Chapter 2 - The Glowing Screen
The bride’s hand froze mid-air.
Her knuckles clamped tight around her own intact champagne glass.
Her pale lips parted, the heavy layers of her lip gloss catching the chandelier’s glare.
The maid stood chest to chest with the groom.
Her chest heaved, pulling the fabric of her black uniform tight against her ribs.
Freckles stood out starkly against her suddenly bloodless face.
She dug her trembling hand into the deep pocket of her white apron.
She pulled out a smartphone, the screen already glowing bright.
The harsh, blue-white light of the screen cut through the warm, golden ambiance of the banquet hall.
She thrust the device directly into the space between the bride and the groom.
The groom’s eyes darted down to the glass surface.
The video played in total silence.
On the screen, a pair of manicured hands—featuring the exact same French tips as the bride's—hovered over two champagne flutes.
The right hand held a small, plastic medical syringe.
The plunger of the syringe depressed slowly.
A thick, colorless liquid dripped steadily from the needle, dissolving instantly into the bubbling champagne.
The groom stopped breathing.
His pupils dilated, swallowing the golden light of the room.
The bride’s hand began to shake.
Her champagne glass vibrated, the liquid sloshing violently against the rim.
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A few drops spilled over, landing on the immaculate white lace of her bodice.
She didn't try to wipe it away.
