I used visiting out-of-town family as an excuse to dodge our ten-year high school reunion. As fate would have it, I had dinner plans with an old friend that same night. I never expected to crash right into my former classmates at the exact same upscale hotel restaurant. Right in the center of the crowd stood Tristan. He was the golden boy I had secretly crushed on for three years in high school, currently laughing and holding court. Our eyes locked across the room. He visibly stiffened. The woman clinging to his arm narrowed her eyes, her voice dripping with venom. "It's been a decade. Why is she still haunting you like a ghost?" A heavy sigh caught in my throat. I turned on my heel to leave, but several voices called out, pinning me in place. "Well, well, if it isn't the Swine Queen. Did visiting your relatives somehow lead you to a five-star hotel?" "She probably found out Tristan was here. Even the pig farmer learned how to put on some makeup for the occasion." Someone pointed at the roasted pork belly appetizer on their table, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "You're late, sweetheart. Your livestock relatives are already being served." Looking at their sneering, bitter faces, a genuine laugh escaped my lips. Ten years had passed, and they were still hopelessly clueless about modern, multi-million-dollar agricultural enterprises. 1 "Sally, the gorgeous. Long time no see. Aren't you going to say hello?" Derek lit a cigarette, his eyes doing a slow, greasy crawl up and down my body. I took a good look at him. It took me a second to remember that this was the same guy who had shoved two desperate love letters into my locker back in the day, both of which I had rejected. The scrawny, awkward kid from my memory had ballooned into a balding middle-aged man whose belt was fighting a losing battle against his gut. The isolated boy who used to blush when spoken to had morphed into a slick, overconfident creep. The whole table looked different from the kids I remembered. Seeing my silence, they exchanged knowing glances and chuckled. "We practically begged her to come and she said no. But the second she hears Tristan is attending, she magically shows up to stage a little 'accidental' run-in." "Guess we just weren't important enough to grace with her presence." I lowered my gaze to my best friend, Sophie, who was standing right behind me. So this was her grand plan. She had dragged me to this specific restaurant just to trick me into attending the reunion. Seeing the pleading look in her eyes, I offered a soft smile and pulled out a chair. "Since we bumped into each other, you don't mind squeezing in two more chairs, right?" A former classmate laughed, trying to smooth over the awkwardness. "Of course you're welcome! It's been forever since we saw you and Sophie. We all assumed you two moved out of state." "No." Sophie smiled shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm a pediatric nurse at the city hospital. And Sally... she..." "Oh, we know." Derek cut Sophie off, blowing a ring of smoke. "She went back to the pigs." He gave a condescending snort. "Her old man paid for her tuition by shoveling manure, and now she's doing the exact same thing. A real family legacy, isn't it?" The entire table erupted into laughter. Sophie frowned, her protective instincts flaring. "That's not true! Sally isn't just doing what her dad did. She runs a highly successful corporate..." "Sophie, please. Don't embarrass yourself by making up lies just because she's your friend." A girl whose name I couldn't even recall suddenly chimed in. "Victoria ran into her just last week. Said Sally was still driving her dad's beat-up old pickup truck, delivering raw meat to people." Sophie's face burned crimson. She opened her mouth to argue, but I grabbed her wrist and gave my head a slight shake. This toxic, suffocating atmosphere was exactly why I had declined the invitation in the first place. I had zero desire to explain myself to these people. Once the check was paid tonight, I would never see them again. Explaining my life to them was a total waste of breath. Victoria finally unhooked her arm from Tristan's and offered me a sickly sweet smile. "Sally, I am so sorry. Was I not supposed to tell everyone I saw you? I just recognized that awful truck and wanted to ask the group if it was really you." I nodded coolly. "It was me. My dad is getting older. When his back flares up, I help him run deliveries to his legacy clients." Bless her heart. After ten whole years, she still remembered exactly what my father's old truck looked like. Seeing that I didn't deny it, Derek scoffed. "Corporate? You need a corporation to slop pigs? My bad, I shouldn't call you a dirty farm girl. I should call you..." He dragged out the syllables, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The Chief Executive Swineherd." "That is enough." The sharp voice cut through the giggles. It was Tristan. He had been completely silent since I walked in. He scanned the room, his jaw tight. "It's a rare night for all of us to be together. What is the point of obsessing over pig farming?" 