She flicked her hair behind her right ear with that sharp, practiced motion. The cruelty was already loaded.
"See that?" Luna said, turning to face me. "This is what happens when you're a mistress. You and your daughter are destined to live at the bottom. Hated by everyone. Claimed by no one."
The insults came from every direction. The parents who had smashed the car, who had torn priceless canvases to shreds minutes ago, now turned their mouths into weapons. They hurled words like stones, each one aimed at the same bruise. And the bystanders leaned in, feeding on the spectacle, their laughter a low, ugly chorus.
The more they cursed at me, the wider Luna smiled.
The teacher seized the moment. She stepped closer to Luna, her voice dropping to the practiced register of a woman who understood exactly which ring to kiss.
"Mrs. Ferraro, the principal asked me to mention something. If this situation is resolved to your satisfaction, he was hoping you might do us a favor." She clasped her hands in front of her. "You know we've been planning to expand the academy. The land surrounding the campus, all of it falls under Valente Syndicate holdings. If you could put in a word with your husband..."