"Athena, you're just jealous I found a better man than you did. You've been making snide remarks since you walked in. If you want a sugar daddy so badly, I can set you up—though someone as pathetic as you probably only deserves some old geezer!"
Slap!
The slap I'd been holding back finally landed across her face.
She shrieked in fury. "Athena! What the fuck is wrong with you? Acting all high and mighty? Give you a rich old man and you'd grovel lower than anyone!"
Stunned by my outburst, my classmates crowded around, voices rising in accusation.
"Athena, we were just chatting among classmates. If you didn't want to hear it, you could have just ignored it. But hitting someone? That's way out of line."
"Exactly! We haven't all gotten together in years, and we finally managed to meet up for the holidays. Why do you have to ruin it?"
"Just because your life isn't going well doesn't mean you get to take it out on others. I never knew you were this petty."
"Fiona is Mrs. Rivera now. She's not someone a nobody like you can afford to offend."
Fiona clutched her face, glaring at me with indignation.
"Athena, for the sake of our years as classmates, apologize to me and kowtow three times. Then I might let this go."
I let out a cold laugh. "I will never apologize to a shameless homewrecker who slept her way to the top. You got exactly what you deserved."
Her teeth ground together in fury. "Fine. Want to play tough? Just wait."
She pulled out her phone and dialed. The call connected almost instantly.
She deliberately put it on speaker. A familiar voice came through from the other end.
"What's wrong, baby? Having fun at your reunion?"
"No, I'm not. One of my classmates hit me for no reason and won't even apologize. Wilfred, it hurts so much, and I'm so humiliated..."
"Who has the nerve to bully Wilfred Rivera's woman? Put her on the phone."
The phone was shoved into my hand. Before I could even speak, Wilfred's icy voice cut through.
"I don't care who you are. Apologize to my wife right now, exactly as she demands. Don't say I didn't give you a chance."
My voice trembled with rage. My fingers curled into fists so tight that my nails dug into my palms, sending sharp stabs of pain through my hands.
"And if I don't?"
Wilfred seemed to find my voice familiar, but Fiona's sudden whimpering beside him disrupted his thoughts. His tone turned vicious.