"You... you're Ms. Riggs, right?" One sales assistant, emboldened, addressed her directly.
"Yes," Heather nodded. "You know me?"
"Oh my God!" Their excited squeals surprised her. "You're really Ms. Riggs! We thought it was you when you came in. You're much prettier than on TV! We're so happy for you. Congratulations on your marriage!"
Heather was stunned. She had no idea what they meant by TV or marriage. 'Wait! Marriage?' Hannah's actions sprang to mind. Her eyes narrowed. "Where did you see me? On TV?"
"Yeah, yeah!" One nodded vigorously. "The video of Mr. Russell proposing to you went viral. It's so romantic! You two make such a great couple!" 'Great couple, my ass!'
Her expression hardened, her gaze fierce. The saleswomen hadn't anticipated this reaction. Not only was she unhappy, she was furious. Unsure how they'd offended her, they stood awkwardly.
"Great. Just great!" she sneered, striding out, phone in hand, leaving them bewildered.
Storming from the store, Heather remembered something and searched for the video. It was everywhere. Clicking on one, she saw Ralph proposing to "her," down on one knee, spouting mushy words. She'd heard about it from her spies, but this was the first time she saw it—the onlookers clapping and cheering. Worst of all was Hannah's shy, enchanted expression.
'What kind of expression was that? I'd never look like that. This is shameful!' Humiliated, she gritted her teeth. She'd cultivated an image of arrogance and aloofness for years, yet Hannah had displayed such vulnerability in public. Even though it was Hannah, she knew people would assume it was her.
'How humiliating! And why is he proposing when we've already discussed our engagement? Not to mention publicizing it like this!'
"Miss?" Chump noticed Heather stop, turning to him abruptly. He had no idea what she wanted; he'd been her companion for years. "Let's go home!" she said harshly.
Chump remained silent.
Enraged, Heather wanted to tear Hannah apart. 'How could she do such a disgraceful thing, impersonating me? My punishment was too lenient.' Upon arriving home, she found a car parked outside the gate. An expensively dressed man in a suit leaned against it, seemingly dozing after a long wait.