Twice Betrayed, Once Reborn

Chapter 7: Changing My Fate

“May?” she said too loudly, her voice laced with faux surprise. “Wow, you… changed.”

"Time has a way of changing things," I replied, noting the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. " So did you.” Glancing briefly at her tight-fitting dress.

"Thanks." She replied.

I sat opposite Chloe, with my head's high.

Jane—my personal tormentor from high school, the girl who made my teenage years a daily endurance test—was sitting directly across from me. The same cruel smirk played on her lips, as if no time had passed and I was still the easy target.

“We were just talking about you, May,” Jane said, her tone syrupy-sweet but eyes glinting with mockery.

I raised a brow. “Oh? Hopefully something flattering.”

Jane gave a dramatic laugh, glancing at the others around her. “Well, it’s more… fashion advice. Like how some people show up to reunions wearing knock-off versions of their friend’s earrings.”

My gaze flicked to Chloe—sitting just behind her, arms folded, lips curved in a smug little smile.

“You’re really something,” Jane continued, her voice loud enough for the nearby crowd to hear. “Wearing the exact same earrings as Chloe? Can’t you be original for once in your life?”

The air turned thick with unspoken laughter and silent judgment. I felt their eyes on me—waiting for me to shrink.

But not this time.

I stood up, took a slow step forward, letting the light catch the glint of the earrings as I tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Oh, I am being original,” I said with a calm smile. “Chloe gave me a fake pair—these are the real ones. From the Paris boutique she name-dropped like a badge of honor.”

Chloe’s smirk wavered.

“Maybe she didn’t expect I’d check with the boutique owner. Turns out,” I paused, letting the silence build, “they only sold one authentic pair this season.”

A gasp rippled through the group.

I looked at Chloe. “So unless the boutique is lying, I guess you’ve been flaunting a counterfeit.”

Chloe flushed, red blooming high on her cheeks. “That’s ridiculous—”

“Is it?” I tilted my head. “Would you like me to show the certificate of authenticity?”

The silence around us stretched. Jane blinked, clearly scrambling for something to say.

Chloe bristled. “Still bitter, huh? I guess some people just never move on.”

“Or maybe some people never stop lying,” I chimed in, folding my arms.

“What are you talking about?” Chloe snapped.

I reached into my purse and pulled out the fake earrings.

Chloe froze.

“These are real,” I continued. “Yours were fakes.”

A murmur passed through the surrounding crowd.

“I just thought it was time the truth sparkled as much as your lies,” I said calmly, slipping the earrings on the table, for all to see.

Chloe's eyes flicked from me to the onlookers. Her lips parted, but no words came.

I leaned in, whispering, “Guess karma does wear designer now.”

A few girls gasped. One even giggled.

It was a small victory, but it felt seismic.

Back then, they never believed me. None of them did. Chloe could’ve told them the sky was green, and they’d call it gospel. I remembered the cold tiles under my feet, the echo of taunts bouncing off the restroom walls as they cornered me. No truth I told mattered—because Chloe’s lies were prettier.

But I wasn’t that girl anymore.

I slipped into the restroom, needing a breather. Away from the restaurants lights, the fake smiles—it was all getting too much. That’s when I heard them.

“Can you believe May’s audacity?” Jane's voice, sharp and judgmental, cut through the air.

“She’s always been jealous of Chloe,” Karen chimed in. “She took her boyfriend in high school, her job, and now Daniel too. Isn't he head of corporate strategy now? Chloe said they were getting close again.”

“She’s pathetic,” Jane scoffed. “I saw her heading in here.”

Then came the stomping.

Jane began kicking open stall doors one by one, her heels clicking like a war drum. “May?” she called mockingly. “Come on out, don’t be shy. We’re all dying to hear your side of the story.”

I waited until she was two stalls away, then calmly pushed open the door and stepped out.

“It's funny,” I said, making direct eye contact, “I was just thinking the about the same thing.”

They froze. Jane’s mouth opened, then closed, like she hadn’t prepared for this version of me.

“Let’s clear a few things up,” I said, folding my arms. “I didn’t take anyone’s job. I earned my position. Chloe needed a recommendation—mine, in fact.”

Karen blinked. “And Daniel?”

“Was never Chloe’s to begin with,” I said coolly. “And as for Frank…he never dated her either.”

“You’re a liar, May,” Jane snapped, her voice rising with old bitterness.

I met her gaze, steady. “You never believed me,” I said calmly. “Not now. Not back then. But maybe it’s time we stop spinning stories behind closed doors.”

I stepped closer, watching her flinch ever so slightly.

“How about we go ask her about it?” I said, my voice cold but steady.

And with that, I turned on my heel and walked out of the restroom, each step fueled by the years I’d been forced to stay silent. I wasn’t just leaving the stall—I was walking out of a shadow they had kept me in for far too long.

Every eye in the hallway seemed to follow me, but for once, I didn’t shrink under the weight of them. I wasn’t afraid of the truth anymore. And I was done letting other people tell my story.

"Chloe, let's set things right." I made my way into the room, voice clear, eyes locked on hers. "Tell everyone the truth—the truth you've kept buried for years while painting me black to keep your own image spotless."

She blinked, lips parting slightly, but no words came out.

"You told them I stole Frank from you. Lied about the earrings. Made it seem like I clawed my way into a position I earned with everything I had." I turned slightly to the crowd gathering around us. “But the truth is, Chloe was never the victim. She was the artist behind every rumor, every whispered insult, every door that closed on me.”

"May, this isn't the time or place—" she started, her tone dripping fake concern.

“No?” I cut in, stepping closer. “Because it was the perfect time when you lied. When you laughed while they tore me down. When you gave me fake earrings and told everyone they were real, just to humiliate me.”

A gasp ran through the crowd.

“If you won’t speak the truth, I will,” I said. “You and Frank were never a couple. He never chose you. And Daniel? You can stop pretending you ever had his heart. You didn’t lose him to me—you never had him.”

Chloe’s face paled, panic flickering behind her eyes. She looked around, searching for someone to rescue her, but no one stepped forward.

Then, as if fate decided to back me up, Frank’s voice broke the silence.

“May’s telling the truth,” he said, stepping into view. “Chloe and I were never a thing. We never dated. Not in high school. Not ever. She made it up. All of it.”