Chapter 2 - THE FRAME-UP
Amanda froze in front of the screen.
“No.”
Her voice barely came out.
“That angle is misleading.”
Marissa looked at her.
“The camera is directly above your head.”
“It doesn’t show everything.”
“Then we’ll keep watching.”
Chloe suddenly moved toward the laptop.
“Turn it off.”
One of the guards stepped between her and the table.
The guests began whispering openly now.
Nobody cared about politeness anymore.
Nobody cared about the wedding cake or the first dance.
They were watching a public execution.
Not mine.
Chloe’s.
On the screen, Amanda crouched beside my chair.
She opened my handbag.
But before she could place the ring inside, one of the servers approached.
Amanda panicked.
She closed my purse.
Then she walked quickly toward the flower arrangement.
The camera caught her opening her silver evening bag.
Her hand disappeared inside.
Then she shoved something deep into the centerpiece.
Marissa paused the recording.
Every eye turned toward the flowers.
The centerpiece stood less than ten feet from Amanda.
White orchids.
Garden roses.
Crystal beads.
A silver decorative bowl sat at the base.
Mr. Reyes walked over.
Amanda rushed forward.
“Don’t touch that.”
He ignored her.
He moved several flowers aside.
Then reached into the silver bowl.
When his hand came out, a massive diamond ring glittered beneath the chandeliers.
The room exploded.
Someone gasped.
Someone else laughed.
A man near the bar said,
“You have got to be kidding me.”
Chloe’s father, Richard, remained seated at the head table.
He looked as though someone had struck him.
Eleanor stared at the ring.
Amanda started crying.
“I can explain.”
My father looked at her.
“I suggest you do.”
Amanda turned toward Chloe.
It was instinctive.
A desperate glance.
But it told the entire room exactly where the explanation needed to begin.
Chloe saw it too.
“Don’t look at me.”
Amanda’s mouth fell open.
“What?”
“I had nothing to do with this.”
Amanda stared at her cousin.
“You told me to.”
Chloe’s face hardened.
“Stop.”
“You said Vivienne needed to learn her place.”
A ripple moved through the guests.
Dominic whispered,
“Chloe.”
Amanda’s breathing became ragged.
“You gave me the ring in the hallway.”
“That’s a lie.”
“We planned it yesterday.”
Chloe lunged toward her.
“You’re insane.”
Security moved between them.
Amanda shouted over the guards.
“You said Dominic would finally leave her if everyone believed she was a thief.”
Everything inside me went still.
I turned toward Dominic.
His face showed shock.
Real shock.
At least about that part.
My father noticed my expression.
He moved slightly closer.
Amanda continued.
“You said Eleanor would make sure Vivienne was humiliated enough to leave.”
Eleanor snapped,
“Do not drag me into your nonsense.”
Amanda laughed bitterly.
“You helped choose which purse we’d put the ring in.”
Now Richard stood.
He looked at his wife.
“Eleanor?”
She did not answer.
“Tell me she’s lying.”
Eleanor looked toward Chloe.
Chloe looked toward Dominic.
Dominic looked at me.
And I realized something.
They were all waiting for someone else to save them.
The same way I had spent three years waiting for Dominic to save me.
My father turned toward Mr. Reyes.
“Is there hallway footage?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Bring it up.”
Chloe immediately shouted,
“No.”
Arthur looked at her.
“Why?”
She swallowed.
“Because this is ridiculous.”
“Then the footage will prove that.”
Nobody moved.
Mr. Reyes changed cameras.
The screen displayed the hallway outside the bridal suite from the previous evening.
The timestamp read 9:17 p.m.
Chloe appeared.
Amanda followed.
Then Eleanor walked into view.
All three women stopped beneath the camera.
The audio was weak.
But it existed.
Mr. Reyes increased the volume.
Chloe’s voice filled the ballroom.
“Tomorrow she finally learns what happens when cheap trash tries to marry into our family.”
No one breathed.
Then Eleanor’s voice followed.
“And Dominic?”
Chloe laughed.
“He’ll do what he always does.”
There was a pause.
“He’ll choose us.”
I looked at my husband.
May you like
Dominic stared at the floor.
And suddenly the missing ring was no longer the worst betrayal in the room.
