Chapter 5 - The Gala Trap
The annual Mid-West Corporate Excellence Gala was held at the Grand Regency Ballroom on Friday night. It was the event of the year for Daniel's firm, a place where promotions were publicly celebrated and board assignments were finalized.
For months, Daniel had bragged that he was set to be named Senior Managing Partner. He had bought a tuxedo weeks ago, expecting me to alter the hem as I always did. When I refused to touch it, he was forced to take it to a fast-tailor who botched the trouser length, leaving the fabric pooling awkwardly around his shoes.
He walked into the glittering ballroom with Natalie on his arm. She was wearing a crimson gown, strutting with the confidence of a woman who believed she had won the grand prize. Daniel, however, looked miserable. His tuxedo fit poorly, his collar was too tight, and his eyes nervously scanned the room every few seconds.
Then the double doors opened, and the room went quiet.
I walked in wearing a tailored black velvet gown that fitted me flawlessly. My hair was swept up in an elegant knot, exposing the heirloom emerald necklace my grandmother had given me—the one Daniel had tried to get me to liquidate five years ago to "invest" in his side project. Standing beside me was Arthur Pendelton, the founding partner of Daniel’s firm and my late father’s closest friend from law school.
Daniel stood frozen in the middle of the room, his champagne glass hovering near his mouth. Natalie gasped, her grip tightening on Daniel’s arm so hard her knuckles turned white.
"Claire?" Daniel stammered as Arthur and I approached the executive table. "What... what are you doing here? You said you weren't coming."
"I said I wasn't coming with you," I corrected smoothly, offering a radiant, icy smile to the surrounding board members. "Arthur was kind enough to escort me. As a major shareholder in the firm's legacy trust, I felt it was important to attend tonight’s proceedings."
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Natalie stepped forward, her eyes narrowing with desperate venom. "This is a private corporate event, Claire. You can't just crash it because you're bitter about your marriage!"
Arthur Pendelton looked down his nose at Natalie, his voice dropping like an anvil. "Young lady, Mrs. Vance owns fifteen percent of this firm's voting stock through her father's estate. She has more right to be in this room than you or Mr. Vance ever will."
