Andy flushed a light shade of red and lowered her head. She couldn’t look Edie in the eye. She was just playing with her head and didn’t really want to hurt anyone. Her mind was circling around the questions Edie asked her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Edie interrupted her, "What you tried to do, Cecil. What would you do if I did the sa to you?" Edie looked at her with a serious expression on her face. "Would you not want revenge?" she said, her voice cold as ice.
A tear of frustration and fear glittered in Andy’s eyes as she looked away. "I’m....." She swallowed and said, her voice very small.
"Did you not just get married? Tell , are you going to have any children? Think about it!" Edie says with a huge grin on her face. "What would you do if soone tried to do sothing to your child? Would you sit back and watch, or would you fight back?"
"Please....forgive....." Andy stuttered. She hated suffering as much as she hated those who made her suffer. Andy looked at Cecil and noticed how white and terrified he was becoming. He’s just an innocent child. She began, inching away as she tried to find the right words. "I shouldn’t have involved your son. I made you guys suffer for my mistakes, and from the bottom of my heart, I truly am sorry." She would have to face the consequences of her actions. Can she get sued or sent or sent jail?
Edie shook her head in disgust. "I don’t accept your apology." She had no sympathy for Andy or the other won. Slowly she poured the water on top of Andy’s head. "Next ti, the punishnt will be worse." Edie quickly released her hair.
Andy scread in pain and instantly fell to the floor. "Why would you do that? I said I was sorry!" she cried. Her anger was rising as she caught sight of Edie’s averted face. It flushed crimson, her eyes full of intense emotion of so kind.
"Fight fire with fire. Is that not the ancients’ wisdom?" Edie smiled. "Did you really think I would let you off so easily?" Edie paused, taking a deep breath. "As far as the n go and my relationship with Cecil, it’s none of your or anyone else’s. If I hear any more gossip about , I’ll see you in court." She lifted her head and looked at everyone in the room. "Do we have an understanding?" she demanded in a voice as angry as any she had ever used before, spacing the words for emphasis.
No one said a word, and they lowered their heads in sha. They all knew they played a part in the gossip. Edie turned around and took Cecil’s hand. "Let’s go," she said.
Cecil looked at her with sad eyes and said, "Why did you do it?"
"Do what?" Edie asked curiously.
"Protect ! No one’s ever done that for before," he said, sounding surprised. "Are you okay?"
Edie smiled as the tears ford in her eyes. "I’m okay! Don’t worry about ." She wiped away the tears because the pain in her back was nothing compared to the one in her heart.
Cecil struggled to get his next sentence out. "I was supposed to protect you." His face grew serious. "Stuart’s going to be mad at ."
Edie laughed. "Don’t even think about it. I’ll take care of him," she said, reassuring him.
Tears brimd in his eyes, but he didn’t wipe them away. He nodded. "Let’s go ho." He turns and points his finger at Andy. "My cousin will take care of you," his voice when he spoke to her was suddenly full of hatred.
A shivered of fear trickled down her spine. She didn’t understand what he ant. Who would co after her? Was it the man Edie was sleeping with?
***
But what no one knew was two n were watching the whole thing in the surveillance room. The expression on his face was serious. The other man in the room hurried to explain, "Mr. Spear, this had never happened before. I will deal with this matter imdiately."
Mr. Spear never said a word. His eyes remained on Edie. When he could no longer see her on the monitor, he turned his head and looked at the man. "Who’s that woman?" he said firmly.
"Edie Lara," he said quickly.
"Edie Lara?" Mr. Spear said, repeating his words.
"Are you going to punish her because of what she did?" the man asked him with a concerned tone in his voice. He was so nervous. The only reason Edie was accepted into the college was that soone paid thousands of dollars to get her in. He quickly tried to explain. "She can’t be punished. She has...."
Mr. Spear nodded his head and smiled. "No! I’m not going to punish her. I have so auditions that would be perfect for her."
The man in charge looked at him with a confused look on his face. "Because of the fight? Is that why you want her to audition?" he asked Mr. Spears, but as he turned to look at him, he headed out the door. "Where are you going?" he said, raising his voice slightly, but it was too late, Mr. Spears was gone.
Cecil and Edie stood outside the building. "It’s too early for the driver to co, Let’s take a taxi instead," Edie said. "I think we’ll stop at the hospital on our way and have my back checked."
Arriving at the hospital, the doctor said, "You only suffered superficial burns. You’re a very lucky woman. Here’s a prescription for ointnt. Apply it at least three tis a day." Edie thanked him, and then he left.
Cecil stared at Edie’s back. He threw his arms around her neck, fighting back in tears, which he could no longer hold. "Why was she so an?" he cried.
Edie smiled and said, "Because they think I don’t belong in the school. Have you seen the movie Cinderella?"
Cecil nodded his head. "Yes, it’s one of my favorites."
"I’m Cinderella in their eyes. They think I’m poor, and they hate and envy at the sa ti. In the movie, they do all they can to stop her from finding happiness. I guess that’s what they were trying to do to ," Edie explained.
"Why....would...she do such awful things to us?" Cecil stood by Edie, wiping a tear from his eye. He opened his mouth, but it was like a million different things we’re trying to co out at once, the tangled words more sob than sentences. He stopped taking a deep breath and tried again. "I don’t understand?"
"Because they’re jealous of . They judge people without knowing the facts. So people thrive off gossip. They hear it and then enjoy spreading it to other people." Edie gave Cecil a serious look and said, "Don’t ever judge anyone when you know nothing about them. Words can be cruel and ruin people’s lives."
Edie tried her best to make Cecil understand. She didn’t want him to think all people were as cruel as Andy. She rembered the struggles her mother faced when Edie was growing up. People would be nice to her face and then snicker and talk behind her back. It humiliated her mother, and in the end, it destroyed her. From that day on, Edie mainly kept to herself and tried not to be noticed by anyone.
"Spoken words are more powerful than people imagine," Edie said sadly.
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