Chapter 24 Rotten Dick Asshole
Vicky looked me up and down like she had been waiting her whole life for this moment.
"Well, well, well... if it isn't Miss I'm too good for Crusty's Diner," she said, dragging out every word like she was auditioning for Mean Girls: Trailer Park Edition.
Of course. Of course Demarcus was her boyfriend. The universe never missed an opportunity to clown me.
She was dressed like a walking fashion disaster. She was in a neon-pink micro dress that was so tight it looked painted on, expensive rhinestones glued to the chest area in the shape of a crooked heart, and heels so tall she had to wobble just to stay upright. Her blonde hair had been hair-sprayed into a stiff, crunchy sculpture that didn't move even when she stomped, and her makeup was so caked on that one wrong blink might cause a landslide.
"Baby, how do you know these... people?" she asked Marcus, gripping his arm like she was afraid someone might steal him. But wasn't she planning on seducing the lead singer of the band?
"We met the other night at my father's club," Marcus said casually.
His father's club? That was brand-new information. A tiny red flag flickered in my head, but I pushed it aside.
"So, Marcus, I didn't know you had a girlfriend," I said, keeping my tone neutral, although I very much meant the accusation.
"We've only hung out a couple of times. It's nothing serious," he replied, and Vicky immediately stiffened, hard to tell though, since she was already as stiff as her hair.
Her glare snapped toward me. "Well, that explains things, you want my man," she said. "He clearly doesn't go for girls who dress like clearance-rack charity cases."
I smiled sweetly.
"My clothes might be cheap," I said, lifting my chin, "but at least I'm not. Unlike you, expensive outfit, cheap inventory," I said as my eyes landed on her crotch.
Lala choked on her champagne. Alecia wheezed. Marcus pressed his lips together like he was trying not to laugh. I could have sworn Omar said something like, this was uncalled for.
Vicky stepped forward like she wanted to bite me. "Say that again, bitch. I swear I'll cut you—"
"Oh hell no!" Alecia thundered, already tearing off her earrings. "Lala, hold my earrings. And my purse. And my soul. This bitch just threatened my friend, and it is about to go the fuck down."
"Ally, no," I said quickly, pulling her back. "Back off. It's not worth it. We came here to have fun, remember?"
But Vicky could not let anything die quietly.
She threw her hands up in a tantrum. "This is unbelievable! I worked for months to get these VVIP tickets. Do you know how hard I worked?" She asked Marcus. "Only to be seated in this section with peasants."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I know how hard you worked. Your back and knees know too."
"Shelby, enough!" Omar yelled, loud enough that several people turned to look.
I snapped my head toward him, my glare sharp enough to peel skin. "Oh? Now you want to raise your voice at me?" I said, each word soaked in venom.
"You don't have to slut-shame Victoria," he said stiffly, crossing his arms like he was some kind of morally upright citizen instead of the clown he really was.
The way he said Victoria, like he actually knew her made my stomach twist.
"You don't have to defend me, Omar," Vicky purred, giving him a slow wink that made my spine crawl. "She's just upset she wasn't woman enough for you... but I was." She laughed, smug and nasty, and I felt my throat tighten in disbelief.
My voice came out low and cold. "Vicky was the girl you cheated on me with?"
Omar didn't even bother looking at me. He just stared at the floor like a coward, his jaw clenched, his pride cracked open but not enough to make him apologize.
Lala and Ally gasped so loudly the people beside us turned their heads.
They had known about the breakup... but not the betrayal.
"Omar... you cheated on Shelby?" Lala whispered, her eyes wide with hurt on my behalf.
"Oh my God," Ally breathed, her mouth hanging open. "With her? Really? Out of all the trash piles in this city, that's the one you wanted to roll in?"
The crowd hummed with quiet fascination, watching the chaos unfold like it was part of the entertainment package.
I didn't cry. But the sting hit deep.
Not because I wanted Omar, not even close, but because the humiliation I had buried months ago resurfaced like it had been waiting for this exact moment to claw me open.
Vicky stepped forward, her lips curling like she enjoyed the attention. "Aww, is the big baby gonna cry?" she taunted me, tilting her head dramatically.
Marcus's patience was wearing thin. He ran both hands down his face and sighed, "Vicky, please... not right now."
She continued ranting about respect and trash and cheap girls infiltrating premium spaces, waving her arms wide enough to create her own weather system.
Marcus shot me a look, half apology, half exhausted resignation before stepping behind her and guiding her away firmly.
"Come on," he said under his breath. "You're causing a scene."
She didn't go quietly. She screeched the whole way to the front, yelling about her tickets, her money, her nails, her time, and how she refused to be disrespected by a girl in bargain-bin shoes.
As soon as she rounded the corner, the room exhaled.
Alecia clutched her chest like she had been shot. "Shelby, girl... your mouth is a dangerous weapon, and I love you so much for it. But why the hell didn't you tell us Omar cheated on you?"
"I'm sorry I kept it from you guys," I murmured, feeling the shame crawl up my neck. "I was embarrassed."
Lala wrapped her arm around me, pulling me close. "Embarrassed? Shelby, please. He should be embarrassed. He's a damn man-whore with bad hair."
"Rotten dick asshole," Alecia added, pointing at Omar like she was naming a demon. "That's your official title now."
Omar sputtered, offended. "That's completely unnecessary—"
"Oh shut up," both of my friends snapped at the same time.
I breathed out shakily and shook my head. "Can we not talk about him anymore? Please."
They softened instantly, nodding as they kept their arms around me. Lala rubbed my shoulder, and Alecia glared daggers at Omar like she was daring him to breathe too loud.
Before anything else could explode, the lights suddenly dimmed. A hush rolled across the VVIP section and over the arena itself, pulling all our attention toward the stage.
An intimidating man dressed in a suit that looked stitched from shadows stepped into the spotlight. His presence alone made the crowd vibrate with anticipation.
"GOOD EVENING, NEW YORK!" he boomed, his voice echoing like thunder. "ARE YOU READY... FOR A NIGHT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET?" he asked, and I don't know, but somehow I felt like he was talking to me.