking now. But the night you booked that room, you knew exactly what you were doing!”
I stared straight into her eyes, watching them flicker and dodge.
“If you saw my name, then you should know it well,” I said slowly. “So, write it down. Right here. In front of everyone.”
A bead of sweat slid down her forehead. “Why should I write it when I already told you? You did what you did. Why are you doubting me now?”
“I never said I doubted you,” I replied calmly. “I just want to confirm whether it was really me that night. It’s just a name; it won’t take long. Unless you’re afraid to write it?”
Allie's POV
“It’s still you—”
I leaned in a little closer, lowering my voice. “You actually don’t know how to write my name, do you? So, who exactly was the guy you slept with? Whose ID did you see that night?”
Kiera snapped instantly. “Of course, I know! I just didn’t bring a pen because I rushed out!”
“That’s fine. I have one,” I said. “And I’ve got my ID too. Don’t worry, I’m not afraid of the truth.”
“You— you— you—!” she sputtered, but in the end, she had no choice but to write down my name.
She wrote painfully slowly, like every stroke required deep thought. When she finally finished the last letter, I picked up the paper and took a look. Then I couldn’t help but laugh.
She had written "Ali" while my name was "Allie."
Just two letters different, but enough to tell male and female apart.
She didn’t know I was a woman, so of course she guessed wrong.
I immediately took out my ID and covered everything except the name. “Take a good look. This is my actual name. Miss Hastings, it’s okay to look for someone, but when you rush in blinded by emotion, you only end up hurting yourself.”
The crowd began whispering. People who had yelled at me minutes ago were now wondering if Kiera had accused the wrong person.