Chapter 11
348words
The glossy card featured smiling faces I barely remembered.
The organizers had probably forgotten the girl who transferred mid-sophomore year after being bullied relentlessly.
After some consideration, I decided to attend.
I owed it to my sixteen-year-old self to close this chapter properly.
For the reunion, I chose a sleek black Chanel dress, four-inch Louboutins, flawless makeup, and the Cartier bracelet I'd bought myself after winning my first major case.
When I walked into the hotel ballroom, conversations were in full swing.
A woman near the door froze mid-sentence when she saw me.
"Who's that?" she whispered to her friend.
Before her friend could answer, recognition dawned on someone's face.
"Wait—Evelyn Carter? The famous attorney?"
The room fell silent in rippling waves.
All eyes turned to me.
I smiled slightly, enjoying their shock.
"Yes, it's me. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Former tormentors paled, some immediately finding sudden interest in their drinks.
A woman approached, her smile strained and artificial.
"Evelyn! You look amazing! I hardly recognized you..."
"Really?" I met her gaze steadily. "I remember quite clearly that you called me 'worthless trash' in the comments section of that post."
Her smile died instantly.
I turned to a man hovering nearby.
"You wrote 'kill yourself' on my desk in permanent marker. Senior English, right side of room."
The blood drained from his face.
I moved through the room, naming names and crimes.
"You held the door while Sophia poured ice water over me in the locker room."
"You ripped my calculus homework to shreds before Peterson's class."
"You took that stalker photo of me watching basketball practice and posted it online."
With each precise accusation, another former classmate withered.
Finally, I spotted Lucas Harrison in the corner.
He watched me with dread, clearly expecting me to publicly eviscerate him next.
Instead, I simply smiled.
I raised my champagne glass slightly in his direction. "Lucas, I once thought you were standing in the light while I lived in shadow. Funny how things turn out, isn't it?"
