Chapter 4 Someone immediately burst into laughter.
âDoes she look like the type?
âCome on, Africa? She probably rarely even leaves her province!â
Even Jackson smirked faintly, shaking his head in disdain.
Sara squinted her eyes, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.
âExactly, I asked the wrong person!
âI shouldâve asked her which local market sells the cheapest vegetables or which brand of toilet cleaner works best!â
The table erupted in laughter again.
She, smug as ever, turned away and launched into another topic.
I slowly clenched my fists.
Something inside me was burning.
I thought, I must be drunk.
Otherwise, why would such a childish provocation anger me?
âIâve been there.â
My voice was calm but firm, cutting through the noise at the table.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Sara turned her head, momentarily stunned, before sneering, âWhat?â
âIâve been to Africa.â
Chapter 4 A flicker of surprise flashed across her face, but she quickly regained her composure, her tone dripping with disdain.
âOh, no need to be so pretentious. If you havenât been, just say so! Lying will only get you into trouble.â
âIâm not lying.â
âOh, really?â She crossed her arms, tilting her chin up. âThen tell us, where exactly did you go?
âKenya? Morocco? Or perhaps South Africa?â
I stared at her steadily, my voice unwavering: âThe Democratic Republic of Congo.â
The air froze.
â...Congo?â someone repeated hesitantly, doubt thick in their tone.
âMustâve had too much to drink,â another laughed, âmaking up stuff like this!â
The fire inside me flared even higher.
I wasnât the only one thereâthere were many others.
Journalists, peacekeepers, aid workers...
Were they not ânormal peopleâ either?
I swept my gaze across the table, speaking slowly and clearly:
âNot only have I been there, but I lived there for an entire year.
âIâve witnessed wars fought over mineral resources, visited Ebola treatment centers, distributed relief supplies with UN workers...
âI was even shot.â
Silence fell over the table.
Everyoneâs eyes widened, staring at me in disbelief.
09:22 Chapter 4 I swirled the wine in my glass, fixing my gaze on Sara as my tone turned icy:
âOne more thing.
âThere are no yellowfin tuna in the Mediterraneanâthey prefer tropical waters. The Camino de Santiago doesnât start in Portugal; it stretches from France to Spain. And as for Uluru, climbing has been banned since 2019.â
I narrowed my eyes, lips curling into a faint smile:
âSara, lying isnât good. Itâs so easy to get caught.â
Her face turned ghostly pale.
The others exchanged confused and uncertain glances, their gazes darting between us.
Sara suddenly shot to her feet, her voice rising in a shrill pitch:
âSheâs just a parentless nobodyâhow could she have been to such places?
âSheâs the one lying!â
Trested my chin on my hand, smiling faintly.
âThen why donât you show us some photos?
âYouâve been to so many places; surely you took a few pictures?â
Her face crumbled, panic overtaking her.
âI... I...â
âDonât tell me you donât have any?â
Her flustered expression grew more frantic as she turned to Jackson, nearly in tears.
âJackson! Whatâs wrong with your wife?!
âWasnât this supposed to be my welcome party? How can you let her bully me like this?
âForget it! If Iâm so unwelcome, Iâll just leave!â
Chapter 4 She pretended to wipe her eyes before storming out.
The room descended into chaos.
The others quickly urged Jackson, âGo after her! Itâs lateâwhat if she gets lost?â
Jacksonâs face darkened. He shot me a furious glare before standing abruptly and striding out the door.
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Chapter 5 Chapter 5