Chapter 2

I nodded, lowered my eyes, and murmured, "I know."

My eyes drifted down to my skirt. A drop of red wine stained my beige hem like dried blood.

When I lifted my head again, deep in my eyes, an unseen flame tangled with thrill and cruelty quietly ignited.

Henry's gaze locked onto Claire with a heat he had never shown me. Halfway through the lively party, the giant screen played photographs from Margaret's youth.

Henry and Claire exchanged a look. She claimed she needed to fix her makeup, and he murmured, "I need some air." One after the other, they headed toward the side lounge.

That heavy wooden door shut out the noise and every prying eye.

They did not know a tiny camera disguised as a smoke detector blinked above the frame, its dim red light like a devil's eye.

The door clicked shut.

Henry spun around at once, shoving Claire hard against the door panel before crashing into a fierce kiss.

Claire moaned, wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, and kissed him back.

“What's the rush?” She pulled back slightly, her gaze hazy with desire. “There are so many people out there watching us.”

Henry let out a low chuckle, tipped up her chin, and looked at her with arrogant certainty. "So what?

"That idiot Vivian is still out there working to make my mom look good.

"She probably thinks the more she does, the more grateful I'll be."

Claire giggled and leaned into him, vicious and smug. "Do you think she's the stupidest woman on earth? We've turned her family into our ATM, and she's still helping us count the money.

"Once we get control of her family's company, we'll dump that idiot for good," Claire said. "We'll send her straight to a psychiatric hospital and let her spend the rest of her life talking to the walls."

A satisfied smile crossed Henry's face, and he lowered his head to kiss Claire again.

Just then, the host's excited voice rang through the ballroom: "Next, please enjoy a surprise birthday video lovingly prepared by the guest of honor's devoted son and daughter-in-law, Mr. Shaw and Ms. Lane."

The ballroom lights dimmed, and every pair of eyes locked onto the enormous screen at the center.

It flickered, but no warm family pictures appeared. Instead, the dim lounge showed a man and woman wrapped around each other.

The video and sound were crystal clear. Henry calling Vivian an idiot and Claire threatening to send her to a psychiatric hospital echoed through every corner of the ballroom.

The ballroom fell dead silent in an instant. Then the restrained murmur of shock then burst forth, like a bomb dropped into still waters, detonating with a thunderous roar.

Smiling faces of the guests froze mid-grin, shifting into stunned bewilderment, then twisted into disbelief and absurdity.

A lady seated closest to the head table dropped her silver fork with a sharp clink onto her bone-china plate. That crisp ring sounded just like a starting pistol.

Immediately, the entire banquet hall erupted into chaos.

Gasps, whispers, and sharp intakes of breath swelled into chaos.

Margaret's face drained from pink to paper white, then to sick gray.

Clutching her chest, her lips trembled. She tried to speak, yet not a single sound escaped her throat. Her knees buckled, and she slumped rigidly backward.

Screams erupted all around and the whole venue descended into total chaos.

On the screen, Henry and Claire heard their own voices blasting from outside.

The lust and smugness on both of their faces froze in an instant, draining away to ghastly pale.

They jerked their heads up in terror, their eyes locking onto the camera disguised as a smoke detector. That tiny blinking red dot now felt like the unblinking stare of hell bearing down on them.

At the center of the chaos, I lifted my beige skirt and walked calmly onto the wooden stage. My heels struck it one measured step at a time, matching the crowd's disordered heartbeats.

I reached the frozen host and gently but firmly took the microphone from his rigid hand. A burst of static cut through the uproar.

Every eye turned to me.

I wore a perfectly calibrated expression, a delicate blend of innocence and sorrow.

My eyes slightly red, and my voice trembled slightly as it carried through the microphones to every corner of the venue, “My apologies, everyone.

"I meant to surprise you, but...it's turned into a terrible shock instead."

I paused and let their sympathy fully grow.