Satin pink platform heels, glittering skirt, a deep-brown lip, and that cunning look met my eyes. The floor-length skirt twinkled as the embroidered mirrors, crystals and bubbles met the flashing camera lights and cast glaring reflections on my face. I covered my eyes with a frown and glanced at her to see her smugly set her brown waves with practiced elegance. She assessed me with a scorn but made sure no one else could see it, and scanned my outfit in distaste. The satisfaction Bea and I had after putting so much effort in our attire died like a deflated balloon. My dress was meager in front of hers, but that wasn't something new.

Before Bella could open her mouth and ruin her perfect illusion and everyone's mood, I warned her. Do you seriously want to do this?" I hissed, but in the silence of the room and the music from all sides, my voice echoed.

"Tyler, sweetheart." She stepped closer and tried to intimidate me but I held my ground. Walking closer, she stopped inches from my face and if we hadn't had such a terrible history behind us, I might have taken this as her infatuation with me.

"Bella." My smile was so wide it made me dizzy to just hold it up. The abhorrence I felt for her ran deep in my veins, but if she wanted to put up the nice act for the camera, I would gladly deliver it tenfold. For a second surprise flickered in her eyes at my expression, but an evil glint took over as she assessed me in a new light and gave me an oh-so-small smirk.

Oh, let the games begin.

"Attention everyone!" A sweet voice blared through the speakers making me jump, and I flinched back. Bella smirked at her small victory and I ignored her to look towards the podium where a breathtaking lady stood in an emerald green dress.The palpable tension in the room dissipated and everyone shuffled to their allocated seats."I'm the host of this competition, Florence Drew."

She introduced herself and her teeth sparkled in the lights as she bathed in applause and whistles."For the inaugural ceremony, let me call upon the stage, Matt, Tony, and Cheng!"

My heart rate doubled as I saw the three master chefs going up on the stage. The reality hit me strong and Bea and I could only sit there star-struck. The judges carried an air of charm and spoke with such elegance, confidence, and glamor, that their voices had me in a trance.

Bea had to shake me to get me to focus again. "Tyler, they're calling the contestants up on the stage for an introduction. Don't act so dead," her forceful whisper was a splash of water on my face and I nodded. A few minutes later she nudged me and pointed to the Asian contestant on the stage. "Isn't that guy hot?"

"Oh... Is Francis already forgotten?" I jested, and she stumbled over her words.

"Francis is hot as well," she muttered, and I giggled at her cute response.

"Don't mock me Tyler." She pouted, and I shook my head, an easy smile playing on my lips.

"As you know, we have four special contestants now!" Florence announced and all sort of things started speed racing in my stomach.

"Let me introduce you to the second runner-up Patrick and his partner, Quinn." Both of them walked up to the stage and gave a brief introduction about themselves and then answered a few candid questions about food and their lifestyle. After them, it was Francis' turn.

"Now now, please hold your breath for the charming French boy, Francis!" The girls went wild with the hooting and I had to restrain Bea from jumping up and down on the chair along with others.

"Bea, sit back!" I tried to pull her back to the chair around the small table we were settled in but failed to do so. "Your hair will turn into a bird's nest at this rate."

That was enough to mellow her down and I laughed at her simple mind. My eyes caught Bella's eyes across the room and a small pang of fear and loathing settled in my chest. The strong dislike I had for her came as a surprise because it hasn't been that long since I got acquainted with her. We were trapped in our thoughts, our worlds, neither of us surrendering.

"Tyler! What are you doing?" Bea shook my arm and our eye contact broke." They are calling for us," she said, and I looked around to see that everyone was looking at us expectantly. Putting on a smile, I grabbed Bea's hand, pulled her up, and walked towards the platform.

Francis met us halfway, reassuring us before sitting back. "Everything will be okay. It's just a few questions."

"Miss Tyler and her partner Bea!" Florence announced our names again and the other contestants cheered for us.

"Hello, I'm Tyler and she is my junior and partner, Bea." That came out okay. I relaxed and smiled at the camera and nudged Bea to do the same. Instead, she took a charming bow, and even a boy sitting in front row winked at her.

"Everyone here knows who you are, Tyler. In fact, if I'm correct, Matt was on the judging panel back in your Junior Baking Competition?"

"Yes, he was. I'm ecstatic to have the chance to meet him again." The answer came out smoothly and I relaxed further, getting into the rhythm of the interview.

"I'm sure he is even more delighted," she crooned in her musical voice and the audience cheered again.

"So tell us more about why you chose Bea as your partner?" I looked towards Bea, who was fiddling with her clutch and draped my arm over her shoulder, pulling her close.

