The whispers increased, layering over one another until they became impossible to ignore.
Then they came fully into view.
Natalie and Penelope.
Natalie wore a blue floral dress that that stopped mid thighs, soft and delicate in contrast to the storm she left behind. Penelope stood beside her in a sleek black dress, her posture calm, protective. Their fingers were intertwined as they walked into the ballroom radiating confidence, unashamed.
Around me, the crowd buzzed.
“I thought they went broke.”
“Bold of them to show their faces .”
“My dad says their mum owes the bank a fortune."
"They don't seem to get the concept of shame.”
Every word hit like a slap.
I was still trying to process the impossibility of seeing her standing there—radiant, like she hadn't just dissapeared a few we
