At the end of Cruel Intentions, Annette and Cecile distribute copies of Sebastian's journal to their fellow classmates, exposing Kathryn's many vices and schemes. The moment of retribution, however, was originally going to be much more low-key. Kumble said, "When I originally wrote it, it was smaller. It was set in a room with Annette and Kathryn, and it just didn't have that oomph."
It was Heather Lieberman, the film's co-producer, who pushed for a more dramatic finale. "She had to be publicly shamed. The crux of the movie is from a teenager's point of view, right? At that age, your reputation is the most important thing," Lieberman said. "Things feel so big, so that public persona she worked so hard to cultivate needed to be shattered."