Revenge is best served cold

Elsa's pupils contracted, her face turning ghostly pale as she pressed her lips together tightly. If her earlier nervousness had been an act, this time, it was real.

She looked up and locked eyes with me, hesitation flickering in her gaze.

I met her stare with a calm smile and gave a firm nod. I was silently telling her that I didn't make empty threats.

Sure enough, she took a shaky step forward, barely keeping herself upright. Her lips quivered as she muttered, "Jane..."

Before she could say anything else, her friend yanked her aside and stepped in with a look of righteous indignation. "Elsa was just trying to help you! Why are you being so unforgiving?"

Sensing someone had come to her defense, Elsa let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief and then shrunk behind her friend. Her tear-filled eyes trembled as she gazed at me.

Murmurs of support came from the surrounding crowd. "She clearly regrets it. Do you really have to push her this far?"

"Aren't they sisters? Judging by how scared she looks, I bet Jane bullies her at home too."

I let out a soft scoff and was about to respond when I caught Debbie's expression out of the corner of my eyes. She was watching the exchange with amused interest, her gaze flicking between me and Elsa.

My heart skipped a beat.

She had spoken up for me earlier, making her stance clear. But now, she remained silent as if she were merely an observer, waiting to see how I would handle this.

She was testing me.

I had never met Debbie in person, but from various interviews, I already knew she was bold, outspoken, and had zero tolerance for dishonesty. If I let Elsa off the hook now, earning Debbie's respect in the future would be nearly impossible.

"I'm asking for an apology, not your life," I said, enunciating every word as I stared into Elsa's eyes.

My voice wasn't loud, but it was just enough for everyone around us to hear.

"You keep saying you're doing this for my good, but isn't that exactly what I'm doing for you?" The moment I spoke, doubt flickered in Elsa's eyes. I caught it immediately. Stepping forward, I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her from behind her friend.

"This whole mess was your fault. If you just walk away now, what will people say about you? More importantly, what will they say about our family? That we have no discipline?"

If she wanted to play the moral high ground, I could do the same. "You're my sister. Of course, I can let this go."

I softened my tone, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "But... what do you think will happen if Mom and Dad hear about this?"

The moment I finished speaking, Elsa's face paled. She clutched my wrist, her voice trembling with guilt. "Jane, it was all my fault! I acted without thinking and misunderstood you. I see that now! I was too quick to judge. Please, Jane, be the bigger person. Can you forgive me?"

I let a slow smirk tug at my lips as I slipped my hand from her grasp. "If you understand, then I won't hold it against you."

I took a step closer, lowering my voice so that only she could hear. "But next time... try not to judge people by appearances.

Elsa's expression darkened instantly. A fleeting trace of resentment flashed in her eyes before she grabbed her friend and hurried away.

As soon as they were gone, the gathered crowd quickly lost interest and dispersed just as fast as they had appeared.

I turned toward Debbie and took a step forward. "Thank you. If you hadn't spoken up, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to get out of that mess so easily. My name is Jane Brown. You can call me Jane."

The time wasn't right yet. Shirley was a name I couldn't use just yet.

Debbie held her head high, exuding confidence as she studied me without a hint of judgment. After a long pause, she extended her hand. "I'm Debbie Lopez. And I have to say, you handled that quite well."