Chapter 4 · The Wedding Gift

Charles ditched his wife of three years for so-called "true love" and a "child."

Margaret's precious "golden grandson" was the one she thought would carry on the Bennett name, but it turned out the boy wasn't even his.

This got to be the joke of the year.

I opened another encrypted file.

It was the genetic comparison report between Margaret and the fetus.

I scrolled straight to the end. [After comparison, the mitochondrial DNA sequence does not match. Margaret is not the biological grandmother.]

Double whammy.

The kid wasn't just unrelated to Charles; he had no connection to Margaret or the Bennetts at all. He was a complete outsider.

I wondered who Evelyn had actually hooked up with to get pregnant.

And how did she manage to fool both Charles and Margaret so completely?

Suddenly, I realized I'd seriously underestimated her.

Her moves were way slicker than I ever gave her credit for.

But hey, none of that matters now.

What mattered was that I got two bombs in my hands, enough to blow their world apart.

I glanced at the calendar.

One week left until their wedding.

Perfect timing.

I called Chloe. "Chloe, the gift's all set."

On the other end, Chloe's voice was trembling with excitement. "What is it? Spill it!"

"A paternity test report."

Chloe went totally silent for a solid ten seconds.

Then she exploded into wild, uncontrollable laughter.

"No freaking way! Julia, you're a freaking genius! The kid isn't even Charles's?"

"Nope."

"I'm literally dying. If Margaret finds out her precious golden grandson is actually some random kid, do you think she'll pass out right then and there?"

"Highly likely."

"Quick, tell me the plan! I swear I'll make it flawless! I want to see them crash and burn with my own eyes."

I looked out the window; night had already fallen over Evermont.

The city lights were dazzling, like a party that never ends.

"Don't rush." My voice was soft, but there was a cold edge to it. "The best part always comes last."

*****

Three days before the wedding, I started putting together this "grand gift."

I went to the top print shop in Evermont and had the results pages from both paternity tests printed in full color on high-end photo paper.

The words were printed in bold, extra-large font. [Excluded biological father-son relationship. Excluded kinship.]

Those two lines of black text jumped out against the pure white paper, impossible to ignore.

Then I ordered the most exquisite music box I could find.

When you opened it, instead of the sweet notes of "Dream Wedding," it played a recording I'd made myself.

The volume was low, but every word came through crystal clear.

I said, "Charles, Margaret, congratulations on your wedding. This gift is from me, your ex-wife and ex-daughter-in-law. Wishing the Bennett family a bouncing baby boy and a future full of prosperity."

My voice was calm, like I was just reading the weather forecast.

But every single word dripped with poison.

Finally, I folded up the two printed reports and slipped them into the music box, along with a small card.

On the card, I wrote just one line. [Wishing the baby good health. Guess who he'll end up calling Dad?]

Signed, Julia.

I wrapped the music box in the fanciest wrapping paper I could find and tied it up with a gold ribbon.

From the outside, it looked like a perfectly respectable, expensive wedding gift.

But no one would ever guess that inside, there was a hell just waiting to blow everything apart.

I handed the wrapped gift over to an international courier.

I picked their timed delivery option.

The time was set for 12:30 PM on the wedding day.

The location was the hotel banquet hall where the wedding was being held.

The recipient was the groom, Charles.

After all that, I sent Chloe one last instruction. [Chloe, your job on the wedding day is simple.

[Around 12:30, the delivery will arrive. Just make sure Charles gets the package right in front of all the guests.

[Ideally, it should happen while he's giving his speech or basking in everyone's congratulations.

[See if you can get the emcee or Margaret, his mother, to hand him this 'surprise.' Make them believe it's a belated, heartfelt gift full of blessings.]

Chloe replied with an "OK" gesture and a bunch of 'Just wait and see!' emojis.

I knew she'd pull it off.

She loathed that family as much as I did.

*****

On the wedding day, Evermont was bathed in sunshine.

I stayed in and opened a bottle of 1982 Lafite.

It was the bottle Charles and I had bought together for an anniversary, and it had been sitting in the wine cabinet back home ever since.

When I left, I didn't take anything with me, but almost without thinking, I asked Zac to retrieve that bottle and ship it to Evermont after I was gone.

Maybe, deep down, I always knew this bottle wasn't meant to celebrate love, but to toast its death.

