“Do you even know who this is?” she snapped, her voice filled with contempt as her eyes bore into mine. “This is Jessica—Scott’s first love. If she hadn’t left for abroad, do you honestly think you’d have stood a chance with Scott?”
She paused dramatically, relishing the moment before delivering the final blow. “Even a fool should know how to look in the mirror. What could you possibly offer to compare with Jessica?”
I felt my throat tighten and my eyes sting, but I swallowed hard, forcing the tears to stay put. I clenched my fists and held my ground, my voice trembling but steady enough.
“I have a name. My name is Nadia, not ‘fool.’” I straightened my back, meeting their sneering gazes head-on. “I’m Scott’s wife, and you can’t bully me. What you’re doing is rude!”
The words felt strange leaving my lips, almost mechanical, like reciting a lesson I’d memorized long ago. And in a way, they were—Scott had taught me those very words when we were kids.
Back then, when the other kids teased me, called me names, or pushed me around, Scott would always step in, shielding me like a tiny knight.
“You’re not a fool,” he’d say firmly. “You’re Nadia. They’re the ones being rude, not you.”
But today, when I tried to defend myself, my words only made the women laugh louder. Their laughter was cruel, echoing through the room like an oppressive cloud.
“Ha! Everyone, come look—this is Scott’s wife!”
“Oh my God, she’s as dumb as they say!”
“What was Scott even thinking? Marrying someone like her? How does he sleep at night?”
The taunts piled on, one after another until I couldn’t take it anymore. The weight of their ridicule pressed down on me like a suffocating wave.
I shot to my feet, my voice trembling with anger and desperation. “Stop it! Stop saying these things! You’re all horrible people!” I shoved them away, my hands shaking. “Why are you bullying me? I haven’t done anything to you!”
My voice rose higher, cracking under the strain. “If you don’t leave me alone, I’ll tell Scott to deal with you!”
The woman standing beside Jessica scoffed, her expression dripping with contempt.
“Ha, do you seriously think Scott would stand up for you?” she sneered.