Naomi appeared in the doorway, luminous in a silver silk dress, and looking like the picture of innocence. “Come with us, Cass,” she said sweetly. “Everyone’s forgiven you. It’ll be good for you to see people again.”
Forgiven me. Like I did something wrong in the first place. I didn’t need their forgiveness, they could take it all and shove it down their throats.
And as much as I didn’t want to attend this party, I knew that I had to. I couldn’t let them think I was hiding. If Naomi and Isaac could show their faces even after everything they had done, then I could too.
By the time we arrived, the ballroom glittered with champagne and diamonds. Conversations dropped to murmurs as I walked in behind my husband and my best friend whose hands were entangled like they were a couple. I could feel every stare and every whisper as I walked.
“That’s her, the one who—”
“She actually came?”
“Her poor husband, still standing by her…”
I kept my chin high. I couldn’t let them make me fall.
Naomi glided through the crowd, smiling and collecting sympathy like pearls. When she dragged me over to introduce me to a group of women, she said lightly, “Cassandra’s still adjusting to freedom. You know how hard it must be to start over.”
Laughter followed. I felt my nails cut into my palms. Isaac stood beside her with an expression unreadable, offering me nothing.
One of the women lifted a finger. “Tell me, Cassandra, what was it like in there? It must feel like a breath of fresh air now that you’re not locked up anymore.”
Before I could say anything, Naomi giggled and answered. “Oh do you even have to ask? Look at her! Even though she’s draped in a dress that cost thousands, she still looks like a prisoner!”
The chandelier lights blurred as the entire room laughed. I couldn’t take it anymore, I muttered something about needing air and pushed my way to the restroom.
A lone tear slipped down my cheeks just as I pushed the bathroom door open. It was silent, and the only thing I could hear was the hum of the vents and my own ragged breathing. I gripped the marble sink until my reflection wasn’t blurry anymore. I wouldn’t cry. Not here.
A janitor came out of one of the stalls, reeking of urine. “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to ask you to use one of the bathrooms downstairs. This bathroom is out of order. The pipes are clogged and everything that’s been flushed is coming back up.”