Chapter 5 - The Wedding Party ExodusThe realization hit Jackson like a physical blow. He staggered backward, his knees buckling slightly as he hit the edge of a banquet table, sending a glass of champagne crashing to the floor.
"Three days ago..." Jackson whispered, staring at Natalie. "You knew they were investigating you before we even got married?"
"I didn't do anything illegal!" Natalie shrieked, her voice echoing off the high ceilings as guests began grabbing their coats and heading for the exits, eager to escape the sinking ship. "You're a momma's boy! You're both pathetic! I never loved you, Jackson! I never loved any of you!"
The confession hung in the air, loud and undeniable, captured on a dozen hidden smartphone microphones around the room.
Natalie's bridesmaids, who had spent the evening laughing at my expense, suddenly grabbed their purses and bolted toward the exit, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. The groomsmen slowly backed away, unpinning their boutonnieres and dropping them onto the tables as if distancing themselves from a biohazard.
Jackson stood alone in the center of the ballroom, his tuxedo suddenly looking like a cheap costume. The woman he had defended, the woman he had chosen over his own mother, stood glaring at him with pure hatred, realizing her golden parachute had just turned into a prison sentence.
"Get out," Jackson whispered, his voice cracking. He didn't look at Natalie. He couldn't. "Get out of my sight."
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"With pleasure," Natalie spat, turning on her heel. She ripped the veil from her head, threw it onto the floor, and stormed out of the ballroom, shoving past the catering staff without a backward glance.
The band stopped playing entirely. The room was dead silent, save for the hum of the air conditioning.
