Chapter 5 - The Unmaking
Julian reached down and scooped Lily up with his left arm, settling her securely on his hip.
The child rested her chin on his shoulder, her tear-stained face turned away from the crowd.
Julian turned his body completely to face Vanessa.
The warm, romantic lighting of the chandelier seemed to freeze, turning harsh and clinical against her white gown.
"You lied to me."
The words weren't shouted.
They were delivered with the flat, absolute weight of an iron vault door closing.
Vanessa reached out, her fingers catching the edge of his black sleeve.
"Julian, please... it was a misunderstanding, I can explain—"
"You lied to me."
Julian repeated the four words, his tone unchanging, his eyes entirely black and unreadable.
He stepped back, letting her fingers slide uselessly off his suit fabric.
Vanessa stumbled forward, her knees buckling slightly beneath the heavy layers of her skirt.
She looked around the room, searching for a single friendly face among the hundred guests.
Every eyes was averted.
Her mother sat in the second row, quietly snapping her velvet handbag shut and looking down at her lap.
The string quartet members slowly packed their violins back into their plush black cases.
May you like
The heavy silence of the ballroom pressed down on Vanessa’s chest, making each breath short and ragged.
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