I browsed through the chat, confused. Until I came to a hidden thread that Elaine had created, everything seemed normal. I was horrified to see pictures of my underwear spread out on our bed with disparaging remarks from different family members next to them.

“Let’s keep this our little secret,” was Elaine’s text that jumped out.

“What makes her do this?” Betrayal knotting my stomach, I whispered.

I immediately gave Lila a call. The screen came to life, revealing Lila’s worried expression. I’m very sorry you had to witness it, Clara. Mom was acting inappropriately.

“Lila, what was she thinking?” My tone was aloof but composed.

Lila gave a deep sigh. It is worse than you may imagine. Snooping around, she discovered something more. Something that she intends to utilize against you.

My breathing became labored. “What are you discussing?”

Lila hesitated, her eyes darting to the side and then back to me, her expression solemn. Clara, it’s something really personal. Over the phone, I’m not able to elaborate because it’s delicate. It concerns you.

My world became hazy as a wave of dizziness washed over me, and her voice faded away. The words, laden with foreboding possibilities, hung suspended in the uncomfortable silence. This was a facet of my life that I had never disclosed to Jordan’s family—a deep, dark secret.

It’s not her narrative to tell or use, I managed to stammer through the mists of shock, reeling from perplexity and growing concern. Please come chat to me about it face-to-face.

I felt a wave of betrayal pass through me as Lila hung up. The information I had so carefully guarded was now Elaine’s weaponry. But I also realized that I had to respond carefully if she was going to use such personal information against me.

It happened sooner than I thought.

Elaine was approaching her birthday, which she anticipated would be a happy and joyous occasion. She had no idea that it would also set the scene for my counterattack.

Lila was an unanticipated but crucial ally in this quest, even if she was still horrified by her mother’s behavior. We worked together to devise a scheme that would make Elaine pay for humiliating me in front of the same audience.

“Clara, we have to do this quietly. The night before the celebration, Lila murmured into the phone, “Let her dig her own grave.”

“I concur,” I answered. “Let’s make it appear like a char