Chapter 2 - The Golden Sister
Paige had always been the child Vivian displayed and Richard protected.
She was charming when people were watching, cruel when they were not, and talented at turning every failure into someone else’s responsibility.
When Paige abandoned college after one semester, Vivian called her adventurous. When she spent forty thousand dollars trying to become a lifestyle influencer, Richard called it a business experiment.
Catherine’s achievements received a different response.
Her scholarships were luck. Her promotions were favors. Her long hours were evidence that she lacked natural talent.
Three years after the ballroom project began, Paige announced that she wanted to become a designer.
Vivian enrolled her in an expensive private certificate program lasting six months. Then Richard decided Paige’s graduation celebration would become the grand opening of the new ballroom.
The total cost reached eighty-five thousand dollars.
Fresh flowers were flown in from Europe. A celebrity chef was hired from New York. The guest list included politicians, developers, investors, and wealthy families.
Paige’s name appeared on every invitation.
Paige Whitmore: The Future of American Design.
Catherine received her invitation three days before the event.
It arrived without a personal note.
She almost threw it away.
Then she saw a photograph of the renovated ballroom on the invitation. The chandelier was far larger than the one approved in her original plans.
Catherine enlarged the image on her phone.
The ceiling supports had been designed for a chandelier weighing no more than fourteen hundred pounds. This new fixture appeared to weigh almost twice that amount.
She searched recent photographs of the building and noticed other changes.
Decorative panels blocked part of an emergency exit. New lighting had been installed along untreated wooden beams. Several support columns had been removed to create more space near the dance floor.
Catherine immediately emailed her father.
The changes are dangerous. Please delay the event until an independent inspection is completed.
Richard responded fifteen minutes later.
You are no longer involved in this project. Do not create problems for Paige.
May you like
Catherine read the message twice.
Then she opened the private digital archive containing every original drawing she had created.
