Chloe stared at Wren.
“No…”
“Yes.”
Susan nodded.
“The person you just mocked is the reason you are alive today.”
The phones slowly lowered.
Nobody laughed anymore.
Chloe looked at the stained dress.
Then at the badge.
Then back at Wren.
“I didn’t know,” she whispered.
Wren finally stopped wiping the badge.
Her eyes were wet, but her voice was steady.
“You shouldn’t need someone to save your life before you decide they deserve respect.”
Chloe’s lips trembled.
Wren touched the badge.
“My dad mattered before you knew what he did for you.”
No one spoke.
Then Chloe began crying.
Susan took her by the arm and led her toward the exit.
The crowd parted.
Not for the queen bee.
