Chapter 1 - Table 19
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The humiliation had actually begun with two simple, dismissive words whispered by the wedding planner as I entered the grand ballroom of the Boston Plaza Hotel.
“Table 19.”
While my parents, my radiant sister Claire, and their wealthy, influential friends occupied the glittering, diamond-draped tables positioned directly beneath the massive crystal chandeliers, my assigned seat told an entirely different story. Table 19 had been intentionally shoved into the darkest corner of the room, right beside the swinging doors of the catering kitchen. Every time a waiter rushed past, I was hit with the smell of roasting garlic and the clatter of dirty silverware.
It was a statement. It was my family’s way of reminding me exactly where I stood in the Harrington hierarchy: out of sight, and out of mind.
I took my seat quietly, smoothing the fabric of my platinum silk gown. I had spent the last decade building a life completely separate from my family’s toxic ecosystem, but I had returned for Claire’s wedding because I naively hoped things might have changed.
They hadn't.
Ten minutes into the reception, my cousin Tiffany strutted over. She was clutching a glass of champagne, her eyes scanning me with that familiar, predatory gleam. Tiffany had always been Claire’s shadow and my loudest critic.
“Meredith,” Tiffany laughed, her acrylic nails reaching out to touch the delicate sleeve of my dress. “Still shopping cheap, I see? Did you find this at a sample sale? You know, you really should have asked your mother for an allowance tonight. You stick out like a sore thumb among all this designer wear.”
I smiled softly, taking a slow sip of my sparkling water.
“It fits well enough,” I replied politely.
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I didn't bother telling her that the gown had been handmade in a private atelier in Paris, crafted by a designer who didn't sell to the public. Tiffany wouldn't have believed me anyway. In their eyes, I was still the poor, directionless disappointment of the family.
Before I could say another word, I felt a sudden, violent shove against my left shoulder.
