The world went silent after the slap.
It was a ringing, vacuum-like quiet, broken only by the clicking of a hundred shutters capturing my head snapped to the left. My cheek burned, a searing, throbbing heat that felt like a brand, but my mind was icy cold.
This bitch just slapped me.
This fucking bitch just slapped me!
I could feel Adrian's body go rigid beside me. I heard the sharp intake of his breath, the sound of a man about to commit a crime in front of a thousand witnesses.
Perhaps murder.
Don't, I thought. Not yet. Let me handle this.
I didn't slap her back. I didn't scream. Instead, I let my knees buckle just an inch, my hand flying to my face as I let out a soft, pained groan. I made sure to stumble slightly into Adrian's side, making myself look as small and fragile as the red silk allowed.
Two could play the game.
"Ow," I whispered, loud enough for the front row to hear. "My head.….Adrian, my head hurts. It hurts so bad."
