Perfect Submission Read Online Free PDF Page B

going to be like now?
People gossiping wherever I go. Thinking that they know me, know my
story. Even if we fight the charge in court, the rumors will follow
me forever. I don’t know if I can bear it.
    “Isabelle? Oh my lord, is that you?”
    I look up to see Nicole and Lulu at the
front of the salon. They’re dressed in their usual uniforms of
designer jeans and chunky jewelry, with silk shirts and glossy
hair. Their heels tap loudly as they come closer.
    “We heard what happened,” Nicole breathes,
wide-eyed with fake concern. “Are you OK?”
    “I’m fine.” I flip my magazine closed
nonchalantly and force myself to give a bright smile. “Just a
little misunderstanding. Totally overblown.”
    “So you weren’t charged with murder?” Lulu
announces loudly.
    Everyone goes silent, watching for my
reaction.
    “It’s a mistake,” I say breezily, invoking
my well-practiced mask of confidence. “I mean, think about it. It’s
not true.”
    Their eyes burn into me, and out of the
corner of my eye I can see people on their phones, too. Everyone is
talking about me. Everyone is saying that I’m trash, a murderer, a
joke. And just like that, I feel my defenses stuttering.
    “I should go,” I say, quickly pulling my
feet out of the bowl and jamming them back into my flats. “Nice
seeing you two.” I get up to leave, but they block my path.
    Nicole glares. “I can’t believe you’d show
your face in public. I’d be too ashamed.”
    I don’t reply. I’m trying too hard to will
away the sting behind my eyes.
    “We’ve taken your name off the committee for
the benefit next month,” Lulu adds. “I’m sure you understand, we
can’t be associated with any of this scandal.”
    “And don’t even think about coming to the
meetings, either,” Nicole sneers. “We talked about it, and we’ve
decided you’re no longer… suitable for our group.”
    “We did you a favor including you in the
first place,” Lulu smirks. “We thought maybe someone from your
background would benefit from our guidance, but we were wrong.”
    “Guess it’s just a case of nature over
nurture,” Nicole snorts. “What was your mother, anyway? Didn’t she
go to jail, too?”
    I grit my teeth as their cruel words cut
through me. I wish I could come up with some smart retort, but I
know if I open my mouth, all I’ll do is cry.
    The world I worked so hard to build for
myself has come crashing down all around me as I stand here, while
people point and laugh and whisper among themselves.
    I want to stay and fight back, but instead I
grab my things and push blindly past Nicole, tears welling in the
corners of my eyes.
    “Miss! Miss!” the manicurist calls after me,
but I can’t stop. Then my foot catches on something, and I go
tumbling to the floor.
    Oww.
    My knee slams hard against the polished
tiles, but worse than that is the flush of humiliation as I sprawl
on the ground, the contents of my purse strewn across the
floor.
    Lulu and Nicole burst out laughing.
    I try to get up, my knee throbbing.
    “I’ve got you.” A hand comes out to help me
stand. I look up, blinking through my tears. It’s Olivia.
    “Come on,” she says, shooting Nicole and
Lulu a fierce look as she gathers my things back into my bag. “This
place is so over. Their clientele is pretty much worthless.”
    Olivia steers me to the exit.
    “Thank you,” I whisper. “But you don’t have
to do this. They might—”
    “Fuck them,” Olivia declares, out loud.
“Under-eating, over-exposed pack of bitches.”
    I can’t help but smile through my tears.
She’s so awesome, escorting me out even though it’s social suicide.
Olivia takes me onto the sidewalk and hails us a cab.
    “Let’s get you home,” she says, nudging me
inside and climbing in after me. She gives the driver Cam’s
address, then passes me a tissue to clean my face up as we drive
away through the Fifth Avenue traffic.
    “I can’t believe I ever thought they were my
friends,” I