𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 | 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐧𝐞

Chapter 18

I stood there in shock, wiping mashed potatoes off my face, my heart racing. Vanessa's smug face burned into my memory as she hissed, "That's what you get for kissing my boyfriend. Bitch."

Mom, Emma, and Lance's mom just stood there, frozen in horror. The silence only fueled the fire in me.

Without thinking, I snapped back, "He kissed me, you—" I barely caught myself before the insult slipped. Instead, I grabbed her arm and pushed her, rage boiling over.

Everything was a blur. I could hear gasps around me, but I didn't care. Vanessa stumbled back, her eyes wide with shock as if she hadn't expected me to fight back.

"Ruby!" Mom's voice cut through the chaos, but it was too late. I had already crossed the line.

"You can't just blame me because your relationship is a joke!" I spat, stepping closer to Vanessa, daring her to say something else.

Vanessa's lips trembled with anger. "You think you're so much better, don't you? He'll never want you. You're just... pathetic!"

Before I could respond, Emma stepped between us. "Okay, that's enough. Both of you, knock it off before this turns into a full-on brawl."

I was breathing hard, fists clenched, but Emma's presence snapped me out of it.

Vanessa lunged at me, grabbing my hair as she screamed, "You slut!"

Instinct kicked in, and before I could even think, I slammed her away with my foot, sending her stumbling backward.

"Are you two crazy? Knock it off!" Lance's mom yelled, but I wasn't going to let this witch get away with it.

Without hesitation, I opened my palm and slapped her hard across the face. The sound echoed in the room, followed by gasps from everyone.

"You're the bitch here," I shot back, my voice sharp.

Vanessa's hand flew to her cheek, her eyes wide with shock. For a moment, no one moved.

But Vanessa recovered from the slap quickly, her face twisted in rage. She lunged at me again, her nails scratching at my arm. I grabbed her wrist, twisting it enough to make her yelp in pain, but she wasn't backing down.

"You think you're better than me, Ruby?" she spat, trying to pull her arm free. "Stealing my boyfriend and acting like you're innocent!"

I shoved her back hard, sending her crashing into the dining table. "He kissed me first! If you can't handle that, maybe you should focus on your relationship instead of blaming me!"

She screeched and rushed me again, this time managing to grab a fistful of my hair. I grimaced, grabbing her by the waist and pushing her against the wall. We struggled for control, knocking over chairs and a vase in the process.

"Girls, stop it!" My mom screamed, but I barely registered her voice.

My focus was on Vanessa, who was yanking at my hair while trying to claw at my face.

"Let go of me, psycho!" I growled, managing to free myself enough to push her back, sending her stumbling.

"You're dead, Ruby!" Vanessa hissed as she charged at me once more. This time, I ducked, and she crashed into the coffee table, knocking it over with a loud bang.

Emma and my mom rushed forward to pull us apart, both of them shouting at us to stop, but I wasn't done yet. Vanessa stood up, looking ready to come at me again.

"One more step and I'll knock you out," I warned, breathing heavily, fists clenched.

Her eyes burned with fury, but for a second, she hesitated.