CONTINUATION OF 12-BETRAYAL
"Are you sure it's okay to have a watch party here at your place, Alya?" Lila questioned.
"Are you kidding me?" Alya cried out, "It's not every day we get to see your boyfriend, Damian Wayne, on TV!"
"Did you really invite the old class?" Lila asked.
"It's like a mini reunion!" Alya giggled, "We still don't know where Marinette is, so she won't be here, if that's what you are worried about."
Lila remained silent. Marinette hadn't gone to high school with the rest of them. The class had asked her parents, but they just said she transferred elsewhere. There wasn't any reason to bring the baker's daughter into the mix that day. No one had seen her in years and as far as they knew, she never went home.
"I'm so glad we can watch it togther." Lila smiled, "I would have been there, but I have to fly with my mother to Italy tomorrow so I couldn't go."
Soon, everyone arrived. They got snacks and drinks, ready to watch the Wayne Christmas Gala on the TV.
"The Wayne family is finally here!" the announcer declared, "It seems we have the whole family in attendance! Bruce Wayne and his fiancée, Selina Kyle. We have Dick Grayson and it seems his wife and daughter aren't here this time. It seems a miracle is upon us; Jason Todd is in attendance. We also have the Co-CEO of Wayne Enterprise tonight, Tim Drake."
"It seems Damian Wayne decided to join us tonight." the announcer continued.
"I can't wait for you to see him!" Lila cooed, "I wish he had more free time so he could come to Paris and meet you all! He's so handsome!"
Damian appeared on the screen.
"Oh, he is cute."
"Not really my type, but okay."
"He looks like this dad."
"Is it me or does he look pissed off?"
"Oh, it seems he brought his newly announced fiancée, Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" the announcer declared.
Lila's jaw dropped.
"Marinette!"
"Woah! She looks completely different."
"She grew her hair out! It's so long!"
"Remember whn she wore pigtails?"
Both Damian and Marinette stopped in front of the cameras for pictures.
"For those of you who don't kno the story behind Gotham's couple, it all started when Marinette Dupain-Cheng joined Wayne Enterprises at the age of eighteen." the announcer spoke, "At the age of twenty, she was running their fashion department and that is when Damian met her. Damian Wayne has stated in several interviews how he was , at first, determined to close down the department. That desire is wheat led him to meet her. We have learned that she did not cater to the Wayne ego and told him to leave her alone. Over time, Damian kept a watchful eye on her and even went as far as accusing her of seducing him. When he confronted her, months later, she punched him and quit. Bruce and Timothy Drake-Wayne begged her to stay, even attempting to raise her commission price to $200,000 for every design her completed."
The room was silent as they listened to the couple's tale.
"In the end, Marinette only desired Damian to apologize." the announcer laughed, "Our local Ice Prince then confessed he had found her attractive and distracting. It has been five years since that fated day when they started going out."
Across the screen showed pictures of the out on dates, walking in the park, eating at resturants; both cute and fancy.
"Just last month, Damian Wayne proposed." the announcer spoke, "Let's see if we can get a word in. Mr. Wayne, Miss Dupain-Cheng, there's a question viewers are dying to know."
"Maybe, we can answer." Marinette replied.
"Aside from her beauty, what drew you to dating Miss Dupain-Cheng?" they questioned.
Marinette covered her mouth, but the audio picked up a slight snort.
Damian blushed, "I was raised by my mother who taught me women were meant to be valued by thir strength, not their appearance. Marinette showed me how strong she was; that day I asked her out after she punched me in the face. Marinette is kind, smart, strong, a leader, and confident. I couldn't imagine anyone else by my side."
"Thank you for you answer, Mr. Wayne." the announced replied, shcoked, letting them walk off, "Well, there you have it folks. Out Ice Prince was dethawed by some heated words and a heated punch by Gotham's very own Sunshine!"
The TV cut to commercial and all hell broke loose.
"Lila, what the hell was that?"
"Didn't you say you were dating Damian Wayne?"
"Yeah!"
"Why is he with Marinette?"
"Why is he engaged to Marinette?"
"Are you 100% positive that you're dating Damian Wayne?"
"You think she's lying?"
"I just want to make sure before we blast Damian Wayne online as a cheater!"
"He cheated on Lila and deceived Marinette! The media is saying he's been with Mari for five years! Lila said they've been together for two years!"
"Do you have any pictures? We can use that as proof!"
"Knowing Marinette, she may just say that you're 'lying again'. She wouldn't believe you!"
Lila gulped, "I-I was lied to."
"Huh?" questioned Nino.
"The person I was dating said he was Damian Wayne, but he doesn't look like the guy on TV. I was too speechless when he came out on the screen to say anything. I'm sorry for the confusion." Lila admitted.
"Well, you better call him and tell him you just saw the Wayne Gala and know he isn't the real Damian Wayne!" shouted Alix.
"Wow! I can't believe that Marinette has been in Gotham!" spoke Nathaniel.
"Are your kidding? She's engaged to one of the world's billionares and is and is a fashion director for their company!" Kim exclaimed, "I wonder when she is coming back."
"Why would she come back here?" Adrien questioned, "Paris may be the fashion capital, but why would you lose a really good job like that?"
"Marinette's about to become Mrs. Wayne!" Rose cried out, excited.
Lila stood up, suddenly.
"Hey, are you okay?" Alya asked.
Lila had tears in her eyes, "I-I need to make a call."
"Do you need one of us to go with you?" Mylene asked out of concern.
Lila just shook her head.
Lila left the room, sobbing. After all she had done, Marinette had still won. Marinette had moved on. The baker's daughter had left the losers behind and rose the ranks to glory. She was on the verge of being fired from Gabriel. Adrien wasn't dating her, still, and was dating some other model from Shanghai. She was positive that Marinette hadn't thought of her in years. She had ruined her own life by turning Marinette against her. She had turned the person who would be the richest into her enemy and she knew she would never get a chance to have the life she desired.