People at nearby booths stared openly now. I could feel the heat of their stares folding into the air, pricking like a hundred small needles. Heat rose in my chest—anger, fear, humiliation. My body wanted to deny everything, to hurl back the same accusation at her: liar. Scam. Drama-seeker. But part of me, stupid and stupidly loving, clung to Mark’s face searching for truth.
“Show me something,” Mark said finally, voice controlled. “Show me a date. Show me—anything. I’ve been on jobs across three counties the last months. I have crew logs, photos, schedules. I don’t know who convinced you of this, but it isn’t me.”
Tessa’s hands trembled as she scrolled through some photographs on her phone, tears making the screen blur. “You were there—the festival,” she said. “On June third. You said y
