Chapter 1 - The Shattered Toast
In a grand, luxuriously lit banquet hall with high ceilings and ornate chandeliers hosts a wedding reception.
In the center behind a flower-decorated table, a handsome young groom in a black tuxedo stands with champagne glasses ready.
Guest crowds line the background.
A red-haired maid wearing a black uniform with a white apron suddenly rushes into the frame from the left foreground toward the main table.
The shot is a medium-wide full shot at eye-level with warm ambient lighting and medium depth of field.
The crystal flute in the groom’s hand caught the golden light.
Tiny, perfect bubbles raced upward, bursting against the thin rim.
His thumb smoothed over the stem of the glass.
Beside him, the bride’s white lace veil dragged softly against the scattered white rose petals on the table.
She lifted her own glass, the heavy diamond on her ring finger flashing sharply.
The red-haired maid’s rubber-soled shoes squeaked violently against the polished marble floor.
She didn't slow down.
Her hands shot forward, fingers wide, entirely bypassing the serving trays.
"STOP! DON'T DRINK THAT!"
The maid’s palm slammed directly into the groom's wrist.
The crystal flute launched into the air.
It flipped once, scattering a golden arc of champagne across the pristine white tablecloth.
The glass hit the marble floor.
It exploded.
Hundreds of jagged, sparkling shards skittered across the tiles, bouncing off the polished leather of the groom's oxfords.
The golden liquid seeped instantly into the porous white stone.
The string quartet in the corner stopped mid-note.
The sudden silence in the cavernous hall was deafening.
A five-year-old boy in a velvet suit, holding a velvet ring pillow, peeked out from behind a tall floral arrangement.
He watched a single shard of crystal spin on the wet marble until it came to a dead stop.
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The groom stared at his empty, wet hand.
A single drop of champagne hung from his cufflink, slowly dripping onto his knuckles.
