I look down at her, my hands hanging loose by my sides. “Dex from IT and cybersecurity audited your laptop and phone.”
There’s a moment when she sits absolutely still. Only her eyes go slightly wide. Then she jumps to her feet. “What? He can’t do that!”
“Actually, he can.” I’m shocked I can speak so evenly. I thought I might lose control and start yelling at her. “You’re using a company laptop and phone.”
“So?” Half defensive. Half defiant.
“So they belong to Peery Diamonds, and Dex can review what’s on them as he sees fit. All totally legal.”
“Still!” She runs a hand through her hair. “That’s a gross violation of my privacy!”
I just look at her.Tell me you’re sorry. Give me some excuse.
“I have some personal stuff on them,” she mumbles. “I just didn’t want him to see my, you know, private photos. That’s all.”
Disappointment crushes me. But I remain standing tall. “Private meaning a little risqué?”
“Well…yeah.”
“You mean therisquéemails you sent to the Hae Min Group? Or therisquétext exchanges with That Stalker and other paparazzi? Or all therisquéphotos of me you took and distributed to the tabloids?” My tone’s flat. I was worried I’d rage—cry, even—but nothing comes. It was probably good that I read what Dex sent last night. Imagine how embarrassing it would be if I burst into tears now, while Bianca glares at me like everything is my fault.
“You’re so fucking stupid,” she says finally with a small laugh. “Took you long enough to figure it out.”
Her cruel words hit me, a wave pounding against a sandcastle. My heart crumbles. I don’t know exactly what I expected, but her calling me “fucking stupid” wasn’t it. “We’re—wewere—friends, Bianca.”
She rests her hands on her hips. “Oh my God. I was never your friend. I was a charity case to make you feel good about yourself. To make you feel superior! It’s disgusting how you fooled my parents. They always told me I should be grateful to you! And your mom! For what? Paying for my fucking tuition?”
I almost take a step back at the raw vitriol. Her eyes glitter with something unholy as she clenches her hands, an ugly dark flush streaking her cheeks. “Ineverasked you or your mom! Ineverwanted to go to those fancy schools with the rich kids! Ineverwanted to try to fit in, or be told that I was lucky to be going there, or that I should begrateful!” She shakes her fists. “I fuckinghatethat word!Grateful!I earnedeverything. I fought foreverything! I despised you for paying for all those school trips and activities so you could drag me along. I never wanted to go to.Never!But everyone knew you were a loser who couldn’t make any friends. You could onlybuyfriendship. And you continued to buy me even after I graduated from college, and I couldn’t do what I wanted! No! I had to work for you, so you could shineby using me!”
I grit my teeth at the pain. All my life, I thought she was my best friend. I asked Mom to pay for those trips and activities because Bianca’s family couldn’t afford them, and it wasn’t a big deal for mine. I never imagined she’d hate me for trying to help.
I only offered her a job at Peery Diamonds because when she graduated, the job market was awful and she couldn’t get any callbacks. “I told you that you could go elsewhere any time you wanted,” I say finally, my voice trembling.
She shakes her finger. “Oh no. You made sure I could never leave by showering me with perks.”
“I wanted to treat you well! I thought you were my friend!”
“Stop with your sanctimonious bullshit! You only gave me nice things when you wanted to be sure I’d stay loyal and be your friend.” She gestures at her chest.
“This pendant and this dress! You only gave them to me because you wanted to remind me I’m not as good as you—that I’llneverbe as good as you.”
Absolutely nothing I’ve ever done for her was taken at face value—my wanting to be nice, show my appreciation and love for her. “What should I have done to make you feel respected, then, Bianca?” I ask, needing to know where I’ve gone wrong.
“There’s nothing you could’ve done! Nothing!Your very existence pisses me off. You got everything handed to you because you were born rich! If it weren’t for your inherited money, you’d be nothing because you’re such an idiot! Do you know how much I loved messing with you without your suspecting I could be behind any of it? It’s hilarious how you took everything I said as gospel. You know what? Your husband’s family never said no to you asking for Sebastian, because I didn’t even ask. I just told them you’d like to marry Preston. They were surprised—probably because they knew that Preston was a crappy choice—but they said okay. Why the hell not? They could offload him for a good price. And you didn’t suspect. You thought I asked them like you told me to and they said no. Same goes for your stupid lawyers. I never told them what you wanted, and I told you they said what you wanted was impossible.
“But you never doubted me because you’re just—that—dumb. When you hired Jeremiah Huxley behind my back, it was annoying. But all I had to do was get furious that your previous lawyers were too lazy and incompetent to do their job and fawn over what a brilliant attorney Jeremiah is, and you didn’t suspect a thing.” She smirks. “It waseasierthan taking candy from a baby.”
If I thought my head was like the aftermath of a nasty tornado before, now…it’s total devastation. I try to hold on to what control I can, but every hateful word out of her mouth claws at me, leaving trails of blood. “And the video of me supposedly kicking a dog… Was that you, too?”
“Well, yeah. You don’t have what it takes to abuse an animal, but it isn’t like the public knows that. Or cares. I thought it was hilarious.” She laughs.
“I cried on your shoulder.” My voice cracks.
Nasty glee twists her face. “And I let you. You know why? Becausethat’s what you pay me for.”
Tears spring to my eyes. How can I still have more left to shed for her?
Someone clears his throat. I blink rapidly to clear the tears. The security team I asked for is standing in the doorway. Both men look like they warm up for a workout by crushing skulls—their arms and legs bulging, chests thick underneath the black uniforms. They glare at Bianca.