2 The moment the golden boy spoke, the private dining room shifted gears, pivoting instantly to flattery and brown-nosing. "Honestly, out of all of us, Tristan is the one who really made it." "He was the valedictorian, graduated from an Ivy League business school, and came straight back to a Senior VP role at a top-tier investment bank. The guy is unstoppable." "Not to mention he's paying the entire tab for tonight! I say we raise a glass to the boss!" The tension in Tristan's shoulders relaxed a fraction. "It is just nice to see everyone. The bill is nothing. Don't worry about it." Someone else chimed in, eager to score points. "A killer career is one thing, but look at his lady! Victoria's parents are old money, both corporate executives. Talk about a power couple!" "Seriously, it is so rare for high school sweethearts to make it. When is the wedding?" Victoria beamed, wrapping her arms around Tristan's bicep again. "Stop it, you guys. Tristan and I just got lucky with our careers, that's all. As for a wedding..." She cast a coy, blushing look at the man beside her. "That is entirely up to him." Listening to the clinking glasses and the hollow praises, I felt a bone-deep wave of boredom. I kept my head down, eating a piece of roasted duck in silence. Suddenly, a guy who had clearly downed too many shots pointed a sloppy finger at me. "Hey, wait a second. Wasn't Sally your girlfriend back in the day, Tristan?" He slurred his words, swaying in his seat. "When did... when did you swap her out?" Glasses froze halfway to people's mouths. The air in the room turned to lead. Tristan's polite smile shattered. "You are remembering things wrong," he said, every word clipped and tight. The drunk guy frowned, confused. "No way, man. You bought her breakfast every morning. You tutored her after class. Literally everyone knew." "She used to show up early just to wipe down your desk because you were a germaphobe. She brought you iced water after every gym class. You don't remember?" My fingers tightened around my fork. I suddenly lost my appetite. I had buried those memories a long time ago. In high school, Tristan and I shared a desk. He was the handsome, brilliant kid who always knew exactly what to say to make people feel special. I was young, foolish, and fell for him effortlessly. Whenever he looked at me, the tips of his ears would turn pink. I thought those shy, stolen glances meant something real. I thought promising to apply to the same college was our unspoken vow. I genuinely believed that when the time was right, we would be together. Then came the senior year family background forms. It ruined everything. Victoria had been helping the teacher collect the paperwork. When she grabbed my sheet, she let out a theatrical gasp, loud enough for the whole room to hear. "Heartland Farms? Sally, your family raises pigs?!" Heads snapped toward us. Victoria batted her eyelashes, feigning innocent disgust. "My parents work in high-rise offices. I've never even seen a live farm animal. I heard they are absolutely filthy. Doesn't the manure smell horrible? Does your dad actually have to slaughter them?" She pinched her nose, looking at me like I was a walking biohazard. I honestly didn't understand the big deal. My mother passed away from a severe illness when I was young. My father bought a house in the city and sent me to the best public school purely through the sweat, blood, and tears of running that farm. I felt nothing but overwhelming pride for him. "You don't seem to mind the smell when you're eating bacon," I shot back immediately. "What is wrong with farming? My dad is an incredible man." The room erupted into laughter. The eyes watching me were suddenly filled with mockery and disdain. Later that afternoon, I went to fill Tristan's water bottle like I always did. When I handed it back to him, he took it, sniffed the rim, and then pulled out a packet of antibacterial wipes, scrubbing the plastic violently. Remembering the sheer disgust in his eyes ignited a cold fury in my chest. I looked dead at the drunk classmate. "He is right. Nothing happened. Tristan and I were never anything to each other." Victoria let out a loud scoff. "Obviously. Like he would ever let a girl who reeks of livestock touch him." "The only people reeking right now are you guys." Sophie had finally had enough. