CHAPTER 3: THE FAMILY CHOSE THEIR FAVORITE—AND LOST EVERYTHING
"You can't arrest my son!"
My mother shoved past the guests.
"This is a misunderstanding!"
My father stepped beside her.
"My son made a mistake."
The officer looked at both of them.
"A mistake?"
"He deliberately framed an eight-year-old child."
"He then struck her with a wooden board."
"That's not a mistake."
"That's a felony."
Preston's face twisted with panic.
"Dad!"
"Tell them!"
"You always fix things!"
But this wasn't one of his father's business partners.
It wasn't a school principal.
It wasn't another family member willing to stay silent.
These were detectives.
They already had the evidence.
The handcuffs clicked around Preston's wrists.
His bride ripped off her wedding ring.
"You lied to me."
"You told me your sister hated you."
"You never said you'd attack a little girl."
She dropped the ring onto the marble floor.
It rolled until it stopped beside the bloodstained menu board.
Their marriage had lasted less than three hours.
Outside...
News vans had already arrived.
Someone inside the ballroom had uploaded the CCTV footage.
Within an hour...
Millions had watched it online.
Headlines spread across every news site.
GROOM CAUGHT PLANTING EVIDENCE ON CHILD BEFORE BRUTAL ASSAULT.
The family business suffered first.
Clients canceled contracts.
Sponsors withdrew.
Investors disappeared.
Within days, my father called me.
Not to apologize.
To beg.
"Evelyn..."
"If you tell the media we've always loved you..."
"Maybe we can save the company."
I hung up before he finished.
For thirty years...
May you like
They had chosen him.
Now they could live with that choice.
