Chapter 5: The Execution
“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice echoing loudly through the microphone on Marcus’s lapel. “I don’t think my hand is steady enough to sign away two million dollars.”
Nathan’s perfectly constructed smile faltered. His eyebrows knitted together in sudden, frantic confusion. “Babe? What are you talking about? It’s just the adoption papers…”
“Is it?” I asked, taking a step back from him.
I didn’t wait for his response. I looked past him to the AV technician stationed at the back of the garden. I gave him a curt, sharp nod.
Instantly, the massive, state-of-the-art LED screen we had supposedly rented for a “romantic photo slideshow” flickered to life directly behind the altar.
There was no music. There were no photos of our vacations.
Instead, a deafening audio recording blasted through the surround-sound concert speakers.
“Did you get the old hag to sign it yet?”
Jessica’s voice echoed off the trees.
Gasps erupted from the crowd. The guests jerked in their seats, looking around in utter confusion.
On the giant screen behind us, massive, bold white subtitles appeared against a stark black background, ensuring that even the deafest great-aunt in the back row would know exactly what was being said.
Nathan physically recoiled. All the blood drained from his face, leaving him a ghastly shade of gray. “Sharon… what is this? Turn this off!” he hissed, lunging toward the podium.
Marcus stepped smoothly in his way, subtly blocking him.
The audio continued, ruthless and unyielding.
“She’s practically eating out of my hand… She is completely desperate for a man to play savior.”
The crowd began to murmur. I saw my brother-in-law stand up in the second row, his fists clenching.
Then came Linda’s voice, crystal clear. “You need to make sure she signs the actual document, Nathan. The trust fund transfer.”
Linda shrieked from the front row. “Lies! This is AI! This is a deepfake!” she screamed, her face turning a violent shade of purple. She scrambled to her feet, trying to rush the altar.
Two large men in dark suits—off-duty police officers I had hired as “ushers”—stepped smoothly out of the shadows and flanked Linda, gently but firmly forcing her back into her seat.
Then came the kill shot. The speakers rattled with Nathan’s cruel laughter.
“I swapped the pages yesterday… Once she signs it, I get full discretionary control over the twins’ medical trust. Two million dollars… Once the money is drained into our offshore accounts, I’m filing for divorce. I’ll take her house… Touching her disgusts me.”
The silence that followed the recording was heavier than gravity. It was the sound of complete, total social annihilation.
Jessica, the mistress, had already grabbed her purse and was practically sprinting down the side aisle toward the parking lot, her head ducked in shame as guests glared at her.
Nathan was shaking. His carefully constructed facade had shattered into a million irreparable pieces. He dropped to his knees, not out of remorse, but because his legs could literally no longer support him.
“Sharon, please,” he whimpered, holding his hands up. “It’s taken out of context… I can explain…”
“Save your breath, Nathan,” I said. I reached under the altar and pulled out a manila folder Marcus had placed there earlier. I threw it, letting the documents scatter across the grass at Nathan’s knees.
“That is a legally binding eviction notice,” I stated, my voice ringing out over the silent crowd. “You have until 5:00 PM today to remove your belongings from my property. The other document is a temporary restraining order. If you come within five hundred feet of me or my children, you will be arrested.”
I leaned in closer to the microphone.
“Furthermore, as you are the sole signatory on the contracts for this beautiful event,” I continued, gesturing to the lavish surroundings, “the final invoice of fifty-five thousand dollars will be mailed directly to your mother’s estate. I hope you enjoy the catering. I hear the salmon is excellent.”
I turned my back on him. I didn’t look at Linda. I didn’t look at the shocked, whispering guests.
I looked at my children, who were waiting for me. And for the first time in two years, I saw my future clearly.
