Chapter 4 - The Coronation of Fools
The day of the christening and engagement party arrived like a fever dream.
The Cumberland garden was transformed into a paradise of white silk and pale peonies.
Waiters in tuxedos moved through the crowd of elite guests,
serving champagne and hors d'oeuvres paid for by my sweat.
Hadley looked radiant in a lace gown,
holding baby Ashton like a trophy she had won in a high-stakes game.
Weston stood beside her,
his hand possessively on her waist,
accepting congratulations from people who had once been my friends.
I stayed in the background,
wearing a simple black dress that stood out like a funeral shroud amidst the white.
My mother approached me,
a glass of bubbly in her hand.
"You're being remarkably mature about this,
Scarlet,"
she whispered,
patting my arm.
"I knew you'd see reason."
"I see a lot of things today,
Mom,"
I replied,
my gaze fixed on Weston.
He caught my eye and gave me a smirk,
a look of pure,
unadulterated triumph.
He thought he had won.
He thought he had successfully transitioned from the husband of a workaholic to the lord of a legacy.
The ceremony began near the stone fountain.
The priest spoke of new beginnings and the sanctity of family.
I watched as Hadley and Weston exchanged rings,
their "secret" engagement finally made public to the gasps and cheers of the audience.
"And now,"
Weston said,
stepping toward a microphone,
"we have a special announcement.
As many of you know,
this house has been a symbol of our family for years.
And today,
we are making it official.
Hadley and I will be taking over the Cumberland estate permanently."
He looked at me,
expecting me to bow my head in defeat.
"Scarlet has been kind enough to facilitate the transition,"
he added,
the lie smooth and practiced.
"But before we toast to our new home,
Scarlet has a gift for the guests."
This was it.
The moment they had been waiting for.
The moment they thought I would hand over the keys and fade into the shadows.
I walked toward the center of the garden,
a stack of thick,
cream-colored envelopes in my hand.
"Thank you,
Weston,"
I said,
my voice amplified by the speakers.
"It’s true.
I wanted to give everyone here something they would never forget.
A reminder of what happens when you build your house on someone else's land."
I began handing the envelopes to the guests in the front row,
starting with the Chairman of the Bank and the local District Attorney.
"Open them,"
I encouraged,
my smile widening as I saw Weston’s confusion turn into a faint shadow of dread.
"It’s a story of legacy,
May you like
betrayal,
and the true cost of the First Star."
