Her old classmates surrounded her.
“Isabella, you kept this too well hidden! Only today do we find out your husband is the richest man in Bayshore City!”
“Right? You really have talent, to marry such an extraordinary man. Being your classmate is the luckiest thing in my life!”
“Isabella, you’re about to be the billionaire’s wife now. Don’t forget your old classmates!”
Even our old homeroom teacher, Mr. Johnson, spoke with flattery:
“Isabella, do you know why I never criticized you back then, even when your grades were poor and you didn’t study? Because I knew you were destined for greatness.”
Basked in all this praise, Isabella’s smile grew wider, her eyes full of pride.
But the moment I appeared, the same classmates who had just been fawning over her immediately frowned, glaring at me with disdain.
“Hey, isn’t that the thief who stole Isabella’s bracelet back in high school? I’m sure she wasn’t invited. What are you doing here?”
“What else? She must be starving and came to freeload because Isabella’s marrying a billionaire!”
“What bad luck! On such a happy day, this piece of trash shows up!”
“Everyone, keep an eye on your things, or this lowly thief will snatch them again!”
Just like in high school, they mocked and humiliated me without restraint.
Only Mr. Johnson avoided my gaze.
The bracelet they mentioned had been a birthday gift from my father during my freshman year.
At that time, Isabella and I were roommates. She thought it was pretty and begged me to let her wear it. After I lent it to her, she refused to give it back.
I asked her several times, but she kept brushing me off.
One day, when she took it off to shower and left it on the table, I simply retrieved it myself.
But when she came out, she immediately cried and accused me of stealing it.
Later, Mr. Johnson investigated and told me Isabella’s family was poor and she might never get to wear something that nice in her lifetime. He asked me not to hold it against her.
Out of respect for him, I let her keep the bracelet.
But instead of being grateful, she spread the rumor everywhere that I was a thief, and I was ostracized for three whole years.
Now, facing my classmates’ familiar ridicule, Isabella once again pretended to smooth things over:
“Oh, that incident back then—Claire didn’t mean it. I’ve long since let it go.”
Then she turned to me with a proud and mocking smile: