"Zara Zeller, I came here out of the goodness of my heart to celebrate your birthday, and this is how you treat me?"
Preston's face was tight with fury, still clinging to his misplaced sense of superiority.
"How exactly do you expect me to treat you?"
"Both of you, get out. It's my birthday, and looking at you makes me sick!"
Zara wasn't playing games; she was officially kicking them off the property.
Preston had never been so humiliated in his life.
He spun on his heel and stormed off.
Zoe was left standing awkwardly by the entrance, caught in the crossfire.
"Zara, I swear I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. I didn't mean anything by it."
She held up a small designer shopping bag. "Look, I even dragged Preston to the mall to help me pick this out for you."
"It's a charm bracelet meant to attract romance. I know you'll love it!"
Unbelievable. She was actually trying to insult Zara disguised as a gift.
She was implying Zara's love life was so tragic she needed magical jewelry to find a
man.
Claire glanced sideways at Zara.
If Zara didn't slap the girl right then and there, she'd lose all respect for her.
Right on cue, Zara exploded.
"Do I look like I need your charity?"
"Get out of my sight before I physically throw you out!"
Zara pointed a trembling finger toward the driveway.
She hadn't even touched her—she knew better than to give anyone a reason to gossip.
But miraculously, Zoe stumbled backward, her heel catching, and collapsed onto the pavement.
"Ah!" Zoe shrieked, clutching her ankle.
Preston, who was already halfway down the driveway, whipped around and saw Zoe sprawling on the ground.
"Zoe! Are you okay?" Preston sprinted back to her side.
He carefully helped the "fragile" girl sit up.
"Are you out of your mind, Zara? Zoe comes here to give you a gift, and you assault her?"
Zoe grabbed Preston's sleeve, clinging to him like a lifeline to rein him in.
"Preston, no, it wasn't Zara. I just lost my balance. It's my fault."
"Exactly, you psycho! Which one of your blind eyes saw me touch her?"
Zara knew exactly what Zoe was doing. Zoe was a two-faced manipulator, always playing the victim to frame her.
And there was always some idiot willing to fall for it.
"Don't lie to me! Zoe, stop protecting her," Preston fumed. "Look at how aggressive she's being. Why do you always let her walk all over you?"
"Who the hell is protecting who?"
"Are you her lapdog, Preston? Is that why you're wagging your tail so hard?"
Spending so much time with Claire and her roommates had certainly sharpened Zara's tongue.
Preston's face turned an ugly shade
of purple. "Zara, your college friends are clearly a terrible influence on you you've lost every ounce of your class! content
"My manners are reserved for human beings, not stray dogs barking on my lawn."
"And you really need to stop living in this fantasy world you've built, Preston."
"Zoe literally just told you she tripped. Why are you calling her a liar?"
"Or were you just desperately hoping I pushed her so you could play the knight in shining armor?"
Normally, Zara wouldn't waste her breath on these lunatics.
But Preston had practically begged to be humiliated.
Her words hit a nerve, and even Zoe couldn't help but shoot Preston a nervous glance.
Zoe had always assumed Preston followed her script because she was a brilliant mastermind.
But if Zara was right-if Preston was
only using these situations to feed
his own ego. then this man was much more complicated than she thought.
Preston instinctively looked down at Zoe. "Zoe, don't listen to a word she says. She's delusional."
"I just know exactly how toxic Zara can be, and I couldn't stand by and watch her abuse you!"
Zoe let out a quiet breath of relief. She prided herself on wrapping men around her finger.
If one started thinking for himself, she would be in serious trouble.
"Let's drop the pathetic character assassination," Claire interjected lazily, pointing up at the grand
entryway
camera, There's a secun right there. If you're so convinced she was pushed, let's pull the footage. It'll clear this up in ten
seconds."
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"Although, seeing how perfectly Ms. Zeller executed that fall, I'd say she just has a
severe lack of basic coordination."