I wasn’t going to make a scene—at least, not yet. I needed to stay calm.
But staying calm was harder than I thought.
As I moved closer, the atmosphere shifted. The people who’d been fawning over Amber just seconds ago now turned their attention to me, their faces twisting from curiosity to disdain.
One of Amber’s little followers stepped forward, her eyes darting to the black sports car parked behind me. She sneered. “Elliana, really? Renting a luxury car to show off at Amber’s wedding? That’s desperate, even for you! Pff.”
The others joined in with their mocking comments.
“No wonder you’re here. Trying to steal the spotlight, huh?”
“Let me guess— you borrow it from a friend.”
“Some people just don’t know when to quit. As if pretending to be rich can ever compare to Amber’s real-life fairytale!”
I held my ground, not letting their words get to me. “It’s not borrowed,” I said, keeping my tone calm. “It’s my car.”
The group fell silent for a moment, their faces unreadable.
Then Amber’s voice cut through the air. “Your car? Huh!”
I barely had time to react before her hand swung through the air and slapped me across the face. The sting was instant, my cheek burning from the hit.