Chapter 8 - The Empire Crumbles
The dining room erupted into absolute chaos as news cameras swiveled away from the podium to film Preston’s arrest.
Preston tried to scramble toward the service kitchen, but two federal agents tackled him directly onto the hardwood floor.
His expensive blazer tore at the shoulder, and his face was pressed hard against the ground.
"Get your hands off me!" Preston shrieked, his voice cracking with hysteria.
"Do you know who my father is? Do you know who my father-in-law is?"
Judge Vance, the bride's father, stood up from the family table, his face pale and eyes blazing with fury.
He didn't look at Preston with sympathy; he looked at him with sheer disgust.
"Don't you dare mention my name, you pathetic fraud," Judge Vance bellowed across the room.
"I just received the federal indictment regarding the fourteen million dollars you stole from my family trust!"
Julianna, still wearing her white designer brunch dress, ripped her diamond wedding ring from her finger.
She threw the multi-carat ring directly into Preston’s face as he was hauled up in handcuffs.
"You used me!" Julianna screamed, tears of rage ruining her makeup.
"You used my family to cover your pathetic debts!"
My father rushed toward the arresting officers, waving his arms frantically.
"This is an outrage! I am Richard Vance, and I demand to speak to your director!" my father shouted.
The Assistant United States Attorney stepped directly into my father's path, handing him a separate document.
"Richard Vance, you are being served with a federal subpoena for witness tampering and obstruction of justice," the attorney stated.
"We have the audio recording of you attempting to bribe the victim's mother in the hospital room last night."
My father stopped dead in his tracks, the paper trembling in his withered hands.
He looked over at the doorway, where Maya and I were standing side by side.
My mother, Eleanor, caught sight of me and stumbled backward, clutching her pearls in utter disbelief.
"Evelyn... please," my mother whimpered, her polished facade completely crumbling.
"We are your family... you can't do this to us..."
I looked at the woman who had watched my child bleed on a marble floor and called it an inconvenience.
"You told me not to ruin Preston's wedding, Mother," I said, my voice echoing across the silent room.
May you like
"I didn't ruin it."
"The truth did."