"Bea is a wonderful girl. She is the best student and the most enthusiastic support I could have. I bet she can beat me any day," I answered and Bea beamed at me with star-struck eyes.

"Well, l can you bake better than her?"

"Stop joking, Tyler," Bea mumbled, and nudged me with her shoulder, making me laugh, and addressed Florence, "I can't beat her."

"Is that so?" Florence laughed.

"Yup! Tyler is wonderful. Her cooking classes are my favorite. I'm so happy that she chose me." Bea squeezed my side, and I returned the affection, a giddy feeling building up as the excitement of the upcoming competition caught up with me.

"How is it to be back again? Taking on the competition once again?" Florence asked me and I held my microphone, pondering over it.

"I never imagined myself being on this platform again-"

"Of course she didn't," Bella spoke from the other end as she looked at me. I looked at Florence, a bit confused but she looked as much bewildered as I was. Bella stalked towards the podium, her posture one of poise, with all eyes on the room on her again.

"What do you mean?" I asked before I could stop myself. My mistake became evident in an instant as I realized that I had taken her bait.

"You know well, dear friend," she said and picked up another microphone, looking at me once and then ahead.

"Good evening everyone, and sorry for the interruption," she started, and I looked at Florence, waiting for her to interrupt her. But she looked at Bella with such open interest and admiration there was no question she would let her go on. My eyes scanned the area and landed on Francis, an eerie urgency building up in my stomach. He looked at Bella with open curiosity and confusion.

"My dear friend Tyler wanted me to share something with you all. She said she wouldn't be able to do it and begged me to do it. Didn't you friend?" Bella turned her head towards me as if asking my permission and I shook my head to say no." Oh, don't be so shy now, I'm sure everyone is curious."

Bea came closer, a frown on her face, and whispered in my ear, "Do you know what she is saying?" I didn't reply and shrugged and watched as everyone hooted for Bella to continue with her speech. She looked back at me with a victorious smile but I only felt confusion.

What was she going to talk about? The bet? That can't be possible...

"Judges, contestants and to everyone watching this show, there is something Tyler wanted everyone to know... she was a bullying victim once."

My breath caught in my throat and my body froze over at her words. I stared at the back of her head in silent shock as my head spun in anguish.

"After winning the competition she was popular, no doubt. But it came with a hefty prize. Tyler here was verbally abused, tormented, teased, belittled, mocked, pulled pranks on just because she became a somebody from nobody!"

The words hit me one stab after the another, bringing up the long-suppressed memories of the said days. Each letter opened a fresh wound in my body, its pain as hurtful as the physical one. My mind screamed at me to stop her, but my body was spellbound.

"Stop!" Bea shouted and everyone gasped, "Can't you see her state?"

It was then I realized that I was crouching down on the floor, my hands covering my ears, my body shaking all over. The painful memories resurfaced but I willed them to shut and out of my mind. No, I can't go weak like this. Not after all my efforts. These thoughts collided in my mind and gave me the courage to get out of those haunted memories.

"See! That's what I was saying. Above all Francis! Her ex-boyfriend. Yes, the very one sitting here. His parents ridiculed her in front of the whole school," she paused, "just because she dated him."

"Tyler," Bea whispered in my ear, clutching at my bicep, "I know what happened, you cannot let those memories get to you." Her words registered in my mind and I nodded, clutching Bea's hand to shakily stand up. The anger burned in my chest, and the only thing that stopped me from pouncing on Bella was Francis's shout.

I whispered, "Why are you doing this?"

Bella pulled the microphone away from her face and mouthed, "Because I know you'll leave this competition if everyone knows your truth. And Francis? Do you think he can manage to face the public when the truth about his parents comes out? He would have to admit his defeat. Killing two birds with one stone?"

My head swam at her words. What sort of twisted plan was this? She was ready to play the evil bitch who humiliated me in public, she wanted me to crumble under those memories, just so we would leave this competition and let her win? I couldn't believe she would stoop to this level just to get this result. Why was she so desperate to marry Francis?

Bella continued to speak to the audience, "His parents threatened her--""Will you stop?" Francis bellowed from across the room and stomped over to us. Everyone else was silent and curious, waiting for the drama to unfold.

"Why dear? Do you think I'm lying?" Bella asked in a high pitched voice. My murderous instinct flared but Francis got to her before me.

"Will. You. Stop?" He spoke each word as he was spitting it. His face looked so scary as he stared down at Bella that Florence intervened to cool the tension down.

"Francis dear-" Francis held up a hand to shut her up, and she did.

