Chapter 2 - The Wedding Gift That Bankrupted My Ex
The venue manager, a man named Sterling, rushed forward, his face pale and sweating.
"M-Mr. Carter?" Sterling stammered, his eyes darting between Daniel and the black envelope. "Is it really you, sir?"
"Check your email, Sterling," Daniel instructed calmly. "The board of directors sent a company-wide memo ten minutes ago."
Sterling fumbled with his phone. His eyes widened comically as he read the screen. He immediately straightened his posture and bowed his head slightly.
"Welcome back, sir," Sterling said, his voice trembling. "What are your orders?"
The guests watched in stunned silence. The reality of the situation was crashing down on them. The homeless man they had been mocking was their landlord, their boss, or their superior.
"First," Daniel said, gesturing toward Marcus. "Remove him. Marcus has been using Vanguard's proprietary software illegally for his own startup. I filed the lawsuit an hour before the ceremony."
Marcus's face drained of color. "You're bluffing! You don't have proof!"
"I have the source code you copied on a flash drive in my pocket, Marcus," Daniel replied smoothly. "Security will escort you out."
Two burly security guards in black suits appeared from the shadows, flanking Marcus. He didn't fight them. He just stared at Daniel in pure terror as they led him away.
My parents watched this exchange with wide, fearful eyes. They had worshiped Marcus's wealth. Now, he was ruined in an instant.
Daniel walked slowly back to my side at the sweetheart table. He gently placed the microphone down.
"Emily," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper meant only for me. "I'm sorry I kept this from you. I needed to know you loved me for me."
"You lied to me," I whispered back, my hands shaking. "For a year, Daniel. I brought you sandwiches. I worried you would freeze to death."
"I never lied about my heart," he said, his eyes pleading. "Every conversation on that park bench was real. You saved my life, Emily."
"I need air," I said, pushing my chair back abruptly.
May you like
I didn't wait for his response. I grabbed the heavy skirt of my wedding dress and marched out of the grand hall, leaving the whispers and the shocked faces behind me.
If he could lie about who he was, what else was he hiding?
