The crowd held its breath, waiting for me to respond, all eyes burning into me. I had to stay strong. “You think Darren cares about you, Amber? He’s been using you. You’re just a pawn in his game.”
“Don’t you dare talk about Darren like that!” she hissed. “He loves me, and I’m going to be his wife! You have no place here.”
The crowd fell silent for a moment. Then, Amber’s eyes flicked to the car, and a wicked grin spread across her face. “That’s Darren’s car, right? You think you can show up here, driving his car? Trying to act like you’ve got it all?” she mocked.
Before I could respond, Amber bent down, grabbed a jagged stone from the ground, and dragged it across the side of my car. The screech of stone on metal made my stomach twist.
I stared at the deep scratches carved into the paint, my heart sinking. “You’ll regret this, Amber.”
But…
Amber wasn’t done! Fueled by anger, she picked up another stone and threw it at the windshield with all her might. The glass shattered instantly, spiderweb cracks spreading across it. She didn’t stop. Grabbing another stone, she smashed the headlights, the mirrors, and the hood. Her rage was completely out of control.
“You don’t deserve anything nice!” she screamed.
The crowd, hyped up by Amber’s destruction, joined in. People grabbed anything they could—stones, sticks, even their shoes—and began tearing into my car. I just stood there, watching, as my once-beautiful luxury car was reduced to nothing.
“Isn’t this just perfect?” someone from the crowd shouted. “Elliana’s been pretending to be something she’s not, and now she’s getting what she deserves!”
I stood tall, refusing to let them see how much this was breaking me. Their insults stung, but nothing compared to the betrayal that still burned inside me.
Then, one of the onlookers pried open the trunk, their voice rising with excitement. “Hey, look what’s inside! She’s got designer bags and shoes in here!”
Amber’s eyes lit up as she stepped forward, her cruel smile growing. She pulled out a limited-edition handbag, the fine stitching and craftsmanship unmistakable. She held it up for everyone to see.
“Elliana,” she sneered, “a woman like you owning something this exclusive? You’re a joke!”
I met her gaze without flinching. “Those items are worth more than you could ever imagine,” I said, calm despite everything. “You don’t know what you’re messing with.”