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a heavy set of keys bearing the iconic Porsche crest, and slammed them onto the table right in front of me. "Sally. Your keys." 3 Before I could even react, Sophie snatched my limited-edition Hermès Birkin from the back of my chair and shoved the keys inside. "Almost forgot to give those back to you." "Wow." A sharp-eyed girl across the table let out a loud gasp. "Does cleaning out pig pens really pay that well? Just getting the purchase history to buy that bag costs hundreds of thousands of dollars." "Are you an idiot?" Victoria hissed, her manicured nails digging into the tablecloth. "Half the people on the internet rent luxury cars and buy knock-off bags just to flex at high school reunions." She tilted her chin, a nasty smirk on her face. "Of course, I am not saying you are that kind of person, Sally." Derek snorted. "You guys just don't know her. She was always trying to be something she wasn't. Coming from a literal barn, but begging her dad to buy her name-brand sneakers just to look rich." Sophie's eyes blazed. "You little..." "Are you all quite finished?" I interrupted, my voice dangerously calm. "You don't need to keep trashing the agricultural industry. My father and I work hard, we earn honest money, and I will spend that money on whatever the hell I want." I locked eyes with the balding man. "Derek, I rejected you back then because I found you repulsive. Listening to your pathetic, insecure remarks tonight just confirms I was right." I didn't spare a single feeling, stripping away their shallow facades one by one. "And Victoria. If you have a vendetta against me because I had a crush on your boyfriend a decade ago, let me clear the air for you. I forgot about him the second I graduated. You don't need to bare your fangs at me. Just eat your dinner." I pushed my chair back and stood up. "I am going to get some fresh air. The stench of jealousy in this room is making me sick." Ignoring their dropped jaws, I walked out. Even through the heavy oak door, I heard the sharp clatter of Victoria throwing her silverware onto her plate. "Who does she think she is?! She's a filthy farm girl! I'm the one who's disgusted by her! Did she even wash those gross hands before she came here?" Derek immediately echoed her. "I must have been blind to ever like her. The day I found out she lived with pigs, I almost threw up my breakfast. She spends her life with animals, and she has the nerve to act superior." A heavy wave of disappointment washed over me as I walked down the plush corridor. Whatever childish bonds we once shared were completely rotten. Sophie jogged out of the room, twisting her fingers together guiltily. "Sally, I am so, so sorry. I was just so angry about how they treated you back then. I thought dragging you here would be a victory lap. You are so successful now! Why didn't you just tell them?" I pushed open the restroom door and turned on the gilded faucet. The cool water washed over my hands. "Because they don't matter to me anymore, Sophie." I looked at our reflections in the ornate mirror and offered a gentle smile. Two days before graduation, we had to clean out our lockers. Tristan had taken a massive stack of love letters he had received over the years and dumped them in the trash. Some cruel kids dug through the pile, found the letters Sophie and I had written, and taped them to the front chalkboard. Look at the golden boy's fan club! Braces-face and the Pig-girl! Tristan had snapped. He completely lost his temper, screaming at us to leave him alone. He had looked right at me and said, Sally, your letter literally smells like pig shit. Don't you realize how disgusting you are? The innocent, fragile heart of a teenage girl had been shattered into a million pieces on that sweltering summer afternoon. "I grew up. I became successful," I told Sophie, drying my hands. "I thought seeing them again would feel like some grand revenge, but honestly? It is just boring." Sophie's voice snapped me out of the past. I tossed the paper towel into the bin and linked my arm through hers. "Come on. Let's go back, grab the