Chapter 5 - The Price of the Wedding
Daniel stared at Claire as if he had never seen her before.
“You forged her signature to pay for our wedding?”
Claire’s face twisted. “It wasn’t like that.”
Jonathan folded his arms. “Then explain the two-hundred-fifty-thousand-dollar advance.”
Emily gripped the vanity edge.
Two hundred fifty thousand dollars.
The flowers. The ballroom. The imported champagne. The ten-piece band. The hand-calligraphed menus. The crystal favors nobody needed.
All of it suddenly looked ugly.
Daniel’s voice went flat. “I thought your mother paid the deposit.”
Patricia looked down.
Claire spun toward her. “Say something.”
Patricia whispered, “I told you not to sign anything.”
“But you took the money.”
Emily looked at her mother.
Patricia flinched.
“How much?”
“Emily—”
“How much did you take?”
Patricia closed her eyes. “Forty thousand.”
Emily felt sick.
“For what?”
“The house was behind. I had bills. Your father left debts.”
Jonathan shook his head. “Thomas left no personal debt large enough to explain that.”
Patricia snapped, “You don’t know everything.”
Evelyn’s gaze sharpened.
“What don’t we know?”
Patricia went silent.
Daniel ran a hand over his face. “Claire, we have one hundred and sixty guests out there. My parents are giving speeches in twenty minutes. Tell me right now: is any part of this wedding actually paid for?”
Claire stared at him.
That silence was the answer.
Daniel’s expression changed from anger to disbelief.
Emily should have enjoyed it.
She didn’t.
She just felt tired.
“Why remove my seat?” she asked.
Claire looked at her.
“Because Jonathan was assigned to Table Twelve. Our table.”
Emily frowned.
Claire spoke faster now, desperate. “I saw the seating list. I knew Grandma invited him. If you sat there, he would talk to you before I could fix everything.”
“Fix what?”
“The development deal.”
Jonathan gave a humorless laugh. “By closing it before she discovered she owned the property?”
Claire’s eyes flashed. “The deal would have solved everything.”
“For you.”
“For all of us!”
Emily stepped closer.
“No. You stole from me, hid my father’s letter, entered my apartment, forged my signature, and humiliated me in public because you were afraid I might learn the truth before your first dance.”
Claire’s face crumpled for one second.
Then she said something so quiet Emily almost missed it.
“You think Dad chose you because he loved you more.”
Emily froze.
Claire’s tears finally spilled.
“He didn’t.”
Evelyn went rigid.
Patricia whispered, “Claire. Don’t.”
Claire looked directly at Emily.
“He chose you because he was afraid of me.”
Then someone pounded on the bridal lounge door.
Daniel opened it.
May you like
His father stood there, furious.
“There are two detectives in the lobby asking for Claire.”
