Vincent turned back to the crowd, but all he saw were faces filled with judgment and disdain. He opened his mouth to speak, to salvage what little dignity he had left, but the words wouldn’t come. He was trapped, caught in the web of his own lies.
People began to murmur louder, some whispering to their neighbors, others openly pointing at him. Vincent’s shoulders slumped; he was exposed, vulnerable, and utterly defeated. The life he tried to construct out of deceit had unraveled before his eyes.