Chapter 5: The Verdict
Olivia gasped, a hand flying to her throat as she took a half-step back. The sparkling silver crown atop her head seemed to lose its luster in the harsh, unforgiving light of the chandeliers. "What is that supposed to mean? Nathan, this is our wedding day. We’ve spent a year planning this. My family, the guests, the press—everyone is watching!"
"Then let them watch," Nathan said, his voice ringing with absolute, unwavering resolve.
He turned his back on the priest, facing the sea of stunned high-society guests. He looked at the elaborate floral arrangements, the crystal chandeliers, and the custom-designed favors sitting on the tables.
"Most of you here know how much work went into this day," Nathan addressed the crowd, his voice steady and resonant. "But what you don't know is that the woman standing here in the black dress spent the last three months working until her fingers bled to help make this possible. She sewed the lace on the table runners. She hand-crafted the gifts you received at the door. She did it because she loves me, and because she wanted to welcome Olivia into our family with everything she had."
A murmur of shock and shame rippled through the audience. Several guests looked down at the exquisite favors in their hands, suddenly seeing them in a completely different light.
Nathan turned back to Olivia. Her face had gone completely pale, her eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and rising panic.
May you like
"You told security to bar my mother because you thought her clothes, her background, and her presence would ruin your perfect aesthetic," Nathan said, his jaw setting tight. He tossed the red roses onto the altar, where they landed with a soft, heavy thud against the white lace. "A wedding is just one day, Olivia. But marriage is a lifetime. And I will not spend a single day of my life tied to a woman who has a heart this ugly."
He looked her straight in the eye, his voice dropping to a whisper that cut deeper than any scream. "The wedding is over."
