The silence that fell over the room was deafening. Every pair of eyes turned to me, expressions ranging from confusion to disbelief to outright mockery.
"Excuse me?" Hazel was the first to break the silence, her voice dripping with disdain. "Did you just call Juliana 'Dr. Bella'?"
Benjamin stood firm beside me, though I could see the regret in his eyes for his impulsive outburst. He hadn't meant to expose me, but Imogen's blatant lies had pushed him over the edge.
"I did," he said simply.
Laughter erupted around us. Hazel doubled over, clutching her stomach as if this was the funniest joke she'd heard in years.
"Oh my God, that's priceless!" she wheezed. "Juliana Johnson is Dr. Emma Bella? The brilliant scientist revolutionizing the energy field? The mysterious researcher no one's ever seen?" She wiped tears from her eyes. "Benjamin, I always knew you were odd, but I didn't realize you were delusional!"
