Chapter 4 - The Ultimatum
"Enough," my father said.
The single word cut through the screaming like a buzzsaw. The entire room snapped back to attention. Alexander Sterling stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Dominic, who looked like a man standing on the edge of a collapsing cliff.
"Mr. Vaughn," my father said, using a formal tone that sounded like a death sentence.
Dominic swallowed hard, his throat dry. "Sir... Mr. Sterling... I swear to you, I knew nothing about this. I swear on my life."
"Your life is of very little consequence to me," Alexander replied coldly. "What concerns me is that your mother physically assaulted my pregnant daughter, your sister attempted to frame her for a felony, and you—her legal husband—stood by and told her to apologize."
Dominic turned toward me, his expression desperate, pleading, pathetic. "Vivienne... please. We’ve been through so much together. You know me. You know I’m weak under pressure, but I love you. We have a life together. Don't let your father destroy us."
I looked at him—really looked at him. For three years, I had made excuses for his cowardice. I had told myself his silence was just a lack of backbone, something I could live with because I loved him. But tonight, watching him stand there trying to bargain his way out of accountability while my maternity dress hung in shreds around me, I felt nothing. Not anger. Not sorrow. Just profound, liberating emptiness.
"You love the life I made comfortable for you, Dominic," I said, my voice steady and quiet. "You love the quiet apartment I paid the down payment on. You love the safety net you never knew existed. But you don't love me. If you did, you wouldn't have let them tear my clothes off."
"Vivienne—"
"The marriage is over, Dominic," I said clearly. "My lawyers will have the papers served to your office by nine o'clock tomorrow morning. And don't bother asking for alimony or a settlement. My father’s legal team has already frozen every corporate asset linked to your name."
Dominic staggered back as if he had been physically struck. "You... you can't do that! That's my entire career! That's everything I've worked for!"
"Everything you worked for?" My father chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "Son, you were working a middle-management compliance job at one of my subsidiary shell companies. You were an employee of an employee. You didn't earn a single thing you have."
Alexander turned to the head of hotel security, who stood waiting near the door.
"Clear the room," my father ordered. "Escort the bride, her mother, and her accomplice to the holding room downstairs to await the police. As for the rest of the guests... the reception is concluded. Exit through the side doors."
Panic broke out among the guests as they realized they were being evicted from the social event of the year in absolute disgrace. Society matrons scrambled for their coats, whisper-gossip already flying across their phones as they hurried toward the exits, eager to distance themselves from the sinking ship of the Vance family.
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Eleanor burst into loud, theatrical tears, sliding down the marble pillar to the floor, completely ignored by everyone around her. Chloe screamed curses at Amanda, who was already being handcuffed by the hotel security guards.
Amidst the chaos, Dominic stood frozen in the center of the empty ballroom, staring at his ruined wedding, his ruined career, and the wife he had so casually thrown away.