bag, and get out of here. The food here is terrible anyway." We walked shoulder to shoulder back toward the private dining rooms. Just as we rounded the corner, a hand shot out and gripped my arm hard. 4 It was Tristan. His jaw was clenched, his eyes dark. "Sally. We haven't seen each other in ten years, and you seriously don't have a single thing to say to me?" I stared at him, utterly baffled by his audacity. I gave Sophie a look, silently asking her to go grab my purse from the room. I yanked my arm, tearing it out of his grip. "You've had too much to drink." He stared down at me, his gaze intense and slightly unfocused. "You never used to be like this." I took a step back, putting distance between us. "That is none of your business." "How is it none of my business?" He aggressively loosened his silk tie. The alcohol had flushed his skin and entirely stripped away his polished, gentlemanly mask. "Sally, who exactly are you trying to fool with this little act?" He let out a low, breathy laugh and stepped into my space. The sharp scent of expensive cologne mixed with stale whiskey hit my nose. "How much money can you seriously make shoveling dirt? Working outside in the sun, getting filthy, breaking your back?" He paused, his eyes doing a slow, evaluating sweep of my silk blouse and tailored trousers. "If you were with me, you wouldn't have to buy fake bags." "Twenty grand a month. How about it?" "Excuse me?" I blinked, convinced I had misheard him. "Stop playing dumb." He frowned, looking irritated that I wasn't immediately grateful. "Victoria's family has massive connections in my industry. I am never going to leave her. But I can take care of you on the side. You'll never have to do manual labor again. Isn't that what you want?" So that was it. A laugh bubbled up in my throat, sharp and utterly devoid of humor. In what delusional universe did he think he could buy me as his little secret? Even though I already knew my high school crush was a mistake, the sheer, unadulterated sleaze radiating from him right now was sickening. I opened my mouth to tear him apart, but a piercing, hysterical shriek echoed down the hallway. "Sally, you absolute home-wrecking bitch!" Victoria was sprinting toward us, her expensive heels clicking violently against the marble floor. "You filthy tramp! You act so innocent inside, but you're out here trying to seduce my fiancé! I can smell the desperation on you. You're repulsive!" Her screaming drew the attention of the waitstaff, who peeked out from the corners. The heavy oak door of our dining room swung open, and the rest of the class spilled out into the hallway to watch the drama. Derek was the first to jump in, his face lighting up with malicious joy. "Whoa, Sally! Trying to rekindle the old flame by becoming a mistress? Tristan and Victoria are practically at the altar. Trying to wedge yourself in there is pathetic." Emboldened by her audience, Victoria lunged at me, raising her hand to slap me across the face. "You shameless whore!" I didn't flinch. I reached out, clamped my hand around her descending wrist, and twisted it hard. She let out a high-pitched wail of pain. "Enough!" Tristan's face was chalk-white. "Everyone, stop it! We were just having a conversation. Why is everyone screaming?" "Tristan!" Victoria sobbed, huge tears ruining her mascara. "I saw everything! This dirty farm girl is harassing you! I am going to destroy her!" "Then let's get the story straight," I said. I didn't shout, but my voice echoed with absolute, icy authority. "Tristan just offered to pay me twenty grand a month to be his mistress. If you don't believe me, we can pull the security footage from the hallway cameras right now." Tristan's face went from pale to ash. A collective, stunned gasp rippled through the crowd of classmates. Their eyes darted wildly between the golden boy and his hysterical fiancée. Victoria looked like someone had just stolen the air from her lungs. Her jaw dropped, completely speechless. Sophie came running down the hall, clutching my Birkin. She glared at the frozen couple with absolute disgust. "Let's go, Sally. Breathing the same air as these people is a biohazard." "Hold on! Did I say you could leave?" Victoria suddenly snapped out of her shock. She threw her body in front of us, blocking our path. "Sally, you lying bitch! Don't you dare try to ruin my relationship!" "Ms. Lockwood!" A breathless voice called out. The owner of the restaurant came rushing down the corridor.
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