Chapter 2 - The Aftermath at the Plaza
The grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel was a sea of crystal chandeliers, gold leafing, and towering arrangements of white orchids that I had spent six months choosing.
When the double doors opened and the butler announced, “Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Sterling,” the room erupted into thunderous applause.
The orchestra immediately struck up a soaring waltz. Waiters glided through the crowd with silver trays holding thousands of dollars worth of vintage champagne. My college friends, my work colleagues, and dozens of relatives who had traveled from out of state swarmed us, raising their glasses, snapping photos, and whispering in absolute awe.
“I still can't believe it!” Laura dragged me into a ferocious hug, her eyes sparkling with fierce delight. “Vicki, that was the most badass, iconic thing anyone has ever done in the history of Manhattan! Look at you! You’re married to Sebastian Sterling!”
I caught my reflection in one of the grand gilded mirrors along the wall. My cheeks had color again. My eyes were bright. The lace of my dress, which an hour ago felt like a shroud of embarrassment, now felt like armor.
Sebastian stood a few feet away, talking calmly to two senior partners from my law firm who were looking at him as if he were a mythical creature. He held a glass of scotch in one hand, but his gray eyes never left me. Every few seconds, his glance would sweep across the room, tracking my movements, ensuring I was alright.
Then, the heavy brass doors of the ballroom slammed open.
The music didn't stop, but the energy in the room took a sharp, icy plunge.
My mother stormed in first, her face red, her silk dress rumpled. Behind her came my father, looking exhausted and deeply embarrassed. And right behind them were Danielle and Ryan.
Danielle had changed out of her identical wedding gown into a tight red dress, but her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were swollen from crying. Ryan looked utterly lost, wearing his groom’s tuxedo like a man forced to wear a costume he had outgrown.
The crowd parted as my mother marched directly toward me.
“Victoria!” my mother hissed, her voice trembling with rage and humiliation. “Have you completely lost your mind?! What kind of stunt was that?! You made a mockery of our family in front of two hundred people!”
Before I could speak, a smooth, commanding presence materialized at my elbow.
Sebastian stepped in front of me, placing a gentle hand on the small of my back. He towered over my mother, his expression cold as winter ice.
“Mrs. Vance,” Sebastian said, his voice dangerously soft. “You are currently speaking to my wife in my private ballroom, which I have paid for in full. I suggest you lower your tone immediately.”
My mother gasped, recoiling slightly from Sebastian’s intimidating aura. “Mr. Sterling... this is a family matter! My younger daughter is pregnant! Ryan and Danielle made a mistake, yes, but Victoria has just committed bigamy or fraud or—!”
“There is no fraud, Mrs. Vance,” Sebastian cut in smoothly, taking a sip of his scotch. “The marriage license was legally executed by Father Thomas. Victoria is legally my wife. As for your younger daughter’s pregnancy... if I recall correctly, she chose to announce it in the middle of a holy sanctuary in front of two hundred witnesses while wearing a stolen dress design. If anyone made a mockery of your family, it sits squarely on the shoulders of the two people standing behind you.”
Ryan stepped forward, trying to look brave. “Look, Sterling, I don't know who you think you are—!”
Sebastian turned his head slowly. The look he gave Ryan was so sharp, so utterly dismissive, that Ryan froze mid-sentence.
“I know exactly who I am, Mr. Miller,” Sebastian said, stepping closer to Ryan until Ryan had to tilt his head up to meet his eyes. “I am the man who owns the development firm holding the mortgage on the Westchester property you applied for last week. I am also the chairman of the board at the venture capital fund that currently finances your employer.”
Ryan’s face drained of every last drop of blood. “What?”
“Did you really think you could orchestrate a public ambush against Victoria without any consequences?” Sebastian asked softly, a dark smile playing on his lips. “You spent four years taking her for granted, draining her energy, and quietly sleeping with her sister behind her back. And then you had the audacity to bring cameras to record her pain.”
Danielle stepped up, grabbing Ryan’s arm, her voice shrill. “Vicki! Tell him to stop! He’s ruining Ryan’s career! We have a baby coming!”
I stepped out from behind Sebastian’s shoulder and looked my sister dead in the eyes.
“You didn't care about my career, my heart, or my dignity when you walked down that aisle, Danielle,” I said, my voice steady and cold. “You wanted my dress. You wanted my fiancé. You wanted my life. Well, you can have Ryan. He’s all yours. But you don't get to ask me for mercy ever again.”
“Victoria!” my father finally spoke up, his voice cracking with old-fashioned guilt. “She’s your sister! We’re your family!”
“Where was that family energy eight months ago, Dad?” I asked, looking at him with a disappointment that cut deeper than anger. “Where was that family energy when Danielle was wearing my clothes and sleeping with my fiancé in our apartment while I was working sixty hours a week to pay for this wedding? You told me to be patient my whole life. You told me to let Danielle have her way because she was 'impulsive.' Well, I’m done being patient.”
I turned to the head of Plaza security, who was standing near the entrance, waiting for my signal.
“Escort them out,” I ordered flatly. “All four of them.”
“Victoria, no!” my mother shrieked as security guards stepped forward, politely but firmly placing themselves between my family and the party.
“Please leave,” Sebastian added, his voice carrying the finality of a judge’s gavel. “If any of you step foot back onto this property, or attempt to contact my wife tonight, I will have my legal team file formal harassment charges before midnight.”
The guests watched in rapt, glorious silence as my family was escorted out of the Plaza’s gilded doors. Danielle was sobbing hysterically, Ryan was staring at the floor in complete ruin, and my parents looked utterly defeated.
When the heavy doors clicked shut behind them, the ballroom burst into spontaneous cheers once again.
I let out a long breath I felt like I’d been holding for eight months. My shoulders dropped.
Sebastian turned to me, reaching out to gently touch my cheek. His gray eyes were soft, searching my face for any sign of regret.
“Are you alright, Victoria?” he asked quietly.
I looked around the sparkling ballroom—at my real friends who were smiling at me, at the music playing, at the life I had just reclaimed from the jaws of humiliation. Then I looked into the eyes of the billionaire who had saved me from becoming a victim.
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“I’ve never been better,” I said softly. “Now... I believe you promised me a dance, Mr. Sterling?”
Sebastian smiled, a real, radiant smile that warmed his whole face. He took my hand and led me into the center of the dance floor as the orchestra began to play.
