Chapter 4 - The Ultimatum
Claire stood up abruptly from her chair.
The striking red evening gown she wore caught the warm candlelight, making her look like a towering, untouchable queen in the middle of the luxury banquet room. The sudden movement caught everyone's attention, instantly quieting the surrounding tables as the guests sensed a massive confrontation brewing.
Claire didn't look at Madison. She didn't look at the laughing guests, and she didn't look at her weeping parents.
She locked her sharp, furious eyes directly, unflinchingly onto her husband, Daniel. Her expression was completely cold, filled with a terrifying, calculated fury that made Daniel shrink back in his seat.
"Daniel," Claire said, her voice dropping into a register so chillingly calm that every single syllable was pronounced with absolute, razor-sharp clarity. "You have five minutes to fix this."
The challenge was laid out entirely in the open. She was giving her husband one single chance to prove he had a spine, one chance to defend her family and put his toxic sister in her place.
Daniel’s face drained of color. He looked up at his wife, his eyes darting around cowardly, desperately trying to avoid her intense, unwavering gaze as he slightly lowered his head back toward the table, completely paralyzed by his own spineless nature.
"Claire, don’t make a scene," Daniel stammered, his voice dropping into a nervous, pathetic whisper that only she could hear. "It was just a clumsy accident. You're overreacting. Sit down and let's just enjoy the party."
The cowardly response was the final straw. The illusion of their marriage shattered completely into dust.
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Claire didn't yell. She didn't throw a glass of wine in his face. She simply offered a cold, emotionless smirk that terrified Daniel to his very core.
👉 Read Part 5 to witness the digital countdown of doom.
