Chapter 3 - Pulling My Daughter From Hell|
Those five words hit the room like an artillery shell.
The background jazz music cut off mid-note. Across the room, a waiter dropped a tray of crystal flutes, sending glass shattering across the polished floor. The smug, condescending smile on Patricia’s face froze completely. She stood up so fast her luxury handbag tumbled off her lap.
“What... what on earth are you talking about, Margaret?” Patricia shrieked, her composed high-society accent dissolving into a harsh, hysterical screech.
Brandon slammed his glass onto a nearby marble table, his handsome face draining of all color as he sprinted toward the stage.
“Mother-in-law, have you completely lost your mind?” Brandon stuttered frantically, his hands waving in the air. “The party is going wonderfully! Why are you saying such psychotic things in front of our guests?”
I tossed the microphone onto the velvet sofa behind me, letting the feedback whine one last time.
“Do I look like I’m playing games, Brandon?” I glared down at my pathetic excuse for a son-in-law. “Every single dime of the inheritance you and your mother planned to use to bail out Vale Real Estate has been legally frozen and redirected. You will not touch a single penny of my family’s money.”
Gasps erupted throughout the ballroom. The wealthy bankers and private equity investors Patricia had spent months court-marshalling were now whispering furiously among themselves, casting sharp, suspicious glances at the Vales.
“You're insane! You have no legal right!” Patricia screamed, lunging forward to grab my arm with her manicured claws, but I shoved her away so hard she stumbled back against her chair.
I turned around, wrapping my arm firmly around Emily’s shoulders. My poor daughter was trembling uncontrollably, hyperventilating from the sheer shock of the moment.
“We’re leaving, sweetheart,” I whispered.
“Emily! Where do you think you’re going? You’re my wife!” Brandon roared, reaching out and grabbing Emily’s wrist with far too much physical force.
Without a second thought, I raised my right hand and slapped Brandon across the face with everything I had. The sharp crack echoed through the sudden silence of the room. He stumbled back, clutching his red cheek in sheer disbelief.
May you like
“Take your hands off my daughter,” I snarled into his face. “If you touch her again, I won't just freeze your assets. I’ll ruin your life.”
I led Emily out of the grand ballroom, leaving behind Patricia’s shrill, frantic screams and the glorious, loud collapse of a fake family.
