CHAPTER 1: THE FALL
The wedding of Victoria Lancaster was supposed to be the social event of the year.
Perched atop a breathtaking cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the Lancaster Estate glittered with luxury. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings. White roses covered every table. A famous orchestra played beneath a golden canopy while wealthy guests sipped champagne worth thousands of dollars per bottle.
Victoria stood in the center of it all.
Beautiful.
Admired.
Perfect.
At least that was how she wanted everyone to see her.
Her father, billionaire businessman Richard Lancaster, had spent months preparing the wedding. Every detail had been designed to impress.
And it was working.
Until she saw her.
An elderly woman slowly entering the reception hall in a wheelchair.
Margaret.
Her future husband's mother.
Victoria's smile disappeared instantly.
The old woman wore a faded blue dress that looked decades old. Her gray scarf was worn thin from years of use.
Compared to the elegant guests, she looked painfully out of place.
Victoria felt humiliation burning inside her chest.
"Why is she here?" she hissed at her fiancé, Daniel.
Daniel looked shocked.
"She's my mother."
Victoria forced a smile for nearby guests.
"But look at her."
Daniel frowned.
"She raised me alone. She worked three jobs so I could go to school."
Victoria rolled her eyes.
"That's not the point."
But to Daniel, it was exactly the point.
What Victoria didn't understand was that Daniel loved his mother more than anyone in the world.
The old woman had sacrificed everything for him.
Yet Victoria only saw an embarrassment.
As the evening continued, she became obsessed with the idea that guests were judging her because of Margaret.
Every whisper sounded like mockery.
Every glance felt like criticism.
The anger inside her grew.
Then she noticed the cliff.
And an idea entered her mind.
A horrible idea.
An unforgivable one.
Later that evening, Victoria approached Margaret with the sweetest smile she could fake.
"Would you like to see the most beautiful view on the property?"
Margaret smiled warmly.
"That would be lovely, dear."
Slowly, Victoria pushed the wheelchair toward the cliffside overlook.
The farther they traveled, the quieter the music became.
Soon they were completely alone.
Only the ocean waves crashed below.
Margaret gazed at the sunset.
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
Victoria stared at the old woman.
Then at the edge.
Then back at the old woman.
For several seconds, she hesitated.
Her heart pounded.
Her hands trembled.
One push.
That was all it would take.
Then suddenly—
She shoved the wheelchair forward.
Margaret vanished over the edge.
The wheelchair disappeared into the darkness below.
Victoria gasped.
For a moment she couldn't breathe.
Then she turned and ran.
Back toward the wedding.
Back toward her guests.
May you like
Back toward the life she believed she had protected.
But she had no idea that her nightmare was only beginning.
