Smoke and Mirrors (Smoke #1)

[ 65 ]

Staring at the blank space of table in front of me, I couldn't help but feel horrible after the outburst of Marcus and the fact that I was now not only broken off from Marcus, I was now unemployed and didn't have a job, which was horrible no matter what way you look at it. I took a glance at Gemma and Madeline who sat in front of me and were trying their best to comfort me.

"C'mon Scarlett, you haven't eaten anything all day. The least you should do is have something to fill you up." Gemma pleaded as I just shook my head and kept my stare on the glass table.

"Yeah, Gemma's right. You can't keep stressing about the whole thing -"

"I need to stress out about the whole thing Madeline. I don't have a job, my boyfriend just broke up with me, most of my friends want nothing to do with me and now I'm being framed for something I didn't do." I angrily yelled at her as Gemma patted me on the shoulder, giving a slight warning.

"Hey, don't be harsh to Madeline. She's only doing her best Scar." Gemma warned me as I sighed and looked at Maddi, suddenly feeling stupid that I taking out my anger on one of the only people who seems to on my side.

"I know and I'm really sorry. I'm just still trying to get my head around everything." I admitted as Madeline just smiled and began looking around the cafe. People were making their way in and out of the suburban cafe but I couldn't help but feel paranoid that they were staring at me and making harsh judgements when they didn't know what was going on in the first place. Ever since the article had come out, it had felt like my whole world was taken away from me and I didn't have any say in it.

My phone continued to buzz with notifications I could only guess what people were sending me messages about; tweets about how I ruined the boys lives, tweets blaming me about the low standards I supposedly went to, tweets about how my relationship was only just a publicity stunt and so on. I pulled out my phone and switched it silent knowing that it was the only thing that was going to keep me insane. Before any of us could say anything, a tall female made her way over to my table and folded her arms as I just stared at her, wondering what she was about to do.

Her blonde hair was pulled in a tight beehive and her lips were full, the vibrant colour of pink highlighted her thick her lips actually were. She wore a pair of designer sunglasses and a dress that was super tight, it only just held in her chest region, holding a cup of coffee in her hands. As she chewed the bubblegum that was in her mouth, I could feel her cold stare in our direction.

"You should really be ashamed of yourself after that article you posted. What the hell was your point of degrading a team that doesn't deserve that kind of trouble?" She venomously added as I rolled my eyes and ignored her, listening to the other two girls trying their best to get rid of her.

"We don't need any trouble so I suggest you should leave right now." Madeline added as the woman chuckled and looked her nails before turning her attention back to us.

"Oh my god, have you used up all your words in your stupid article that now you seem to be wordless? Ha, maybe that should teach you from messing with other people next time Scarlett."

"Uh excuse me, you need to leave. Nobody asked for you to come and nobody surely asked for you to speak, so why don't you get your New Jersey Real Housewife looking ass outta here and go flirt with the pizza chefs down the street?" I added, wishing this woman would just leave us alone.

"That is an offensive thing to say oh but that shouldn't surprise me especially since you're capable of writing an article like the one you did -"

"I didn't fucking write that article!" I cut her off loudly as she laughed and shook her head.

"Of course you didn't, just like my husband said he didn't cheat on me but don't worry, we all have our things we say that we wish were in fact true. I am honestly surprised though, what on would Marcus see in you? You aren't somebody that is suited to him. Just take a look at all the WAGS out there in Australia; they're blonde, they've got the most beautiful bodies and have the most stunning looks, all of which you don't have -"

"I'm getting real bored of your arguments ma'am. Oh and by the way, the 70s wants their look back." I grunted as the woman rolled her eyes and tapped her heel of her shoes against the floor and shot me a cold glare.

"Wow, is that the best you've got? Just look at you Scarlett, you think you've got control of your life when actually it's got control on you. I'm not surprised though, I mean look who Marcus is dating right now. She's what you call to be more suited to him."

"You don't know what you're talking about -"

"But of course I do Wilde, because I know a lot about you than you think. I know that your whole world is crumbling, I know that you're jobless, I know that almost everybody hates you and I know that you're absolutely devastated that Marcus picked Kylie Pierce over you -"

"Just shut up, please just shut up."

"- Are you still grieving that they've hooked up after he broke it off with you? Think about it Scarlett, he's probably with her right now enjoying every possible second he spends with her. Are you getting angry at the fact that she probably in bed with your ex right now, craving for more of his touch each time he gives it to her -"

"Lady, I don't know who the hell you are but you need to sit your ass down and learn to cover up. Cover up your mouth and your frontal areas." Gemma cut in as the woman squinted her eyes at her, shaking her head in disappointment before turning her attention onto me as she continued to rant on. My eyes were beginning to water as I tried my best to hold back my emotions but right now, nothing was working as her vicious words were beginning to get to me.

"Is the sports reporter beginning to lose it because she knows her boyfriend has slipped through her fingers? I know honey, I would feel heartbreak too if my footballer boyfriend ended up going to a younger and stunning bombshell. It would also break my heart too if he was playing with her hair and telling her how he loved her instead of saying those words to you. I can even hear her laughing flirtatiously as she's rolling on her back with him smiling back at her. Oh how heartbreaking is this, that Kylie Pierce is sleeping with your ex and enjoying the intimate moments you wish you could still have with -"

"You need to just fucking stop, please. Just stop whatever this is. I don't know who the hell you are and I certainly don't give two shits about how privileged you think you are but what you are allowing to come out of your God filthy mouth is absolutely appalling. The article is nothing compared to the trash that flooded out of your trap." I cried out painfully as she just laughed hysterically and stared at her coffee cup when I turned around and faced the table to gather my things. More tears rolled down my already moist cheeks, her poisonous words rushing through my mind, my heart began to pick up its pace when I wiped my eyes and let out a subtle sob. Things ended up quite horribly and without a single warning, I could feel cold liquid sticking against my body as the cold coffee was poured down me, making more tears run down my cheeks. Gemma had lost it at the moment when she went up to the woman and without thinking, launched her hand across the woman, giving her a mighty slap which made the woman grab her cheek and looked down on the ground in anger. I could hear angered heaved breaths escaping the woman's lips but ignored it as I was forced to deal with my dilemma. 

Gemma followed by Madeline then rushed over to my side and tried their best to comfort me as I just stood in my step, feeling absolutely humiliated and embarrassed as the cold liquid of the coffee managed to drip down my body. I honestly had enough and just wanted to head home to get cleaned up from the mess I found myself in. When I looked up, the vile woman was already gone as I could feel the stares of the other people in the cafe on me. Even after everything I had been put through, I had realised that this wasn't hatred or jealousy anymore.

This was straight up harassment.

I cried and tried to wipe away the tears from my eyes with my hands as Madeline was wiping my face with the napkin and Gemma stood there looking extremely disappointed.

"I - I tried to tell people I never wrote that article and I get that th - things were going to be bad but the fact that this had happened, I don't think I know what I'm going to do anymore." I sobbed as I could hear whispers going around the cafe. Of course, go on and say how much you feel pity for the girl blamed for the mess that was made by someone, I know that's what they're doing anyway.

And right now, there was nothing I could do about it.