"That''s the story that was trending a couple of days ago, right? I knew those photos looked staged!"


    "Yeah, my friend and I were talking about it. It was like one of those scams where old people pretend to get hit by a car."


    "So now we have to watch out for the young scammers too, not just the old ones."


    Hannah listened to her colleagues'' chatter, a satisfied smile on her face. "Is that the incident you were referring to?" she asked Sandra sweetly.


    Sandra''s face was now a deep shade of crimson. She stared at the ground, too humiliated to meet Hannah''s gaze, her knuckles white as she gripped the armrests. This damn bitch! She was doing this on purpose, just to embarrass her in front of everyone.


    "But it wasn''t just that one time, was it?" Hannah pressed on, enjoying herself. "I''ve been trending online for no reason all month. And you''ve been right there with me, a recurring guest star in my drama. That was all you, wasn''t it? You bought the publicity, hired the photographer, staged the whole thing."


    Sandra''s head snapped up, a furious retort on her lips, but the whispers and stares of the crowd silenced her.


    "Wow, so she''s not as good awyer as Hannah, and instead of learning from her, she pulls all these dirty tricks behind her back."


    "You really can''t judge a book by its cover. She looks so innocent, but she''s a monster."


    "Thank God our Hannah is smart enough to see right through her."


    Samuel, one of her colleagues, stepped forward with a theatrical flourish. "Hannah, what she did is illegal! You should sue her for defamation! I''ll be yourwyer-it''ll be a m dunk!"


    His suggestion was met with a chorus of enthusiastic agreement.


    "No, me! I''m a betterwyer than he is!"


    "Pick me, pick me! I specialize in online harassment cases. I just won a huge onest month!"


    "Please, let me have it! I just want the satisfaction of winning an open-and-shut case like this!"


    The crowd''s yful pleas made it sound as if Hannah were actually about to file awsuit.


    Terrified, Sandra started to wheel herself forward. "I..."


    "Whoa, whoa, stay back! Don''t youe near me!" Hannah eximed, holding up her hands and taking


    step back.


    Merques" instinctively recoiled as well.


    "Holy crap, she''s about to pull another scam! Everybody back up!"


    "That''s terrifying! She''d try it again, right here in public?"


    "Of course she would! If she was willing to stage a fall in the middle of the street, there''s nothing she won''t do!"


    Overwhelmed by the usations, Sandra''sposure finally broke. "Hannah, we... we don''t have to do this," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "I came here to apologize We were colleagues, friends even. Lionel has already forgiven me. Are you really going to hold this grudge forever?"


    When Hannah didn''t immediately respond, a flicker of panic crossed Sandra''s face. But then she rxed If Hannah actually dared to sue her, she would run straight to Lionel He would see Hannah as petty and unforgiving, and it would only drive him further away from her.