He Was Right
523 Words
Tiffany Vance reclined in a plush leather chair at the city’s most exclusive med-spa, her eyes glued to her phone. The manicurist was carefully applying a second coat of "Dusty Rose" polish.
"Ugh!" Tiffany gasped, jolting upright so suddenly she nearly knocked over the bottle of topcoat. A streak of wet red polish smeared across her cuticle.
The manicurist’s hands began to shake, her head ducked in silent terror.
"Well? Don't just sit there," Tiffany snapped, her voice dripping with casual malice. "You think I want this disaster on my hand?".
"I'm so sorry, Miss Vance... so sorry..." the girl stammered. She was used to Tiffany’s "Princess" tantrums, but the pay from the Vance family kept her silent.
Surprisingly, Tiffany was lenient today. "Whatever. Just fix it. I'm in a good mood". She narrowed her eyes, admiring the digital wildfire she had ignited.
The hashtag #TheSacrificialBrideAssaultsSister was sitting at the very top of the trending charts like a crown. She clicked on the video—her masterpiece of malicious editing. The clip of Chloe’s slap was slowed down, accompanied by a sound effect that made Tiffany’s stumble look like a tragic, graceful fall.
"Miss, look at this..." an assistant whispered, tentatively handing over a cup of coffee.
"Shh," Tiffany held up her freshly painted nails, scrolling through the tidal wave of vitriol directed at Chloe. Every refresh brought new curses. She took a deep breath of the rose-scented air and smiled. The slap she’d taken at the cathedral was being repaid a thousand times over.
She quickly drafted a "sweet" update, playing the victim perfectly: “Thanks for the love, everyone! My sister just has a bit of a temper since no one raised her (crying emoji). The wedding drama is over! Look out for my next vlog—it’s a charity collab with Sterling Corp! (heart emoji)”.
She made sure to tag the Sterling Corporation’s official handle. The comments flooded in: "Tiffany is too good for this world," and "Silas needs to divorce that psycho and marry Tiffany!".
Her triumph was cut short when her assistant coughed nervously. "Miss... look".
A new headline had just air-dropped into the top spot: #ThorneEmpireBacksChloeVance.
Julian Thorne had used his primary corporate account to retweet the original video with a single sentence: “The truth is usually found in what was edited out.”.
The internet imploded. Julian wasn't just commenting; he was releasing the unedited security footage. The new clip showed Tiffany lunging at Chloe with a weapon, her face twisted in a murderous snarl.
The narrative shifted instantly. The hate for Chloe turned into wild speculation about her relationship with Julian. Julian’s latest post was a direct threat: “Anyone responsible for malicious editing better pray I don’t find them.”.
In a side wing of the Sterling Estate, Chloe gripped her tablet, her eyes stinging. Julian was throwing the entire weight of his empire behind her. He was her shield.
"Julian..." she whispered the name like a lifeline. He was right. Even when the rest of the world proved unworthy of her trust, she could trust him.
- Writer
