Edward insisted he come with me to the mall that afternoon, but I convinced him otherwise.
"I'll be fine," I told him.
"It's thirty minutes. I just need groceries and that moisturizer you keep stealing from me."
He smirked, kissed my cheek, and let me go.
If only I knew what was waiting for me.
If only I knew that Clarissa had been following me.
I had just picked up a basket from the entrance of the supermarket inside the mall.
I walked toward the aisle with fruits, humming under my breath something I hadn't done in a long time.
Edward made me soft.
Made me safe.
I'd barely reached the apples when I heard a very familiar voice shout:
"THAT'S HER!"
I froze.
Please no.
Please God, no.
I turned slowly.
And there she was.
Clarissa.
Standing in the middle of the supermarket aisle like she was the star of a badly directed drama series.
Hair curled, makeup flawless, dress expensive and eyes absolutely wild.
She pointed at me with a shaking finger.
"That's the woman!" she screamed.
"The home wrecker!"
Heads turned.
Phones immediately came out.
People whispered, recognizing her from the viral posts the night before.
I felt my stomach tighten.
So this was how she wanted to play.
Public humiliation.
A scene.
Drama.
Well.
She picked the wrong opponent.
Clarissa stormed toward me, heels clicking aggressively.
Her expression was a mix of triumph and unhinged fury as though she believed she'd finally cornered me.
"You!" she spat. "How dare you show your face in public?!"
I remained calm.
Leaning casually on the cart like I wasn't seconds away from grabbing her by the hair and dragging her out the door.
"Clarissa," I said with a polite smile, "good afternoon."
"DON'T 'GOOD AFTERNOON' ME!" she barked.
People nearby gasped.
A woman holding a basket full of vegetables whispered to her husband, "Isn't that Clarissa Wexler? The billionaire heiress?"
He nodded. "That's her. And… who is the other woman?"
Great. Audience secured.
Clarissa got inches from my face.
"You ruined everything!" she shouted.
"My future! My engagement! My reputation! My parents think I'm a failure because of you!"
I raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't need my help to become a failure, sweetheart. You were doing just fine on your own."
A few people stifled laughs.
Clarissa's face went bright red.
"You think you're so special, don't you?!" Clarissa screeched.
"You think just because you're older, you know how to spread your legs better?!"
Gasps everywhere.
One woman actually covered her child's ears.
I inhaled deeply, keeping my voice steady.
"Clarissa," I said softly. "You need to calm down."
"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!" she screamed, grabbing a pack of grapes from the shelf and throwing it at the floor.
Purple grapes rolled in every direction.
Security was already eyeing her.
She stepped forward until her nose almost touched mine.
"You're nothing," she hissed.
"A nobody. A washed-up older woman who seduced him because you knew he could do better."
I smiled slowly.
"And he did," I replied.
Clarissa blinked, confused.
"W-What do you mean?"
"He did better," I repeated, leaning closer.
"He chose me."
The people around us murmured in approval.
Clarissa looked like she wanted to murder me with her bare hands.
"You manipulated him!" she snapped.
"You tricked him! You… you probably drugged him!"
A man in the crowd yelled, "Girl, relax! Nobody needs to drug a man to choose love!"
Someone else laughed.
"Oh, so that's why he rejected you. Makes sense."
Clarissa turned on them like a demon.
"SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU!"
Security approached.
"Ma'am, you need to lower your voice"
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed, waving her arm violently.
"I am NOT leaving until this woman apologizes!"
I crossed my arms.
"For what exactly?" I asked calmly.
"For stealing my fiancé!"
I tilted my head.
"You were never his fiancée. You were just a childhood neighbor with a fantasy."
That struck something deep inside her.
She lunged toward me.
Actually lunged.
Security grabbed her before she could get to me, though she still managed to swipe a hand close enough to tug at my hair.
"You stupid old woman!" she shrieked.
"I'm younger! Prettier! Wealthier! Why would he want YOU?!"
And that was my moment.
I walked right up to her, ignoring the guards holding her back, and said clearly enough for everyone to hear:
"Because he loves me.
He chooses me.
He touches me.
He sleeps in my bed.
He wakes up in my arms.
And when he left you yesterday, he came home to me."
Complete silence.
Then someone said, "Damn…"
Clarissa's entire body shook.
"You're lying…" she whispered.
"I'm not," I said.
"He told me himself. He wants me. Not you."
Clarissa finally broke.
She screamed a raw, frustrated, humiliated sound.
Security tried to drag her away, but she kicked and fought like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
"I'm not finished with you!" she yelled.
"You think you've won?! I'll ruin you! I'll make sure you regret this!"
I stepped back, lifted my chin, and said:
"The only thing you're ruining is your dignity. And you're doing it all by yourself."
The crowd applauded.
Actually applauded.
Security finally got her out of the store, still screaming my name like some obsessed villain in a low-budget teleseries.
The manager apologized to me.
Employees cleaned up the crushed grapes.
People whispered as I passed, some giving me supportive nods.
By the time I got to the parking lot, my phone was buzzing.
Edward.
I answered.
"Leah?" His voice was tight with panic.
"Are you okay? Clarissa just posted some crazy rant and"
"I'm fine," I said with a small laugh. "Really."
"What happened?"
"She confronted me at the mall."
"What?!"
He sounded ready to strangle someone.
"Did she touch you? Did she threaten you? I swear to God I'll"
"Edward," I interrupted gently.
"She embarrassed herself more than she embarrassed me."
He went quiet.
Then
A low exhale.
Half relief, half anger.
"I'm coming to get you," he said.
"I'm already walking to the car."
"Good. Because after today, I'm not letting you go anywhere alone. That girl is losing her mind."
I didn't disagree.
Clarissa wasn't just angry.
She wasn't just heartbroken.
She was obsessed.
And obsession was a fire that burned everything it touched.