A nuisance, Warren repeated flatly, his tone indicating he did not believe a single word coming out of her mouth. ‘Yes,’ Brenda continued her desperation making her reckless. She turned and pointed a sharp manicured finger directly at me. I stood against the edge of the mahogany desk, the stained wet catering apron still tied tightly around my waist.
My black dress was ruined with water and cocktail sauce. I looked exactly like the lowly servant she wanted me to be. Brenda leaned closer to Warren, lowering her voice as if sharing a disgraceful secret. That is our eldest daughter, Caroline. She is the black sheep of this family.
She has always been incredibly unstable and bitterly jealous of Brittany. She works a pathetic minimum wage job and she showed up tonight uninvited demanding money and throwing a massive tantrum because she cannot stand to see her younger sister marrying into such a prestigious wealthy family like yours.
Britney immediately seized the opportunity to play the victim. She stepped forward, clutching her hands to her chest, her lower lip trembling in a flawless performance of distress. It is true, Mr. Jefferson. Caroline is completely unhinged. She cornered us in here. She threatened to ruin my entire wedding if we did not pay her off.
We were just trying to contain her so she would not go out there and cause a scene in front of your wonderful guests. We are so sorry. Richard nodded vigorously, stepping beside his wife and golden child to form a unified front of deception. We had to discipline her, Warren. We had to put her in her place.
She is nothing but a spoiled, ungrateful girl who thinks the world owes her a living. Please let us escort her out the back door and we can all return to the celebration. Terrence used the distraction of my family frantic lies to slowly discreetly reach behind him. His fingers brushed against the mahogany desk, attempting to slide the fraudulent promisory note under a leather blott before his father could notice the federal crime sitting in plain sight.
I saw his movement, but I did not react. I did not need to. Warren Jefferson was not a man who amassed a billion dollar real estate empire by listening to the frantic lies of desperate failing logistics managers. He was a man who read people for a living. He ignored Brenda cloying apologies.
