Chapter 5 - THE CLOSED-DOOR INTERROGATION
The wedding was put on indefinite hold.
Two hundred guests were ushered into the cocktail lounge with free champagne and nervous whispers.
In the bridal suite upstairs, the atmosphere was thick enough to suffocate.
Arthur sat on a velvet sofa, holding a cup of water in his trembling hands.
Victoria paced back and forth across the carpet like a caged tiger.
Michael stood near the door, his jaw clenched.
I stood beside Sarah, my hand resting firmly on her shoulder.
“Explain,” Sarah said, her voice terrifyingly calm.
She looked straight at Victoria.
“You told me my father died in a car accident in Ohio.”
“You told me we had no other family.”
Victoria stopped pacing.
She forced a trembling smile.
“Sweetheart, I was protecting you.”
“Protecting me from what?!” Sarah shouted, breaking down into tears.
“From a loving father who apparently spent thirty years looking for me?!”
“He was a criminal, Sarah!” Victoria lied smoothly, her voice rising in desperation.
“He stole from my family!”
“He abandoned us!”
Arthur let out a harsh, broken laugh.
“I never stole a dime, Victoria.”
“You divorced me because my father’s business went bankrupt.”
“You took our daughter to a new city, married a wealthy corporate executive, and bought your way into high society.”
“You traded me for a bank account!”
Victoria’s hand flashed through the air.
Slap!
The sound of flesh striking flesh echoed sharply off the walls.
Victoria struck Arthur across the face, leaving a bright red mark on his pale cheek.
“Liar!” Victoria screamed.
Michael stepped between them, his eyes dark with suspicion.
“Victoria,” Michael said slowly.
“If you’re telling the truth, why did you hit him?”
Victoria froze.
Her hand hovered in mid-air.
“I... I hit him because he’s insulting my honor!” she stammered.
Sarah stared at her mother with eyes devoid of warmth.
“Get out,” Sarah whispered.
“What?” Victoria gasped.
“Get out of my bridal suite.”
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“And if you’re lying to me about this...” Sarah’s voice trembled with cold fury.
“Don’t expect me to ever speak to you again.”
