Chapter 7
His daughters stood up.
One covered her mouth.
The other said, “Dad.”
Cassandra’s voice changed.
It became sweet.
“Peter, honey, he’s twisting this. You know lawyers.”
Daniel didn’t raise his voice.
“Then explain the email.”
Cassandra said nothing.
“Explain the unpaid balance.”
Nothing.
“Explain why you told Maison Vale your trust account would clear when that account was closed eight months ago.”
More whispers.
Phones were fully out now.
Cassandra looked around and realized the room had moved without moving.
No one was on her side anymore.
So she did what people like Cassandra do when truth corners them.
She attacked the easiest target.
Me.
“This is her fault,” she shouted, pointing at my torn dress. “She has always hated me. She’s jealous because nobody wanted her.”
Noah flinched near the fountain.
I stepped into the aisle.
My torn dress was still pinned together by my hand.
My knees felt weak.
But my voice didn’t.
“I didn’t make you tear my dress.”
Cassandra glared.
“I didn’t make you lie to Peter.”
Her mouth opened.
“I didn’t make you leave invoices unpaid.”
Her face twisted.
“And I didn’t make you call a single mother poor in front of her child because you needed someone to feel smaller than you.”
That was the first time Peter looked directly at me.
Really looked.
Then he looked at Noah.
His expression broke.
“Your son heard that?”
I nodded.
Peter closed his eyes.
When he opened them, the groom was gone.
Only the father remained.
“Cassandra,” he said, “there will be no wedding today.”
The words landed like a judge’s gavel.
Cassandra staggered back.
“What?”
May you like
“I said there will be no wedding.”
“You can’t humiliate me like this!”
