chapter 2

02

Vanessa's face contorted. She jabbed a finger at me, baring her teeth in a snarl.

"Are you insane? Your lying brat scratched my bag, and you want me to pay you?"

A wave of whispers swept through the parents.

"Who does Rachel think she is? A spoiled princess who can bully everyone?"

"Money can't buy class, I always said."

The children soon echoed their parents' venom.

"Chloe, why are you a liar? It's not good."

"Chloe's so bad! She damaged the bag!"

"I'm not playing with you anymore! My mom says no bad friends!"

My daughter's face flushed crimson, her lips trembling as she fought back tears.

Seeing her endure this cruelty as a child shattered my heart!

I fixed a cold stare on the spineless parents. When this is over, I vowed, none of you will escape what's coming.

Sensing the crowd turning, Vanessa raised her voice to draw in bystanders.

"You know what this bag costs? Two hundred grand is a mercy!"

Gasps erupted as people recognized the Hermès.

"I saw that on TV! It's a limited edition. Only royalty can buy it!"

"Yeah, I've seen it on TikTok too! It's over one million! And you can't even buy it with cash—you need, like, a one-to-ten purchase ratio and years on the waitlist!"

"She's ruined. She'd have to sell her house and still wouldn't cover that."

Emboldened by my silence, Vanessa's voice cuts through, louder, sharper.

"Hear that? Sell your house and pay up before this gets ugly! If this blows up, it's not stopping at two hundred grand! Just look at that cheap-ass bag on you—you could never afford this bag."

I wore a capybara backpack from the zoo entrance, paired with my daughter's panda one.

A sweet matching set for the school trip.

A murmur of judgment rippled through the other parents.

"Yeah, what's up with Rachel today? Sneakers and a cartoon backpack? I heard her family's having some cash flow issues lately—don't tell me they went broke?"

"Honestly, wouldn't surprise me. She couldn't even cough up two hundred grand! Totally not the Rachel we used to know."

"Serves her right. Always dropping her kid off in luxury cars and flashing designer bags—thought she was untouchable. Please."

So this was their truth. The biggest sycophants had become the loudest critics.

My plan to settle this quietly evaporated. They wanted a war? They'd get one.

"I don't have the money. Call the police."

I crossed my arms and leaned into the role.

Not to be outdone, my daughter mirrored my stance, puffing out her cheeks.

"I didn't touch her bag. Call the police."

Vanessa's face purpled with rage. She shot her son a look, and he lunged at Chloe.

I moved to protect my daughter, but Vanessa threw herself at me!

In the struggle, they ripped our backpacks away, dumping everything onto the pavement.

"No money? We'll see about that! And if I find anything worth money, it's all going toward what you owe me."

Her son rummaged through Chloe's bag and held up a crystal bracelet.

"Mom, look! A bracelet!"

Vanessa's eyes lit up, then dulled with disappointment when she found it was just a crystal bracelet.

"It's not even gold—what's all the fuss about? Just toss it."

My face went pale the second I saw the bracelet. I lunged for it, desperate to snatch it back.

That was my grandfather's only keepsake. Chloe always wore it, but today, with the crowded zoo, I was worried it would break.

So I'd made her tuck it safely in her bag.

Seeing my panic, the boy smirked and opened his hand deliberately.

The bracelet hit the concrete and shattered.

Smack!

I grabbed Vanessa by the collar and slapped her with every ounce of my strength.

"That is for my grandfather."

Smack!

My hand flew again.

"And this is for stealing my bag."