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"Yeah, I so hate her guts. She thinks she's the freaking queen who owns the world. It's a good thing her family was brought down with her as well," Ellen DeGeneres said with a smirk on her gorgeous face before continuing, "She's so full of herself, always acting like everything revolves around her. Honestly, it was a good thing Aaron dumped her sorry ass."
"God, you guys are despicable! How could you say this about her? She was our friend, you know?" Amy yelled, glaring at them.
"Oh, zip it, Amy. Shush. It's better you keep that big mouth of yours shut, or sooner or later, you'll end up just like her. Or do you want to be like her?" Ellen said, twirling Amy's locks with her pointy fingers. Amy glared at her, while a smirk crept across Hailey's face.
"Yay, you know, you act like a freaking saint all the time, but you and I both know you hate her more than we do," Hailey said, scrutinizing Amy with her sharp gaze.
"No, I don't," Amy said defensively.
"Oh, she's scared Kayla will bring her family down when she hears about this," Ellen said, smirking as she stepped back from Amy.
"Oh baby, should I remind you? Kayla will never rise to the top now," Hailey said with a sly grin, earning an intense glare from Amy.
"You—" Amy pointed a finger angrily at Hailey, who slapped it away.
"Do you want me to remind you that Kayla helped your peasant family rise to the top when you had nothing? Is this how you repay someone who lifted your lazy ass up? Yes, I might have envied her a little, but that doesn't mean I didn't love her. Kayla might have been a bitch, but she was a kind bitch. Yes, she had flaws, but she was kind to all of us—especially to you, Hailey. Instead of helping her out during her downfall, helping her rise back to where she deserves to be, you kicked her down from star to dust. Bravo. To both of you. Especially you, Hailey.
I'm done with all of you. And as for you, Hailey, keep following Ellen. She'll bring you down with her. Don't forget, your family background is by far lower than any of ours. One day, she'll turn on you too," Amy said, her voice trembling with rage before storming off toward the restroom.
"Bitch," Hailey muttered under her breath as she watched Amy walk away.
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Meanwhile…
Having overheard every word her so-called friends had said about her, Kayla sat in the restroom, crying as she pulled the mask off her face. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing makeup. She had forgotten about the CCTV cameras—footage that could easily make headlines. After a few minutes, she stepped out of the stall and walked toward the sink to wash her tear-streaked face.
Just as she splashed water on her face, a hand grabbed her wrist. Turning sharply, she met Amy's worried and confused gaze.
"I didn't know you were here. When did you arrive?" Amy asked softly, placing her hand gently on Kayla's shoulder. But Kayla yanked herself away, glaring at Amy with pure disgust.
Smack! A sharp slap landed on Amy's soft cheek.
"Don't you dare touch me!" Kayla yelled angrily, turning to walk past Amy. But Amy pulled her back into a tight hug. Instead of getting angry, Amy held Kayla tightly as Kayla's body shook with uncontrollable sobs.
Minutes passed before Kayla finally pulled away, her puffy eyes glistening with fresh tears. Amy reached up to gently wipe them away.
"Are you okay?" Amy asked softly, cupping Kayla's tear-stained cheek like a protective mother hen.
"I'm fine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be," Kayla said, her voice cracking. She turned to leave, but Amy grabbed her wrist again.
"Why are you acting like this?" Amy asked nervously. "We're friends, aren't we? You couldn't even—"
Before she could finish, Kayla slapped her again.
Amy winced but didn't let go of Kayla's wrist. "Kayla, I don't know what I did to deserve this, but one thing I know for sure: You are my best friend. And nothing will ever change that. If I did something wrong, tell me, and I'll make it right. Please, don't keep me in the dark. Just tell me—why are you so mad at me?"
Kayla's puffy eyes drifted to the side as if staring into an empty void.
"It's a good thing her family was brought down as well as her. Kayla is a bitch. Kayla will never rise to the top now."
Amy's eyes widened in realization. Those were the exact words Ellen and Hailey had said earlier.
"Shocked?" Kayla asked with a bitter smirk on her face.
"Kayla, I—I… we…"
"Gosh, shut up! To think I considered you all my best friends. What did I do to deserve this? Why did you all have to backstab me? What's worse than betrayal from the people you loved and cherished the most? That's why you shouldn't care about people too deeply—because when they hurt you, it's worse than any physical pain."
"Kayla, please listen to me," Amy said desperately. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Kayla, her only true friend.
"TELL ME, WHY SHOULD I LISTEN TO YOU, HUH?! GIVE ME ONE—JUST ONE DAMN REASON WHY I SHOULD LISTEN TO YOU, AMY ROCKSWELL!" Kayla roared, her voice shaking with emotion. "I'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT KIND TO ALL OF YOU, AND WHAT DID I GET IN RETURN? YOUR BACKSTABBING!
NOW TELL ME, AMY—GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON WHY I SHOULD LISTEN TO A BACKSTABBING SNAKE LIKE YOU!"
"Because I never thought of you as a bad person, Kayla. Let me clear everything now. If you still don't want to be my friend after this, fine. But I still want us to be friends."
Amy sighed deeply. "Yes, I envied you—your looks, your charm, your boyfriend… or so I thought he was. Until he got Chelsea pregnant. And most of all—"
"Wait. Pause. What did you just say?" Kayla cut her off, her tearful eyes narrowing in confusion.
Amy grabbed Kayla's hand and pulled her toward a quiet corner nearby. Both girls sat down, their emotions raw and exposed, as Amy prepared to reveal the truth that would change everything.
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