Chapter 2: The Family Arrives
Chapter 2: The Family Arrives
No one spoke after I ended the call.
Maverick stood frozen beside the bed, clutching the white sheet around his waist. Penelope buried her face in her trembling hands, refusing to look at me.
For the first time in years, silence gave me more satisfaction than anger ever could.
Five minutes later, footsteps echoed through the hallway.
The door opened.
Maverick's parents entered first.
His mother wore the elegant navy dress she had chosen for the ceremony. His father still had the white rose pinned to his lapel.
Behind them came his younger sister, his godfather, two uncles, and finally my own parents.
Mrs. Bennett smiled as she walked inside.
"There you are! Everyone is wai—"
She stopped.
Her eyes landed on the bed.
The smile disappeared.
The room became perfectly still.
"Maverick..."
Her voice cracked.
"What... is this?"
Nobody answered.
Nobody needed to.
Penelope sat wrapped in the hotel sheet.
Maverick couldn't even meet his mother's eyes.
Mrs. Bennett staggered backward until her husband caught her arm.
"You humiliated her..."
She pointed toward me.
"You humiliated both families."
Mr. Bennett's expression hardened.
"I spent thirty years building our family's reputation."
He looked directly at his son.
"And you destroyed it in one afternoon."
Maverick finally spoke.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like this."
Those six words made everything worse.
"Not supposed to happen?" I asked quietly.
"So it was planned?"
He lowered his head.
Penelope began crying.
"We never meant to hurt you."
I almost laughed.
"You just accidentally slept together on our wedding day?"
No one defended them.
Not even each other.
Mrs. Bennett slowly removed the family heirloom watch she had planned to give Maverick after the ceremony.
She placed it on the dresser.
"You don't deserve this."
Then she turned and walked away.
One by one, the rest of the family followed.
May you like
Maverick called after them.
No one looked back.
