Before I could even react, Zoe poured an entire glass of red wine over my head. It ran down my face, soaking me from head to toe. As she leaned in close, her voice was a venomous whisper in my ear.
"So what if you're Mrs. Vance? The one standing beside him is still me."
I instinctively tried to fight back, but the bodyguards moved fast. They pinned me to the ground and struck me across the face, ten times, without mercy.
My cheeks swelled almost instantly. The pain blurred my vision, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't steady myself on my feet.
Through the haze, I watched Zoe loop her arm through Seth's, triumphant and glowing, as they went to toast the other guests.
I was thrown out of the gala like garbage. I struggled to my feet.
The manager hurled a handful of crumpled bills at my face, his voice cold and flat.
"You're fired. Don't bother coming back."
I clutched the bills in my fist and tried to wipe the sticky wine from my clothes. I hadn't gotten far before a group of thugs blocked my path.
They spat vulgar insults, rough hands already yanking at my blouse.
"The lady told us this one's a tramp. Said everything she does is to seduce men."