Chapter 3 - The Accident
Before Kevin could offer another insightful critique of my life choices, my mother’s hand jerked slightly.
The movement was too sharp to be natural. Too deliberate.
A heavy splash of deep red Merlot erupted from her glass, flying through the air and landing squarely across the chest and skirt of my black dress. The fabric instantly darkened, soaking up the stain like a sponge.
I looked down at the dark, spreading wetness against my clothes. Then I looked up at my mother.
Her eyes met mine. There was no flicker of panic. No hurried apology, no frantic grab for a napkin. Instead, a cold, satisfied glint flashed in her gaze.
“Oh, goodness!” she gasped, her voice pitched perfectly for the surrounding guests to hear. “Clumsy me! Elena, darling, I am so terribly sorry.”
“It’s fine,” I said, my voice dangerously level.
“It’s ruined,” Kevin corrected, suppressing a grin. “That fabric looks completely soaked. Honestly, El, you should have worn something sturdier. Or at least something that didn't attract disaster.”
My father, who had been laughing a few yards away with a group of retired colonels, turned his head at the commotion. He strolled over, his chest puffed out beneath his decorated blazer, a glass of scotch in his hand.
“What’s all this?” Dad boomed, his voice carrying across the floor.
“Margaret had a little accident with her wine,” Kevin explained smoothly, chuckling. “Right down the front of Elena’s dress.”
Dad looked at me. He didn't check to see if I was okay, nor did he scold my mother for her carelessness. He just squinted at the dark stain, his expression curling into one of profound disappointment.
“Good grief, Elena,” Dad said, shaking his head. “You always manage to make a scene out of nothing. Look at you. You look like a mess.”
“It was an accident, Victor,” Mom said, playing the martyr with practiced ease. “I tried to warn her to stand back.”
“Well, you can't walk around the ballroom looking like that,” Dad snapped, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. “Go change, Elena. You look cheap.”
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The laughter rolled off his tongue effortlessly, echoing in the air as the surrounding guests politely chuckled along with the guest of honor.
I stood there in the center of the ballroom, soaked in red wine, surrounded by my family.
