Page 123 of Sinful Bride

Both of them jump in their seats. Stewart scrambles to his feet and pulls out the chair next to him. “You’re here! My goodness! Please, have a seat!”

“Stewart, Ophelia. How lovely to see you again.” I beam at them the same way any lady of high society does in this godforsaken hive of pretentious assholes. “No, thank you. I won’t be staying.”

Ophelia pouts. “But you’ve only just arrived! And we have so much to discuss?—”

“That’s actually why I’m here.”

Rip it off. Rip the bandage off and be done with it.

Stewart’s face reddens. “Daphne, sweetheart… you’re causing a scene.”

“Good. That will make things easier.”

Ophelia reaches for me, presumably to yank me down into the chair next to her, but I dodge out of the way and clear my throat.

Here it goes…

“Ladies, gentlemen.” I raise my voice loud enough to be heard over the soft din and wait for the gradual silence to settle throughout the dining room. “I’ll just be a quick moment. You all know me—well,” I laugh, “you know my parents, Stewart and Ophelia Hamish.”

A few smiling faces nod. Others just watch and wait for me to finish.

“My former parents, I should clarify. As of today, I am officially disowning them and cutting off all ties, familial and legal.”

“Daphne!”

“Sit down! This is ridiculous!”

“What’s ridiculous,” I continue over their protests, “is how desperate they are to make you believe they are good and decent people worthy of your esteem. They are not. They are, in fact, kidnappers.”

A few gasps. Ophelia’s mouth snaps shut.

Stewart sits back down, his eyes darting everywhere but at me.

“Many of you may have already heard about my recent wedding, as well as my husband and I welcoming our daughter into the world. Well, these two people thought it would be a great idea to stuff my newborn baby into a duffel bag and try to smuggle her out of the hospital to use as blackmail to end my marriage.”

More gasps. Horror on the faces of every person in here. My parents sink lower in their seats.

“I know it’s easy for anyone to make up anything just to get what they want. You’re an expert at that, aren’t you, Mom?” I grin at her. “Which is why I got some help in posting the police reports and their mugshots to social media for your review. Oh, and the now-public arrest report of the FBI agent they paid off to help them falsely accuse my husband and spring them out of jail whenever they wanted.”

The dining club was quiet before; it’s deathly silent now. All eyes are on the Hamishes.

“So to summarize…” I count out my parents’ crimes on my fingers. “They disowned my sister, who only did what she did so they wouldn’t sell her into a loveless marriage. They forced me to change my name so I’d ‘bring them out of ruin,’ then tried to force me to marry a man who not only cheated on me, but also tried to rape me. Repeatedly. They helped his mistress attack me in an alley, which landed me in the hospital. They’ve abused social connections to hunt me down, terrorize my family, and overall are just despicable people.”

I redirect my attention towards Stewart and Ophelia. “It’s been fun, you two. But it’s over.”

I could keep going, but I think I’ve made my point.

We’re done here.

Stewart, however, doesn’t want to let things end. He jumps up and grabs my arm. “Stay right the hell where you are, young lady! You cannot just come in here and?—”

I see Lev spring forward from his watchful post near the door. I shake my head so he knows I’ve got this.

“You’re broke.”

Stewart freezes. “What?”

I firmly pry my arm from his grasp. “You’re broke. You and your wife. Dead broke.”

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