CHAPTER 2: THE ENVELOPE
CHAPTER 2: THE ENVELOPE
Nobody spoke.
Not the bridesmaids.
Not the makeup artist.
Not even Joan.
Thomas walked to the center of the bridal suite, still holding the cream-colored envelope.
His eyes stopped on Dakota's ruined wedding dress.
The lace his late wife had carefully preserved.
The train he had paid for after years of saving.
His jaw tightened.
"Who did this?"
Joan forced a nervous laugh.
"It was an accident."
Madison nodded quickly.
"The scissors slipped."
Dakota remained silent.
She was tired of defending herself.
Thomas slowly opened the envelope.
Inside was a thick stack of papers.
Printed emails.
Bank statements.
Security reports.
And one small flash drive.
Joan's face lost every trace of color.
"Thomas..."
He ignored her.
"I received this anonymously thirty minutes ago."
He held up the first photograph.
It showed Joan entering the bridal suite nearly an hour earlier while everyone else was downstairs greeting guests.
The second photograph showed Madison carrying the silver sewing scissors.
The third...
Captured Joan deliberately slicing through Dakota's wedding gown.
The room erupted in shocked whispers.
"That's impossible," Joan cried.
"The cameras are wrong!"
Thomas looked at her with heartbreaking disappointment.
"The cameras don't lie."
Then he held up another document.
"This wasn't the first time."
Receipts.
Insurance claims.
Private messages.
Evidence that Joan had secretly sold jewelry belonging to Dakota's late mother and blamed the missing items on Dakota for years.
Every accusation.
Every punishment.
Every argument between father and daughter...
Had been built on Joan's lies.
Thomas looked at Dakota.
His voice broke.
"I believed her."
May you like
"For years..."
"I believed her."
