A Bloom of Thorns

Cecilia rose to her feet. Her usual cool and aloof demeanor showed, but her eyes betrayed a hint of defiant tears.

She snatched the lemon juice from Holly's arms, ready to down it in one go.

Luke quickly moved, panic written all over him, "No, don't drink that. You can't drink cold drinks."

He turned back, shooting Holly a glare that could freeze fire.

It was the first time he had ever looked at her with such annoyance and revulsion.

Holly's composure nearly crumbled from the wrongful accusation.

She could not hold back the tears as she walked away from the mocking crowd.

She walked until they were all far behind her.

Holly could still hear their snide comments and mockery.

"As if she doesn't know her place. At twenty-eight, she's still trying to outshine Cecilia."

"Sure, she grew up with the Hoffmans, but look at her. She was groomed just to be some man's plaything. Why else would she be single at twenty-eight?"

"No respectable family would ever consider a woman like her into their family."

"I mean, she was already messing around at eighteen. I saw her running out of that room myself, hair all over the place, and clothes a mess."

While they spewed their venomous words, Luke was right there.

He heard every insult, but he did not say a word in her defense.

He was too busy trying to cheer up a sulking Cecilia.

Holly watched from a distance, her tears falling faster than she could wipe them away.

After what felt like an eternity, she managed to steady her emotions, but then footsteps approached from behind.

"Holly, you can't seriously think Luke has a duty to comfort you, right?"

Startled, Holly spun around to find Cecilia standing there, arms folded, a sneer plastered across her face.

Cecilia plopped down beside Holly, feigning a cozy camaraderie.

"You know, I kind of admire you. You've got nerve, hanging around Luke at your age, as if… Ha! As if he'd ever marry you."

The scorn in Cecilia's eyes felt like a physical pain in Holly's chest.

However, Holly was done biting her tongue. She narrowed her eyes, giving back as good as she got.

"Are you sure it's me who's hanging on to him?

"Hasn't he told you? He and I have been an item for ages."

"W-what?!" Cecilia's face turned red with rage.

Then, out of nowhere, Cecilia started to laugh. It was a weird, creepy laugh that sent shivers down Holly's spine.

"I know the truth. I've known it for ages."

Holly's eyebrows knitted together as she watched Cecilia's smile grow wider, filled with sinister intent that made her skin crawl. "What are you talking about?"

Cecilia's laugh was then full of contempt, and she did not bother to hide it.

"You can't seriously think that Luke was into you. That he got with you on your eighteenth birthday because he liked you. That's got to be a joke.

"He was intoxicated. I drugged him. He thought I was too young, too innocent to touch, so he turned to you instead.

"By the next day, he was already begging me to forgive him.

"Don't believe me? Watch this."

Cecilia whipped out her phone and showed Holly a video.

There was Luke, still with his boyish charm, looking lost.

His voice was broken, choked with tears. He desperately pleaded like a puppy that's about to be left behind.

"Cecilia, I've made myself clean, really clean. I'm not dirty.

"Don't look at me like that.

"Please."

He was hitting his own face, already swollen and red, but he did not react to the pain.

Then, Cecilia's voice cut through the video.

"If you've been with her, then you might as well stay with her, Luke. I can't stand men who don't take responsibility for what they've done."

Luke's eyes filled with hopelessness, and he numbly nodded in agreement.

"I'll do anything, just don't hate me."