Chapter 4 - The Wedding That Wouldn't Stop

Daniel replayed the last sentence twice. On the third viewing, he shut the laptop so hard the latch cracked.

“She's marrying into the family to cover something,” he said.

Eleanor looked toward the ballroom. “Or someone's marrying her into it.”

Vanessa's father, Richard Whitmore, chaired the Mercer Foundation's finance committee. His construction firm had built half the luxury developments along the waterfront. I'd seen his photograph in glossy magazines beside giant ceremonial checks. Until that afternoon, I had never thought about where the money came from.

“I need to leave,” I said. “My brother's at home. If Vanessa knows who I am, she might know where he is.”

Marcus offered to drive me. Before we could move, the wedding planner burst in, flushed and frantic. “Mr. Mercer, the officiant wants to know whether to continue.”

Daniel stared at her. “No.”

The planner looked as if he'd spoken another language. “The guests are seated. The live stream has sponsors. Ms. Whitmore says we should carry on with the vows and resolve the misunderstanding afterward.”

“Tell her,” Daniel said, each word measured, “there will be no wedding.”

I expected relief. Instead, I felt the floor shift beneath me. The bride's humiliation had just become a public scandal, and I was standing at the center of it.

As we crossed the reception hall, Vanessa hurried toward Daniel, her skirt sweeping across the marble. “You cannot do this to me.”

“You did it to yourself.”

“She lied to you.”

“I saw the recording.”

Vanessa looked at me with a coldness that had nothing to do with jealousy. “Then ask her why her mother stole from the foundation. Ask why the police were looking for her the week she died.”

People murmured. My stomach tightened. “That's a lie.”

“Is it?” Vanessa pulled an envelope from the bridal clutch hanging at her wrist. She scattered photocopies across the floor. One page bore my mother's signature beneath the words ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF UNAUTHORIZED TRANSFERS.

May you like

Billionaire’s Wife Kicked a Waitress in Front of 300 Elites—One Slap Exp...

The billionaire’s wife tried to kick a waitress in the face in front of 300 wealthy guests. But seconds later, she whispered three...

My Mother Grabbed My Wife by the Hair Over Cold Soup—But What My Father...

My mother grabbed my wife by the hair over a bowl of cold soup. And the most shameful part? For one terrible second, I almost defe...

My Parents Kicked My 6-Year-Old Daughter and Me Out on Christmas—Then I...

My mother kicked my six-year-old daughter out of Christmas dinner, never realizing I was the only reason she still had a house to...

Daniel bent to pick it up. Eleanor's face changed. She seemed to recognize the letterhead. I knew at once she was keeping something from us.

Then Vanessa pointed at the date. “Look closely, Emily. Your mother signed that confession three days after she died.”