Chapter 4 - The Wedding That Stopped
Fiona stood outside the lounge in her wedding dress.
Beautiful.
Angry.
Terrified.
“Blake, please.”
I walked back into the ballroom.
The DJ stopped the music.
Nobody told him to.
He just understood.
“Thank you for coming.”
Fiona whispered, “Don’t do this.”
I looked at her.
Then at Dad.
Then at all those tables filled with people who had watched him get humiliated.
Vivian crossed her arms.
George stared at the floor.
I continued.
Fiona stepped closer.
“Blake.”
I kept going.
Silence.
“And I learned what my fiancée does when the person being mocked has no obvious power.”
Fiona’s face crumpled.
“It was one laugh.”
“Yes.”
“You’re throwing away four years over one laugh?”
“No.”
I looked at Vivian.
“Over four years of little things I kept explaining away.”
George lifted his head.
“This is unnecessary.”
I looked at him.
“So was your toast.”
A few guests lowered their eyes.
Good.
Let them feel it.
I set the microphone down.
“The wedding is canceled.”
The room erupted.
Fiona grabbed my arm.
“You cannot humiliate me like this.”
I almost laughed.
“Like what?”
She stopped.
Because she heard it too.
Dad stood.
“Blake.”
I turned.
He looked concerned.
Not for himself.
For me.
That was Dad.
Even after being called trash, he worried I was making a decision while angry.
I said, “I’m sure.”
He nodded.
Then Vivian snapped:
“This is all because of him.”
She pointed at Dad.
The same finger.
The same contempt.
Dad looked at her.
“No, ma’am.”
His voice was calm.
Vivian opened her mouth.
George stopped her.
“Enough.”
That surprised everyone.
He walked toward Dad.
“Arthur, may we speak privately?”
Dad looked at him.
“No.”
George blinked.
Dad continued.
“You had privacy when you were reviewing my company’s character for a year.”
May you like
Then he lifted the leather folder.
“Now I’m reviewing yours.”
