I wore the navy suit my mom had helped me pick out last fall. It still held the faint scent of her perfume. Lily stood on my right, holding a small bouquet she’d made from wildflowers she picked outside the hotel.
Maya stood on my left, holding a pink glitter pen tightly.
Jenna clinked her glass, lifted the mic, and beamed at the crowd.
“Thank you all for coming! Tonight, we’re celebrating love, family, and —”
I stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Actually, babe, I’ll take it from here.”
My fiancée’s smile faltered just a beat, but she handed me the mic without a word.
I reached into my jacket and pulled out a small black remote.
“Everyone,” I said, turning to face them all. “We’re not just here to celebrate a wedding. We’re here to reveal who we really are.”
Behind us, the projector flickered to life.
I clicked the first file, and the screen behind us came to life.
“Tuesday Afternoon — Kitchen Camera” read the corner timestamp. The footage was grainy, black and white, but the audio came through perfectly.
Jenna’s voice filled the hall, casual and cruel.
“The house? The insurance money? It should be for us! I just need James to wake up and smell the coffee… and put my name on the deed. And after that, I don’t really care what happens to those girls. I’ll make their lives miserable until he gives in. And then this naïve man will think it was his idea all along.”
A gasp rippled through the room. Somewhere, a glass shattered.
I let it play for a few more seconds before pausing it. My voice stayed calm, even as my hands tightened around the mic.
“My mom had nanny cams in the house. She installed them back when she worked long hours and had babysitters for Lily and Maya. I forgot they were even there until that day. This isn’t a setup. This isn’t a joke. This is Jenna, speaking freely.”
I clicked again. Another clip played — Jenna’s voice, this time speaking directly to the girls.
“Don’t cry, Maya,” Jenna snapped. “I’m warning you. If you cry again, I’ll take your notebooks and throw them away. You need to grow up before you keep writing your silly stories in them.”
“But we don’t want to leave,” Maya whispered. “We want to stay with James. He’s the best brother in the world.”
Lily’s hand slipped into mine. Maya didn’t look away, not even once.
“That’s not — James, that’s out of context! I was venting! You weren’t supposed to —”
“I heard everything,” I said, turning toward her. “You weren’t planning a future. You were planning a betrayal. You used my sisters, and you lied to me.”
“You can’t do this to me, James! Not in front of everyone.”
“I just did… and anyway, you did it to yourself,” I said, nodding toward the security.
“James, you’re ruining my life!” Jenna screamed.
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