I pulled out my phone and tapped into the live stream Zac had hooked up for me ahead of time.

It was shot on the sly by a photographer who'd managed to sneak in, rigging up his phone for the job.

The video was a little shaky, but the audio came through loud and clear.

The wedding venue looked like something out of a dream, super luxurious, with flowers and crystals everywhere.

The place was packed with guests, all dressed to impress.

Charles was looking sharp in a white suit, full of confidence, like he owned the whole scene.

Evelyn clung to his arm, her pure white wedding dress showing off her baby bump, her face glowing with a gentle, almost saintly smile.

Margaret was decked out in a custom red gown, her face radiant as she floated among the guests, soaking up every compliment that came her way.

Everything was so flawless that it felt just like a fairy tale.

I swirled the red wine in my glass, watching those three smiling faces on the screen.

They looked perfect.

The higher you climb, the harder you fall.

The ceremony went off without a hitch.

They exchanged rings and shared a kiss.

The guests erupted in applause and cheers.

The emcee, in a dramatic tone, spoke of everlasting love and eternal union.

Finally, it was time for the groom's speech.

Charles took the mic, gazing at Evelyn with deep affection. "Thank you, Evelyn. Thank you for coming into my life when I needed you most, and for bringing our baby, making my life feel complete"

He spoke so emotionally that his eyes brimmed with tears.

Evelyn's eyes shimmered with tears, deeply moved.

Just then, I caught sight of Chloe in the corner of the screen, whispering something to a waiter and slipping him some cash.

The waiter nodded and disappeared backstage.

Soon enough, he emerged holding a beautifully wrapped gift box.

The sharp-eyed emcee immediately grinned and announced, "Wow, our groom must be really popular. Even in the middle of the ceremony, a mysterious gift shows up! Let's see which VIP is so thoughtful!"

The waiter walked up to the stage and handed the box to the emcee.

The emcee glanced at the shipping label, then raised his voice, "Oh! This one's for the groom, Mr. Charles Bennett. And the sender is Ms. Julia Sterling."

The entire hall fell instantly silent.

Every single pair of eyes locked onto the stage.

Charles's smile froze mid-expression.

Margaret's expression turned to stone.

Evelyn gripped Charles's arm tighter, panic flashing in her eyes.

My name drifted through the air like a ghost, haunting a celebration that was never meant for me.

Chapter 4

Charles ditched his wife of three years for so-called "true love" and a "child."

Margaret's precious "golden grandson" was the one she thought would carry on the Bennett name, but it turned out the boy wasn't even his.

This got to be the joke of the year.

I opened another encrypted file.

It was the genetic comparison report between Margaret and the fetus.

I scrolled straight to the end. [After comparison, the mitochondrial DNA sequence does not match. Margaret is not the biological grandmother.]

Double whammy.

The kid wasn't just unrelated to Charles; he had no connection to Margaret or the Bennetts at all. He was a complete outsider.

I wondered who Evelyn had actually hooked up with to get pregnant.

And how did she manage to fool both Charles and Margaret so completely?

Suddenly, I realized I'd seriously underestimated her.

Her moves were way slicker than I ever gave her credit for.

But hey, none of that matters now.

What mattered was that I got two bombs in my hands, enough to blow their world apart.

I glanced at the calendar.

One week left until their wedding.

Perfect timing.

I called Chloe. "Chloe, the gift's all set."

On the other end, Chloe's voice was trembling with excitement. "What is it? Spill it!"

"A paternity test report."

Chloe went totally silent for a solid ten seconds.

Then she exploded into wild, uncontrollable laughter.

"No freaking way! Julia, you're a freaking genius! The kid isn't even Charles's?"

"Nope."

"I'm literally dying. If Margaret finds out her precious golden grandson is actually some random kid, do you think she'll pass out right then and there?"

"Highly likely."

"Quick, tell me the plan! I swear I'll make it flawless! I want to see them crash and burn with my own eyes."

I looked out the window; night had already fallen over Evermont.

The city lights were dazzling, like a party that never ends.

"Don't rush." My voice was soft, but there was a cold edge to it. "The best part always comes last."

*****

Three days before the wedding, I started putting together this "grand gift."

I went to the top print shop in Evermont and had the results pages from both paternity tests printed in full color on high-end photo paper.

The words were printed in bold, extra-large font. [Excluded biological father-son relationship. Excluded kinship.]

