Stand ground and hold defensive positions.

While I expected to be exploded upon, to have it happen in real time was another thing altogether. I swallowed, trying to buy myself time to think of what to say as Rachel glared at me like I'd just consumed an infant. "It's not his fault," pleaded Elizabeth. "I - "

"You knew?!" Rachel's redirected her glare at Elizabeth, regarding her with the same venomous distaste before she looked back at me again. And then, before I could see it coming -

SMACK.

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she covered her mouth and her wordless gasp. I blinked several times, as if trying to register the impact of Rachel's outstretched palm, her slap stinging my cheek. Had this been high school, there would've been very little question that I'd be slammed across the floor, but I'd always been a head taller than Rachel, and my build outweighed her significantly at 30. Before I could adjust my spectacles out of habit, she let out another scream of inarticulate rage, a fist pulled back and slammed against my shoulder, making me reel back a step.

"It's always you, isn't it?!" Rachel screeched before she delivered another punch. "Everywhere I turn, everywhere I go! Oh, I want to hang out with Ian's friends! I want to ride his cock! I want his fucking baby in my whore pussy!" she ranted, in a very poor imitation of what was probably Talia.

"Rachel!" My brunette friend snapped, visibly outraged, but I managed to shoot her a look just as another slap nailed me across my other cheek.

"Why did it have to be you?! Don't you already have a wife of your own?!" Amid the screams, I gritted my teeth, holding my ground as Rachel pummeled her fists against my raised arms. "Why did you have to come into my life? OUR LIFE?? THE LIFE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE!"

I raised my head as I heard her voice break, streaks of tears evident on Rachel's cheeks as she let out all she had. Another scream as she grabbed my shirt, weakly punching my chest. It was like trying to tame an angry toddler, the intensity in her attacks weakening into a whimper, before all she could do was hold onto my shirt with both hands as she fell to her knees. What anger Elizabeth had seemed to give way to concern - no longer for me, but for the woman now weeping against me as she lamely throttled my top, her tears soaking into the fabric.

"W-why?..."