"This is big news!" Her voice dripped with malicious glee. "The former number-one socialite of the capital... after marrying a Northwestern barbarian and getting widowed, she's now begging for food on the street like a stray dog."
Her fingers tapped rapidly as she posted the photo to her social media feed, waving the phone at me provocatively.
Ryan stepped out of the driver's seat. His frown deepened as he approached. "Aria, are you doing this on purpose? Trying to play the victim? Where is the check?"
"Tore it." I swallowed the dry bread. "It was too dirty."
His face darkened. He slapped the bread out of my hand, sending it tumbling into the dirt.
"What are you pretending to be so lofty for?" he snarled. "When your barbarian husband died, did he leave you penniless? We give you money, and you put on airs? You're clearly doing this to make people think we abused you!"
His grip closed around my wrist. Fingers digging into skin.
Georgia laughed, delighted by the show. She opened her designer bag, grabbed a handful of loose coins, and scattered them on the ground. They clattered across the pavement, some rolling into the sewer grate.