Those two lines of black text jumped out against the pure white paper, impossible to ignore.

Then I ordered the most exquisite music box I could find.

When you opened it, instead of the sweet notes of "Dream Wedding," it played a recording I'd made myself.

The volume was low, but every word came through crystal clear.

My voice was calm, like I was just reading the weather forecast.

But every single word dripped with poison.

Finally, I folded up the two printed reports and slipped them into the music box, along with a small card.

On the card, I wrote just one line. [Wishing the baby good health. Guess who he'll end up calling Dad?]

Signed, Julia.

I wrapped the music box in the fanciest wrapping paper I could find and tied it up with a gold ribbon.

From the outside, it looked like a perfectly respectable, expensive wedding gift.

But no one would ever guess that inside, there was a hell just waiting to blow everything apart.

I handed the wrapped gift over to an international courier.

I picked their timed delivery option.

The time was set for 12:30 PM on the wedding day.

The location was the hotel banquet hall where the wedding was being held.

The recipient was the groom, Charles.

After all that, I sent Chloe one last instruction. [Chloe, your job on the wedding day is simple.

[Around 12:30, the delivery will arrive. Just make sure Charles gets the package right in front of all the guests.

[Ideally, it should happen while he's giving his speech or basking in everyone's congratulations.

[See if you can get the emcee or Margaret, his mother, to hand him this 'surprise.' Make them believe it's a belated, heartfelt gift full of blessings.]

Chloe replied with an "OK" gesture and a bunch of 'Just wait and see!' emojis.

I knew she'd pull it off.

She loathed that family as much as I did.

*****

On the wedding day, Evermont was bathed in sunshine.

I stayed in and opened a bottle of 1982 Lafite.

It was the bottle Charles and I had bought together for an anniversary, and it had been sitting in the wine cabinet back home ever since.

When I left, I didn't take anything with me, but almost without thinking, I asked Zac to retrieve that bottle and ship it to Evermont after I was gone.

Maybe, deep down, I always knew this bottle wasn't meant to celebrate love, but to toast its death.

I pulled out my phone and tapped into the live stream Zac had hooked up for me ahead of time.

It was shot on the sly by a photographer who'd managed to sneak in, rigging up his phone for the job.

The video was a little shaky, but the audio came through loud and clear.

The wedding venue looked like something out of a dream, super luxurious, with flowers and crystals everywhere.

The place was packed with guests, all dressed to impress.

Charles was looking sharp in a white suit, full of confidence, like he owned the whole scene.

Evelyn clung to his arm, her pure white wedding dress showing off her baby bump, her face glowing with a gentle, almost saintly smile.

Margaret was decked out in a custom red gown, her face radiant as she floated among the guests, soaking up every compliment that came her way.

Everything was so flawless that it felt just like a fairy tale.

I swirled the red wine in my glass, watching those three smiling faces on the screen.

They looked perfect.

The higher you climb, the harder you fall.

The ceremony went off without a hitch.

They exchanged rings and shared a kiss.

The guests erupted in applause and cheers.

The emcee, in a dramatic tone, spoke of everlasting love and eternal union.

Finally, it was time for the groom's speech.

Charles took the mic, gazing at Evelyn with deep affection. "Thank you, Evelyn. Thank you for coming into my life when I needed you most, and for bringing our baby, making my life feel complete"

He spoke so emotionally that his eyes brimmed with tears.

Evelyn's eyes shimmered with tears, deeply moved.

Just then, I caught sight of Chloe in the corner of the screen, whispering something to a waiter and slipping him some cash.

The waiter nodded and disappeared backstage.

Soon enough, he emerged holding a beautifully wrapped gift box.

The sharp-eyed emcee immediately grinned and announced, "Wow, our groom must be really popular. Even in the middle of the ceremony, a mysterious gift shows up! Let's see which VIP is so thoughtful!"

The waiter walked up to the stage and handed the box to the emcee.

The emcee glanced at the shipping label, then raised his voice, "Oh! This one's for the groom, Mr. Charles Bennett. And the sender is Ms. Julia Sterling."

The entire hall fell instantly silent.

Every single pair of eyes locked onto the stage.

Charles's smile froze mid-expression.

Margaret's expression turned to stone.

Evelyn gripped Charles's arm tighter, panic flashing in her eyes.

My name drifted through the air like a ghost, haunting a celebration that was never meant for me.