Chapter 5 — The Secret Behind the Perfect Wedding
Chapter 5 — The Secret Behind the Perfect Wedding
The ballroom had already witnessed one betrayal.
Now it seemed another was waiting to be revealed.
Chloe stood frozen in the center of the room, surrounded by guests who moments earlier had been ready to believe I was a thief.
Now they were looking at her.
The shift was impossible for her to accept.
“What are you talking about?” Chloe demanded.
Her voice tried to sound confident.
But I could hear the panic underneath.
My father looked down at the documents in his hand.
“The hotel records show several unauthorized transfers made from the wedding account.”
He lifted his eyes.
“Large amounts of money were moved to a private account.”
Chloe immediately shook her head.
“That’s not true.”
The wedding planner stepped forward.
“I personally reviewed the transaction history.”
She opened another page.
“The transfers were approved using your login credentials.”
A silence fell over the room.
Eleanor’s face turned pale.
“Chloe…”
Her daughter quickly turned toward her.
“Mom, don’t start.”
That small reaction told everyone something.
She was scared.
For the first time that night, Chloe wasn’t controlling the situation.
The guests whispered among themselves.
“Was the wedding paid for with stolen money?”
“I thought her family was wealthy.”
“What’s really going on?”
Chloe looked around the room.
Her eyes searched for someone to defend her.
But nobody moved.
Not even Eleanor.
My father calmly placed the documents on the table.
“Explain.”
Chloe clenched her jaw.
“There is nothing to explain.”
“Then why were the funds transferred?”
She looked at me.
And somehow...
She blamed me again.
“This is because of her.”
Everyone stared.
I almost couldn’t believe it.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Chloe stepped closer.
“You ruined everything.”
Her voice became emotional.
“You walked into my wedding pretending to be some innocent victim, and now everyone is attacking me.”
I looked at her.
“Chloe, you accused me of stealing your ring.”
“And you embarrassed me!”
The words came out before she could stop them.
The room became silent.
Because she had just admitted something important.
She wasn’t angry because she was innocent.
She was angry because she had lost control.
My father noticed.
“So your concern is embarrassment?”
Chloe froze.
He continued.
“Not the fact that my daughter was falsely accused?”
She looked away.
That answer was enough.
I felt Dominic move beside me.
“Chloe, just tell the truth.”
I turned toward him.
Those words surprised me.
Because for the first time that night...
He finally sounded like he understood what was happening.
Chloe looked at him in disbelief.
“You’re taking her side?”
Dominic didn’t answer immediately.
And that hesitation said everything.
“You let your mother tear her dress,” he said quietly.
Chloe’s expression changed.
“You were standing right there.”
Dominic looked down.
“I know.”
“You let everyone search her.”
“I know.”
“You let them humiliate her.”
His voice became softer.
“I know.”
For years, I had waited for Dominic to say those words.
To admit what happened.
But hearing them now felt different.
Too late.
Chloe laughed bitterly.
“Wow.”
She looked at him.
“So now you want to act like the good husband?”
Dominic didn’t respond.
Because there was nothing he could say.
My father turned back to the documents.
“The transfers were made to an account belonging to a company called Elite Events Consulting.”
The wedding planner looked surprised.
“That company arranged several luxury details for the wedding.”
My father nodded.
“And who owns Elite Events Consulting?”
The room went quiet.
Then the answer appeared on the screen.
Chloe Bennett.
A wave of shock spread through the guests.
Eleanor stepped back.
“You own the company?”
Chloe remained silent.
My father continued.
“You charged your own wedding account for services from your own company.”
Chloe finally spoke.
“That’s legal.”
My father nodded.
“Perhaps.”
He paused.
“But hiding it from the groom’s family and manipulating the budget is another matter.”
Dominic turned toward Chloe.
“You used our wedding money?”
Chloe’s eyes flashed.
“Our money?”
She laughed.
“Please, Dominic. Don’t pretend you paid for this.”
His face changed.
“What does that mean?”
The ballroom became tense.
Chloe realized she had said too much.
But it was already too late.
She continued angrily.
“Your family wanted this wedding to look perfect. They wanted everyone to believe we were powerful.”
She looked around.
“But the truth is, we were struggling.”
Nobody moved.
Dominic stared at her.
“What are you saying?”
Chloe looked away.
“My father’s company has been losing money.”
Eleanor whispered,
“Chloe…”
But Chloe couldn’t stop anymore.
The perfect image was collapsing.
The wealthy family.
The luxurious wedding.
The flawless reputation.
All of it was breaking apart.
My father watched silently.
Then he said something that made Chloe’s entire expression change.
“There is still one thing we haven’t discussed.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
My father glanced toward the security team.
“The reason Amanda stole the ring.”
Amanda, who had been standing quietly nearby, suddenly looked terrified.
Because everyone assumed she acted alone.
But my father knew something else.
He looked at the security footage again.
“There were two people involved.”
The room gasped.
Chloe’s face lost all color.
Because the truth was no longer approaching.
May you like
It was already standing in front of her.
To be continued...
