Julia's heart sank, but she kept walking, not wanting to engage with William's drama. But as she entered the restroom, she heard the door open behind her, and William's voice whispered in her ear.
"Julia, I know you're married now, but I just can't help how I feel about you. I've always loved you, and I know we could have had something special if you had just given me another chance."
Julia spun around, her eyes flashing. "Williams, stop it. That's not fair. I'm married, and I love my husband. So please just leave me alone."
Julia's was visibly angry, but Williams didn't back down. "Fine, Julia. But know that I'll always be here, waiting for you, if you ever change your mind."
Julia shook her head, her heart racing. She knew she had to get out of there, away from William's toxic behavior. She quickly exited the restroom, searching for Samantha, her eyes scanning the room for a friendly face.
Her eyes searched for Samantha's familiar smile. She spotted her friend across the room, laughing with a group of people, and made her way over.
"Samantha, I need to get out of here," Julia said, her voice low and urgent.
Samantha's expression changed from cheerful to concerned. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Julia glanced around, making sure William wasn't nearby. She softly whispers, "It's William. He's still got it bad for me, and it's making me really uncomfortable."
Samantha's eyes narrowed. "That guy is a total creep. Let's get out of here, right now."
"Thanks, Samantha," Julia said, hugging her friend tightly. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there."
Samantha smiled. "Anytime, Julia. Now, let's go get some fresh air and forget about that toxic night."
Just when the two friends made an attempt to quickly exit, to leave the reunion, a voice came loudly from the crowd.
It was Sharon Francis. She had always been smitten with William, and she had cozied up to Willow, who was William's twin sister in high school, hoping to get closer to him. Now, years later, she was eager to partner with William's company as their legal practitioner, and she couldn't wait to rub it in Julia's face.
As they all gathered at the reunion, Sharon sneered at Julia, "So, Julia, still pining after William? I heard you never got over him."
But Julia just smiled sweetly and dropped a bombshell. "Actually, Sharon, I'm married now. I have a husband, and I'm blissfully happy."
The room fell silent, with all eyes fixed on William's reaction. Julia had deliberately revealed her secret, knowing it would shatter William's hopes. Most especially after the incident that had just happened between them in the restroom.
Sharon's face turned red with anger and jealousy. "You're married? How could you, William? You know William still has feelings for you!"
Sharon wasn't saying this to spite Julia, but to spite William instead, deep down in her heart she was elated to hear Julia was married.
Willie, who had been watching the exchange, spoke up, her voice calm and collected. "Sharon, let's not rehash the past. We're all here to reconnect and move forward."
But William, still hopeful, couldn't help but feel disgusted. "So, Julia, you're married, huh? Well, that's good to know. Maybe we can rekindle our friendship, then?"
Julia just laughed and shook her head. "No, William, i don't want to rekindle anything. I'm happily married, and I'm not looking back."
The room erupted into a mixture of gasps, whispers, and awkward laughter, as everyone tried to process the tension and secrets that had been revealed.
Sharon was green with envy, her eyes fixed on Julia. "You always win, don't you, Julia? You always get what you want."
Willow put a hand on Sharon's arm. "Sharon, let it go. We're all adults now. Let's move on."
But Sharon shook off Willow's hand. "No, Willow, I won't let it go. Julia always broke the rules, and she always got away with it."
Julia smiled and shrugged. "Sorry, Sharon. Maybe next time you'll get what you want."
Sharon's face turned red with rage. "You're all defending her? You're all on her side? She's the one who broke the girls, and now she's married, living her best life?"
Julia's smile never faltered. "Sharon, you're still stuck in high school. I'm living my life, and I won't apologize for it."
William's eyes snapped back to Julia, his gaze piercing. "You know, Julia, I always thought you were the one who got away. But now, I see you're just a master manipulator."
Julia's laughter was like a dagger to William's heart. "Oh, William, you were always one for drama. But I assure you, my marriage is none of your business."
Sharon's anger boiled over, and she slammed her fist on the table. "This isn't over, Julia! You haven't seen the last of me!"
Samantha slammed both her hands on the table.
Enough! We're here for a class reunion and not for all of this, she turned to William. Could we get past this high school drama? It's been almost a decade now, let it go, Julia is happily married now. And please stop with all of these antics to try and get her back. It's not working, and you, Sharon, Julia, is not your problem.
Silence erupts as everyone watches without saying a word.
Finally, someone broke the uncomfortable silence. "Julia, how could you not invite us to your wedding? We would have loved to celebrate with you!" Sharon asked, her voice laced with sarcasm.
Julia raised an eyebrow, amused by the audacity of the question. "Really, Sharon? You're asking me this after almost a decade of no contact? You know I didn't join any of the chat groups or attend any reunions. I only came here for Mrs Davidson's sake."
Sharon's smile, but she quickly recovered. "Oh, we were just concerned about you, Julia. You know we've always cared about you."
Julia chuckled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Save it, Sharon. I know you're just looking for a new topic to gossip about. And as for the wedding, we haven't had time to plan a proper ceremony... yet." She added the last part with a sly smile, knowing it would shut them up.
Willow, who had been observing the exchange, quietly made her way to her brother William's side. She knew he still harbored feelings for Julia, and she wasn't thrilled about it. But William was her favorite person, and she loved him unconditionally.
As she sat down beside him, she turned to Julia and frowned. "I told you she wasn't worth your time and energy, William," she whispered, her voice laced with concern.
William's eyes flashed with anger, but he remained silent, his gaze fixed on Julia with longing and resentment. The tension between them was palpable, and Willow knew she had to intervene before things escalated.
"Hey, William, let's take a walk outside, get some fresh air," she suggested, gently nudging him with her elbow.
William nodded, his eyes never leaving Julia's face, and together they walked out of the room, leaving the awkward silence and unresolved emotions behind.
Willow, trying to fuel William's anger, sneered at Julia, "Oh, you're so proud of your husband, huh? But where is he? Afraid he can't measure up to my brother's standards?"
Julia just smiled. "Willow, Willow, always the same. Trying to belittle others to elevate your family's ego."
Samantha chuckled, enjoying the exchange. "Oh, this is getting good. Go on, Julia, put them in their place."