Chapter 5 - The Breaking Point
Sophie didn't hesitate. She didn't look at me for permission. She didn't consult the maid-of-honor schedule.
She walked with terrifying, deliberate grace across the hardwood dance floor, intercepting Tom before he could place the microphone back into its brass cradle.
"I've got it, Dad," Sophie said smoothly, her fingers closing around the metal stem.
Tom blinked, taken aback. "Sophie? What are you doing? It's time for David's toast."
"Just adding a footnote, Dad," she replied, her voice sweet as honey, her eyes colder than midwinter ice. "A family tradition."
Tom hesitated, sensing the danger in the air, but Kristen gave him an encouraging nod from their table, clearly believing Sophie was about to offer an apology or an olive branch. Reluctantly, Tom stepped back, returning to his seat beside his wife.
I gripped the edge of my table, my knuckles turning white. "Sophie, please," I whispered under my breath, though I knew she couldn't hear me.
Sophie stepped up to the center of the stage. She adjusted the microphone stand to her height. She looked stunning in her lavender dress, but there was an electric, dangerous energy radiating from her. The entire room seemed to hold its collective breath. Even the catering staff paused in the doorways, sensing the shift in the air.
She looked at Emma first. Emma looked up, terrified of what her younger sister might do, pleading with her eyes for peace.
Then Sophie turned her gaze toward Table One, where Tom and Kristen were seated. Tom was taking a sip of his bourbon. Kristen was checking her reflection in the screen of her gold iPhone.
Sophie tapped the microphone. The sound was like a gunshot in the cavernous room.
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"Since we’re apparently including everyone tonight," Sophie began, her voice ringing out crisp, melodic, and razor-sharp, "and since my father just gave such a moving speech about *providing* and *foundations*... I think there's someone else in this room who deserves recognition too."
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