Chapter 3 - Claire Had Seen The Switch
Claire became the most important witness.
She was twenty-seven and had worked weddings at the hotel for nearly four years.
Her job that afternoon was beverage service between the bridal floor and reception hall.
About twenty-five minutes after the ceremony, she carried sparkling water upstairs.
The bridal-suite door was partly open.
Claire heard two women arguing.
She couldn’t hear every word.
But one sentence was clear.
Vanessa said:
“Get Out Of My Dress.”
Claire stopped.
Then heard something hit the floor.
She stepped toward the doorway.
A dark-haired woman emerged wearing Vanessa’s reception gown.
She saw Claire.
And smiled.
“Everything’s fine.”
Claire looked behind her.
The suite door slammed shut.
The woman walked toward the elevator.
Claire followed several steps behind.
Something felt wrong.
At first she thought it was a family argument.
Then downstairs she saw the same woman near the beverage station.
Claire took out her phone.
Not because she suspected attempted poisoning.
Because she thought she had caught a bride doing something strange enough that hotel management might need to know.
That recording saved me.
The camera captured the woman removing a small vial and tipping clear liquid into the orange juice prepared for me.
Claire immediately came toward me.
The fake bride intercepted her.
Asked what she was doing.
Claire said:
“I need to speak to the groom.”
Then came the slap.
Claire still warned me.
Even while crying.
Even after being humiliated.
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Had she stayed silent for another thirty seconds, I might have picked up that glass.
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