Chapter 1
Monica and I had grown up together, so when she got married, I made sure to take time off work just to be her bridesmaid.
During the ceremony, the groom kept glancing my way, which apparently didn't go unnoticed. When the officiant asked Monica how she was feeling, she suddenly burst into tears and pointed a finger directly at me.
She said, "I want to expose my best friend, Briana Lane.
"She works as an escort in the city and came back today specifically to seduce my husband.
"Look at how expensive her gift is. It's all dirty money from selling herself.
"She doesn't deserve to stand here. Get her out before she ruins my wedding.
"I heard she participates in orgies at those underground clubs.
"She almost died in some man's bed."
Listening to the whispers of the guests and seeing her smug look, I couldn't help but find it ridiculous.
They probably didn't know that I was now a lawyer.
And my first case was making a slanderer go bankrupt and beg for mercy.
*****
Standing right in the center of the stage, I shot Monica a cold look and asked, "Monica, did you forget your meds today?"
Over three hundred guests had their eyes locked on me, every gaze fixed and heavy.
My parents were at the main table. I watched as my mom went white as a sheet, jumping to her feet in shock.
Monica kept up her act, snatching the gift I'd handed her that morning and slamming it down on the floor.
"You're just a whore," Monica shouted.
Philip White, the groom, stood off to the side, his face drained of color. He tried to pull Monica back, but she shoved him away.
"Philip, I saw it all. Just now in the dressing room, she deliberately bent over right in front of you.
"Everyone, take a look at her. She's wearing a dress with a neckline so low she's practically falling out of it.
"She's nothing but an escort, always on the prowl, trying to seduce any man she comes across," Monica sneered.
"Monica, are you done losing your mind? You gave me this dress yourself," I shot back.
I looked down at my bridesmaid dress.
Monica picked it out herself and said it was custom-made.
The neckline was definitely lower than most dresses.
Linda Yates, Monica's mom, stormed onto the stage, grabbed Monica in her arms, and screamed at me, "You shameless slut. Monica treated you like her best friend, and this is how you stab her in the back?
"I always knew you were trouble growing up, and now you've gone and thrown yourself into this filthy business."
Linda turned toward the guests, wailing, "Look at us, everyone. What terrible fate has befallen our family?
"You won't believe it. On my son's wedding day, some person who was offering inappropriate services kept bothering us."
The murmurs in the crowd kept getting louder.
"She looks so pure. How could she be mixed up in that kind of business?" someone whispered.
"Some women nowadays really have no boundaries. They think they can make money just by using their looks. What about self-respect?" another person snickered.
"Get her out of here already. Just seeing her up there makes me sick," someone else muttered.
Even more vicious gossip started to spread.
"Hey, listen up, my cousin who owns a company in the city said he's actually seen her. Apparently, she's notorious in those circles," someone whispered.
"Seriously? Is that even true? That's insane," another person gasped.
"That's not all. I heard she got wild with a bunch of guys at a nightclub and almost ended up dead. Bet she's here today to find her next client," someone else chimed in.
"She must be good at what she does, right? With looks like that, how much do you think a night with her would cost?" someone else snickered.
The rumors spread like a virus; every word was like a knife to my parents' hearts.
My dad stood there, his face dark with anger, while my mom was shaking with rage, pointing at the stage. "You're all lying. My daughter isn't like that. Monica, why would you say such awful things about her?"
"Me? Lying about her?" Monica let out a cold laugh. "You're still in the dark, aren't you? Why don't you ask her what she actually does in the city?
"Have her say the name of her company and her job title. Let's see if she has the guts to say it out loud."
"Monica, I honestly have no clue why you're freaking out like this," I shot back.
With everyone throwing accusations, I just locked eyes with Monica, a smile playing on my lips.
"Every word you spat out today. I swear, you'll pay for it twice over," I said.
Seeing me still smiling, Linda pointed at the security guards by the door and screamed, "This tramp is still so cocky. What are you standing around for? Get this lunatic out of here now."
Two security guards moved in immediately, each grabbing one of my arms.