"Tyler, is she telling the truth? I don't believe a single word she says." He looked at me, standing above him on the stage. I could see in his eyes he knew it was the truth, but he didn't want to believe it. The betrayal in his eyes gleamed, breaking my heart into pieces.

"It's true," I whispered and a mixture of emotions filled his face. Hurt, guilt, sorrow and most of all betrayal--because of his parents or me, I didn't know.

"You never told me?" It was just a breath of his voice and I put my head down, ashamed of myself. Tears ran freely and Francis jumped up on the stage to comfort me.

"I'm sorry, I-I couldn't." Francis gripped my shoulders as more tears rolled down my cheeks in an endless stream.

"It's okay," he hushed me, but I pushed him away.

"No, it's not!" I shouted and looked at Bella, standing with her arms crossed and a smug expression on her face.

She wanted this. To humiliate me.

"Tyler dear, here, wipe your tears." Florence handed me a tissue, but I threw it away in a fit. She gasped and looked at me in shock, but I had no humility left.

The secret I had tried so hard to protect for years... from my father and mother. Just to keep them away from the unnecessary pain. And she had ruined it. Did she think so little of someone else's feelings? What would my mom think after she watched this? "Bella," I growled, twisting her shoulders to make her look at me. Her hands immediately came up to her face to defend herself and I gave an involuntary snort.

She wanted this. To humiliate me. To make me back down. Why should I let her win so easily? If she was ready to turn evil, then I was ready to paint her even blacker.

"Thank you so much for this," I whispered. Her eyebrows arched at my words, not expecting them. A sense of freedom filled my chest as I realized that I did not have to lie anymore. She had wanted to prey on my weakness, wanted to make me suffer, make me have a breakdown. But I would not give her that satisfaction.

Not at all.

"Everyone. What Bella said is hundred percent true," I said and looked at her, "But no one asked her to do this."

Soft murmurs started around the whole room and I bathed in satisfaction now that it was my turn to put her on the hot seat. "I was bullied. Verbally abused? Yes."I was bullied. Verbally abused? Yes. Tormented every day because I was dating someone out of my social status. When I received the letter for this competition. Can you guess what I did with it?" I asked around, but everyone sat there stumped, "I crumpled it. Just like this with my fingers."

"Florence you ask me how I felt being back here in this competition? To tell you the truth, I feel like shit. And why won't I?" Sudden tears sprang in my eyes but I held them back, "When every single day and night since I had the luck to be in a boarding school, I had to tolerate everything that happened because of this competition."

"But you know what? Fuck it. After three years, three years of the torture. I come back home and spend this amazing break," I paused, thinking back to the week before, and smiled fondly, "Each day was something new. Something better. Funny because there wasn't a single moment when I was reminded of my troubled past."

"Tyler-" Bella started again, but everyone hushed her, waiting for me to continue. I wiped my tears and took a deep breath. Looking back at the expectant faces, a laugh rose in me.

"You must think that I had such a happy ending. Even I thought so. But I was wrong." I leaned back and looked at Bella. "These things can never be buried. It's out now, isn't it? I never told my mom or even my dad who died two years ago."

"And she still doesn't know. But after this broadcast?" I shook my head and shrugged, "She would know and I can't do anything."

"We can edit it out!" a voice came back from behind and everyone agreed but I shook my head.

"No, leave it. I know Bella did this to humiliate me. We have this amazing past you see." I smirked, and a few giggled. "But I want to thank her today. If it hadn't been for her cruel intention of crushing me, I could have never told this to my family or my friends."

"I think we all need a big round of applause for this brave girl." Florence tried to wrap things up. Bella huffed out and left the stage. A series of applause erupted and I tried to smile. Florence shrugged and said, "So shall we begin the party?"

*****

This chapter was a lot different from the other ones. I have mixed feelings about it. What do you think of this development? I had been hinting about Tyler's past a lot in the past chapters, did anyone guess it?

Bullying : I think it's something prevalent most when you are a teenager. I can't say that I was ever bullied. Maybe I was, but I don't know. Were you ever bullied?

[Edit: not happy to share it, but I had my first experience of bullying too. I realized that how much ever time passes, it's not something you can forget. I'm always up for a chat if you wanna talk.]

Tyler had her own experience and journey with bullying. It doesn't happen anymore, but it's still hard to keep up with the past. If anyone thinks that Tyler seems too happy, or cheery to be bullied, then that's simply because she learned to stand up for herself.

Her only shortcoming was that she never told this to her family. And that is one mistake that a lot of people make. If you are being bullied, please talk to an adult. Talk to as many of them as you can.

There is no shame in it, it is YOUR RIGHT! No one should ever go through this.