[Elena's POV]

"I heard the rumors," Jessica hissed, stepping closer. The smell of cheap vodka and stale smoke wafted off her.

"You have a baby. How incredibly convenient for a gold digger. But honestly, Elena, everyone in the ballroom is placing bets. Does the bastard belong to your dead ex, or did you manage to carry his baby after spreading your legs for your ex's uncle?"

The air in the hallway turned to ice.

I just looked at her, letting the suffocating silence stretch until her smug sneer ...