I watched Elsa in silence, curious to see what she would say next.
She put on a troubled expression and hesitated for a long time before finally speaking in a voice full of grievance as if she were being forced into a corner.
Yet her voice was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. "This gown is one of only two in the world. One was kept by Debbie herself, and the other was purchased by a mysterious buyer."
I raised an eyebrow, signaling for her to continue.
"Jane, ever since you got married, you've been a housewife. How could you possibly know any mysterious buyers?"
She turned to the crowd as if explaining on my behalf, her tone gentle and understanding. "Don't blame Jane, everyone. She didn't know. It wasn't intentional. She didn't mean to wear a fake."
On the surface, she acted like she was defending me. But in reality, she was repeating the accusation over and over again, making sure everyone believed I was wearing a fake.
I remained calm, letting her little performance draw in more spectators.
When the crowd had fully gathered around us, I finally spoke, my voice even. "Just because you wear fakes doesn't mean everyone else does."
I took a step forward, and Elsa instinctively stepped back. "Jane, what are you talking about? I don't understand."
She lifted her chin stubbornly, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm only trying to remind you. I don't want people to misunderstand you. Why are you trying to slander me?"
The moment her words fell, voices of protest rose in her defense. "She's standing up for you, and you're slandering her?"
"This is a limited edition gown. If you just admit you didn't know, people would understand. I mean, staying home for too long can make you out of touch with the real world."
"Why turn it around on her?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Revenge is best served cold