Chapter 8 - The Uninvited Guest
My heart slammed against my ribs as I stared at the back of the ballroom.
Chloe was not supposed to be here.
She was standing near the towering champagne fountain, trying to blend in with the large crowd of relatives.
The baby in her arms had a thick head of dark hair, identical to my husband's.
I quickly glanced over at Daniel, who was busy laughing at a joke his boss had just told.
He had not seen her yet.
I realized Marcus must have sent her here to humiliate Daniel publicly and demand the blackmail money in person.
This was no longer just my revenge plan.
This was a ticking time bomb.
I turned my attention back to the table, forcing my expression to remain calm and composed.
Daniel's mother leaned over and cooed at Lily, who was sleeping peacefully in my arms.
She told me how lucky I was to have a husband who provided such a beautiful life for us.
I simply smiled and thanked her, gripping my handbag tightly.
The afternoon dragged on with agonizing slowness.
Daniel stood up to give his grand speech.
He raised his glass and thanked everyone for coming to celebrate his beautiful family.
He looked right at me and publicly thanked me for giving him the greatest gift of his life.
The room erupted in polite applause.
I clapped along, keeping my eyes locked on his.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chloe begin to move toward the front of the room.
She looked desperate and incredibly angry.
Before she could reach our table, the head waiter approached Daniel in a crisp black suit.
The waiter placed a leather folio on the table containing the final bill for the banquet.
The remaining balance was four thousand five hundred dollars.
Daniel casually slid the folio toward me without looking.
He expected me to open my purse and pay for his grand illusion with my salary.
I did not reach for my purse.
I rested one hand over the thick manila folder I had just pulled from my bag.
Daniel nudged my arm aggressively under the table.
He whispered through clenched teeth, demanding that I hurry up and pay because the whole room was watching.
I turned my head slowly and looked directly into his eyes.
For the very first time in three years, I let the mask completely drop.
I pushed the leather billing folio right back across the table toward him.
I told him quietly that he needed to pay it himself.
I said, clearly enough for his parents to hear, that it was not my child's party after all.
Daniel's face drained of every drop of color.
Before he could speak, Chloe finally reached the edge of our table.
May you like
She slammed a small, blue velvet box down right next to Lily's baptism cake.
It was the exact same jewelry box that had fallen from Daniel's pocket months ago.
