— So, how is it, top student? Did your gold medals help you? Look at what we have become — and how pitiful you look — Justine’s voice at the class reunion was full of mockery.
Eleonora took a deep breath. She knew that these people still saw her the same way: a quiet, modest, almost unnoticed girl.
Fifteen years had already passed since graduation.
Eleonora stopped at the entrance of the restaurant. The noisy hall greeted her with the sound of live music and the murmur of conversations. Mixed aromas of fresh bread, fried meat, and expensive perfume floated in the air. In the center of the room stood a long table where her former classmates were already sitting: Justine, Lukas, Frederik, Isabelle, and Marcel.
She adjusted her emerald linen dress and walked inside with a straight posture. Every movement radiated calm and confidence.
— Oh, just look who came! — Justine loudly announced when she noticed Eleonora. At school she had been the queen of the class, and now she shone in a red dress, with perfectly styled hair.
— Eleonora? We didn’t expect to see you — added Lukas, a former athlete who now looked different: more serious, but with visible signs of time passing.
Eleonora quietly greeted them and took an empty seat at the edge of the table. The conversation at the table was already in full swing. Everyone tried to show how successful they had become: expensive cars, prestigious trips, and apartments in city centers were being discussed.
— Eleonora, and what do you do? — Justine asked loudly, as if she wanted to silence everyone.
Everyone turned toward her. Eleonora did not rush to answer. In her hands was a glass of water, which she placed on the table with a light, almost invisible gesture.
— We remember that you were always with books — Justine continued, leaning forward. — So what? What did it bring you?
Back then they used to call her “Scarecrow.” She wore large glasses, her brother’s old sweaters, and almost always sat over her textbooks. She helped classmates cheat, study for tests, and always remained on the sidelines of their mockery.
— So, top student, did your gold medals help you? Look at what we have become — repeated Justine’s voice.
Laughter echoed again, but Eleonora remained calm. Her gaze was warm but firm. These people were still living in the past, not realizing that during those years she had built a completely different life.
— Excuse me, may I ask for a moment of your time? — said the voice of a man in an elegant suit. He looked slightly nervous. — My wife watches your reports every day. She recognized you immediately at the entrance and asked if we could take a photo.
Eleonora smiled and agreed. After taking the picture, she returned to the table, and the atmosphere changed: the laughter disappeared.
— Wait… — Justine said slowly. — You… who are you?
— I’m a journalist — Eleonora replied.
— Nowadays every second person says that — Frederik smiled.
— I host an investigative program on national television. My reports have helped expose dozens of major corruption scandals across Europe — Eleonora announced.
Justine picked up her phone, and after a few seconds her face turned pale. On the screen was Eleonora’s photo with the headline:
“Eleonora Steiner — the journalist uncovering the biggest corruption cases in Europe.”
— That’s… you? — Justine whispered.
Eleonora nodded.
— I simply studied a lot, worked hard, and never gave up.
The silence at the table was absolute. No one laughed anymore. Eleonora stood up, took her handbag, and said:
— It was nice to see you.
Leaving the restaurant, she kept the same grace with which she had entered, leaving people slightly shocked. Their world had remained the same, while she had proved that strength and success come through work, not through appearance or connections.
