Seeing Megan pitifully lying there, they immediately turned their fire on me, assuming I owed her money and was refusing to pay. Without asking questions, they began pointing fingers and shouting.
“I knew it! Always buying things left and right—turns out she’s drowning in debt!”
“I can’t stand people like her, deadbeats who think no one can touch them, and now she’s even violent!”
“Exactly! I’ve seen strange men coming to her place all the time—her lifestyle is questionable too.”
Those were delivery guys! How could these people spread rumors without a shred of judgment?
I was seething, but my explanations were drowned out by their accusations. No one cared about what I said; they pinned me straight to the pillar of shame.
Splat!
Someone hurled a rotten egg at my head. The stench spread instantly, making me gag.
“Get out! All of you!”
My last defenses collapsed. I shoved Megan out the door with all my strength and slammed it shut.
Forcing down my fury, I scrubbed the foul smell off my body. By the time I came back out, most of the crowd had dispersed. Megan was gone too.