Chapter 3 - The Mask Slipping in the Ballroom
Felicity’s face lost its color instantly, the flawless makeup she had spent three hours perfecting now highlighting the pure panic in her expression.
My stepmother slowly lowered her wineglass, her hidden smirk replaced by a sudden, frantic calculation as she looked at her husband.
My dad stood up, his hands smoothing down his expensive tuxedo jacket as he tried to navigate the room's rapidly shifting dynamic.
"Silas, old friend," my dad stammered, forcing a hollow, nervous laugh that echoed poorly off the high chandeliers.
"We had no idea Jenna was the one who treated you. She's always been very quiet about her hospital shifts."
"She didn't tell us the details, we thought she was just doing baseline administration work."
"She didn't tell you because you never asked, Richard," Silas said coldly, crossing his arms over his tailored black vest.
"When I asked Julian about his new bride's family, you told me Jenna was an unstable relative who needed space and was better kept at a distance."
"You used her professional dedication as an excuse to crop her out of your life because she didn't fit the country club image you wanted to present."
Brittany, the groom’s mother, stood up from the head table next, her elegant silk dress rustling against the linen tablecloth.
"Julian," she said, her voice sharp as she looked at her son. "Is this the family you've brought into our circle? People who minimize the woman who saved your father's life?"
Julian looked at Felicity, his expression shifting from blind adoration to a sudden, clinical doubt that made my sister’s breath catch sharply.
"Felicity... you told me Jenna didn't want to be in the wedding photos because she was jealous of your success," Julian said quietly.
"You told me she was always demanding money and causing trouble behind the scenes."
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Felicity squeezed the microphone until the plastic housing began to creak. "Julian, please! She's twisting the story! She's always trying to make everything about her!"
"No, Felicity," Silas said, stepping back toward the main aisle. "The only person rewriting reality tonight is you."
