But his smile never quite reached his eyes—and not long after, everything began to change.
Caleb reached for my hand. “He’s still tied up in litigation, and he never told Rowan any of this,” he said quietly. “We have to tell her.”
“But she won’t believe it if it comes from us,” I replied, my voice cracking. “Not privately—especially not while he still has control.”
He met my gaze. “Then we don’t do it in private.”
And that was when the plan took shape.
“Then we make it public.”
Inside, the reception was in full celebration mode. Candlelight bathed the room in a golden glow. Laughter rose above the music as guests clinked glasses and posed in front of the flower wall. Rowan looked luminous in her ivory gown, seated beside Arthur, who played the part of the proud groom perfectly. The contrast was unreal.
Everyone was celebrating—
and yet my heart was hammering like an alarm.
Caleb turned to me one last time. “Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “If he survives in the dark, then we expose him to the light.”
Moments later, Caleb stepped onto the small stage, microphone in hand. The emcee introduced him as the groom’s stepson—an odd label given the circumstances, but no one questioned it.
He stood straight and composed, though I could see the tension tightening his shoulders.
“I’d like to say a few words,” he began with a polite smile. “Not just as Rowan’s brother, but as someone who’s known Arthur in… more than one role.”
A ripple of uneasy laughter moved through the room.
Rowan beamed at him. Arthur, however, shifted in his chair.
Caleb went on, “I want to congratulate my sister and her husband. Marriage is built on love, trust, and honesty. So tonight, I’d like to raise a toast to honesty. And to make it personal, I have a question for the groom.”
The room fell silent.
“Arthur,” Caleb said clearly, “how is your ex-wife these days? Is she still waiting on those alimony payments?”
A collective gasp swept through the guests. A few nervous laughs followed, as if people hoped it was a joke.
Arthur’s face drained of color.
Caleb didn’t pause.
“Or are you still tied up in court? I imagine it’s hard to keep track—with the lawsuits, the unpaid debts. And the bankruptcy… should we toast to that as well?”
Rowan’s smile vanished.
The silence became suffocating.
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