LAURA
I sat quietly, talking with Tracy to pass the time. I barely moved from my seat, determined to avoid unnecessary confrontations. Tonight wasn’t about me. It was Kyle’s engagement party, and most of the guests were the same faces that had attended mine. The memory alone was enough to sour my mood, so I stayed hidden from view, unwilling to give the elders or anyone else an opening.
At exactly 7:30p.m, Kyle and Mandy made their entrance.
Mandy glittered in a silver, bridal-style gown. Her hair weighed down with jeweled pins and a diamond necklace shimmered against her pale skin. She looked like a queen—a false one, but a queen nonetheless. Kyle was at her side, dressed in a sharp black tux with a silver vest, his arm snuggled tightly around her waist as though staking a claim. They
