Chapter 5 - The Groom’s Betrayal and the Broken Contract
Preston Caldwell’s father, Arthur Caldwell, the senior managing director of Caldwell Banking Partners, pushed his way through the crowd, his face pale and furious.
“Victor, is this true?” Arthur Caldwell demanded, ignoring the four hundred guests watching the spectacle. “Did you use uncollateralized bridge loans to fund your daughter’s dowry and this reception?”
“Arthur, let’s discuss this in the boardroom on Monday!” Victor pleaded, holding up his hands. “We are family now! Our children just exchanged vows!”
“We haven’t filed the marriage certificate with the county clerk yet,” Preston announced suddenly, stepping three feet away from Allison as if she had contracted the plague.
Allison turned to Preston, her eyes wide with shock and mascara running down her cheeks. “Preston! What are you saying?! We just got married ten minutes ago!”
“I am saying your father lied to my family!” Preston shouted, pulling the boutonnière from his tuxedo lapel and tossing it onto the floor. “My father backed your family’s credit lines because Victor promised exclusive access to the Montgomery supply chain contracts! If those contracts belong to Daniel Reyes, your family is completely broke! I am not tying my name to a bankrupt fraud!”
“Preston, please!” Allison sobbed, grabbing his arm. “I love you! We planned our lives together!”
“Let go of me,” Preston hissed, yanking his arm away with such force that Allison stumbled against her multi-tiered wedding cake, the top tier wobbling and crashing onto the white silk runner in a ruined heap of buttercream and spun sugar.
The ballroom was in absolute pandemonium. Socialites were whispering into their phones, taking photos of the collapsed cake, and live-streaming the breakdown of the wedding of the year to their social media followers.
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My mother, Evelyn, collapsed into a dining chair, hyperventilating into a linen napkin. “My God... the scandal... the newspapers... we’re ruined!”
“You aren’t ruined yet, Evelyn,” I said, looking down at the woman who had watched me drown in the fountain and applauded. “The night is still young.”
