Chapter 7 - The Silence After 6:05
At first, the guests assumed the silence was part of the entertainment.
Then the servers began removing the champagne.
A DJ unplugged his equipment. The kitchen doors closed. Security staff politely directed arriving guests toward the coatroom.
Bianca climbed onto the stage.
“Turn everything back on.”
Mr. Alvarez remained near the doors.
“The contracted event has concluded.”
“My fiancé’s sister is having an emotional breakdown,” Bianca announced. “Ignore her.”
Claire held up the signed contract.
“This is the agreement. My name. My payment. My event authorization.”
Julian’s face had turned pale.
“You said you handled the extension.”
“I handled it.”
“You canceled it.”
“I declined to pay for six more hours of people insulting me.”
Vanessa pushed through the crowd.
“This is blackmail.”
“No,” Claire replied. “Blackmail requires a demand. I am not asking you for anything.”
Bianca pointed at the stain on Claire’s dress.
“You ruined your brother’s engagement because of a little wine?”
Claire looked down at the Cabernet.
“The wine only determined whether I would end the party quietly.”
Several guests lowered their phones.
Julian climbed onto the stage and pulled Claire away from the microphone.
“What are the other payments?” he asked.
“The hotel rooms, transportation, after-party, honeymoon deposit, and wedding-planner retainer were charged to me.”
Bianca stared at Julian.
“You told me you paid for the honeymoon.”
“I was going to reimburse her.”
“With what?” Claire asked.
Julian’s fear turned into anger.
“You had no right to cancel our plans.”
Claire met his eyes.
“You had no right to forge my signature.”
The words carried farther than she intended.
The ballroom became completely still.
Vanessa’s expression changed first.
Bianca looked at Julian.
“What is she talking about?”
Julian whispered, “Nothing.”
Claire gave the microphone to Mr. Alvarez.
“My attorney advised me not to discuss the audit publicly.”
“Audit?” Bianca repeated.
Julian stepped toward Claire.
“You brought lawyers into this?”
“You brought my name into loan documents.”
Mr. Alvarez moved between them before the confrontation could grow.
Claire walked down from the stage.
Behind her, the sunset faded from pink to purple.
The guests began collecting their coats.
May you like
For the first time that evening, nobody was looking at Bianca.
They were looking at Julian.
