Betrayal in Plain Sight

"Oh my God, Lily’s getting engaged so soon! And we didn’t even know who your boyfriend was. You really do know how to keep a secret!"

“What’s the big deal? Lily’s from a wealthy family. She dresses like us to keep things low-key, but look at her outfit. That’s straight off the Milan runway!”

“Our college sure is something else. We’ve got two rich girls in one class. Lily, you’ve been hiding this whole time. Let us cozy up to you!”

The whole group burst into laughter after that comment, except for one person—Tiana Zeller. Her eyes were practically on fire, glaring at me.

With a snide tone, she spat out, "Rich girl? Who knows where she got all her stuff from? No wonder you’ve been keeping to yourself, Lily. I guess you’ve found your golden ticket, huh?"

Her words were sharp, and the meaning behind them was clear. Everyone in the room noticed, and several people frowned in discomfort. However, Tiana didn’t stop. She just kept going.

“Listen, you might want to think twice before trying to climb the social ladder. People with real money aren’t stupid. We care about family connections. We don’t like gold diggers who’ll do anything to get ahead.

“Besides, it’s not easy being with some rich old guy. They’ve all got wives back home. Being the side chick won’t get you anywhere.”

She might as well have pointed directly at my face as she said it.

One of my friends couldn’t stand it any longer and defended me. "Tiana, why are you being so bitter? When she’s rich, she’s with a sugar daddy, but when you’re rich, it’s different? Hypocrite much?"

Tiana’s face turned red with rage. She clenched her fists, ready to lash out, but I didn’t want to ruin the mood. It was our graduation ceremony, after all, and I didn’t want my drama to make things awkward for everyone.

Hence, I forced a smile and explained, “I’m not with a sugar daddy. My fiancé is just a fellow student…”

Tiana cut me off with an exaggerated laugh, “Oh, bagged yourself a rich heir, did you? Do you even know how that world works? They don’t have girlfriends, only flings.”

“If you don’t know what you’re talking about, don’t make stuff up. You’re the one making baseless accusations. Or maybe it’s because you’ve got your own dirty secrets.”

The atmosphere grew tense. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances until our class president stepped in to diffuse the situation. She took my engagement photo and looked at it admiringly.

“Is this your fiancé? He’s so handsome!”

"Wait a second, isn’t that Matt Thompson, our student council president? You two make such a perfect match!"

The gossip floodgates opened. Everyone crowded around, eager to see the engagement photo. However, Tiana shoved people aside and snatched the photo out of the class president’s hands. The second she looked at it, her face turned pale.

Without warning, she ripped the photo to shreds and threw the pieces on the ground, stomping on them in anger.

Tiana and I had never gotten along. She always flaunted her wealth around campus, while I preferred to stay humble and keep a low profile. People constantly compared the two of us, and she hated it. The fact that she couldn’t outshine me made her spread rumors to drag me down.

I had let it go before for the sake of keeping peace, but bullying me to my face like that? I wasn’t about to stay quiet.

“What’s your problem? If you’re losing your mind, go to a doctor. I’m not a therapist. I can’t help you.”

Tiana, even more furious now, jabbed her finger at me and screamed, “You’re the one with the problem! I’ll tell you what’s going on—that’s my boyfriend!

"So that's who you are—a charity case my boyfriend's been supporting all this time! How dare you flaunt yourself, spending his money like that! You leech! If you don’t shut up, I’ll have you shipped off to a shabby slum where you belong!”