Ndidi's lips curled into a slow, triumphant smirk. The calm mask she had worn a moment ago was gone, replaced by pure, simmering satisfaction.
"Well?" Ndidi's voice sliced through the muttering crowd, sharp enough to draw blood. "Where is this so called proof, Nnenna? Or have you finally realized that slander has consequences?"
Nnenna swallowed hard, her mind scrambling for a way any way, to salvage the moment. But her silence only stretched, tightening around her like a noose. The humiliation was suffocating.
Ndidi stepped in immediately, sensing victory. Her voice rang out, smooth, cutting, and dripping with mockery.
"I knew it! You're jealous of Olaedo's marriage to Chibuzor. That's why you're trying so desperately to turn her against the Arinze family."
"N-no, that's not true!" Nnenna stammered, her voice trembling under the weight of the accusation. "Don't twist this—"
But the spark Ndidi had thrown had already caught flame.
