My Enemy Comes to My Engagement

The crystal chandelier's light flashed and made my eyes ache. Today is my engagement party. I'm wearing a custom-made white gown, clutching a champagne glass so tightly my knuckles are white. When Ethan Geller came over, I thought he was going to take me to meet the elders. But there was a woman by his side, wearing a pink dress, smiling with a sweetness that felt like pure honey. When I saw her face clearly, I nearly dropped the glass in my hand. It was Shirley Sue. The girl who tormented me relentlessly for three years in high school. Ethan held Shirley's hand, his voice soft enough to drip like water. "Jane, let me introduce you. This is Shirley Sue, the sister I've been searching for all these years." My ears buzzed as if countless bees were swarming inside them. Back in high school, Ethan Geller clearly witnessed Shirley Sue bullying me. He saw Shirley pour boiling water on my arm; that patch of skin still bears a faint brown scar. He saw Shirley hide thumbtacks under my desk, and when I stepped on them, blood stained my white canvas shoes. He even saw Shirley force me to strip for photos—those pictures clung to me like venomous snakes for years. Shirley stepped forward, her eyes red and brimming with hurt. "Jane Sinclair, I'm sorry. I was so immature back in high school. Can you forgive me?" Her voice was soft, almost like she was coaxing. Ethan Geller's mother came over and gently took my hand. "Jane, let's just leave the past behind. Shirley's been through a lot; she just came back. Please don't upset her." The other relatives nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we're all family now. There's no grudge that can't be healed." "Ethan cares about you deeply; you have to understand what he's been through too." I felt a cold shiver run through me, like I'd fallen into an ice cellar. Ethan Geller is my fiancé, and he knows exactly what Shirley Sue did to me. Yet now he's siding with Shirley Sue, expecting me to forgive the demon who ruined half my life. The feeling of betrayal crashed over me like a tidal wave, almost leaving me breathless. I forced a smile and said to Ethan, "I'm going to the restroom to touch up my makeup." Before he could answer, I turned and walked away. My heels clicked sharply on the marble floor, every step like walking on the edge of a blade. As I reached the banquet hall doorway, I glanced back. Ethan Geller was gently fixing Shirley Sue's hair; she smiled smugly, but her eyes flicked toward me, full of provocation. I took a deep breath, my nails digging sharply into my palm. From today on, I won't hold back anymore. All the pain I endured, all the tears I shed—I will take it all back, bit by bit.