How scared she must have been when it happened. I didn't need to imagine. I already knew.
My eyes burned red.
"Did your son do this, or did you tell him to?"
Maria showed no trace of guilt.
"Does it matter? Compared to the filthy things you've done, this is nothing. I could've had Owen beat her to death, and it would've been a mercy that I didn't."
I lost it. My foot slammed into her stomach.
Years of taekwondo behind that kick sent her flying back two or three yards. I heard something crack. A rib, at least one.
But even that was nothing compared to what Carly had suffered.
Maria sat on the ground, stunned and furious, jabbing a finger at me as she screamed.
"You trashy little bitch! You dare kick me?!"
The pack of sycophant parents finally saw their chance to perform. They rushed me and grabbed me by the hair.
"You've got some nerve! You think you can put your hands on Mrs. Perez?!"
"A homewrecker, and she has the gall to hit the real wife? Your daughter deserved everything she got. That's what happens when your mother is trash like you."
Even Teacher Lane came over and spat in my face.
"You don't know your place. Today everyone's going to teach you some manners."
Carly saw them swarming me and threw herself forward, crying, trying to pull me free. Owen came running out of nowhere, grabbed her by the braid, and yanked her to the ground.
Even then, she struggled to get back up, trying to shield me.
Ursula Lane watched the whole thing. She took Owen's hand, her voice dripping with flattery.
"Owen, sweetheart, just stand to the side. This sort of thing isn't for a child to handle. But you were very brave. A real little hero."
Owen puffed up at the praise, lifting his chin with a smug grin.
"She made my mommy upset. My only regret is that I just made Carly drink boiling water. I should've poured glue down her throat so she'd never talk again!"
I was pinned to the ground, covered in dirt, but none of it compared to the fury tearing through me.
"Every single one of you will pay for this!"
The crowd laughed. Sneers all around.
"Still running your mouth? Even now? Are you delusional?"
"Mrs. Perez is the wife of the CEO at the International Tower. If she said that, we'd believe it."
"Is that lying mouth how you wormed your way into Mr. Perez's bed?"