Chapter 2
I stared at the phone as Nathaniel Whitmore repeated himself.
"She tried to sign a contract using your company's authority."
My voice came out barely above a whisper.
"What kind of contract?"
"A private corporate event agreement attached to today's wedding reservation."
I frowned.
"That doesn't make sense."
"I know. That's why I called."
I looked through the car window.
Beyond the fountain, I could see the wedding tents.
Guests were still standing beneath the pink floral arrangements.
Nothing looked different from outside.
Yet my entire world felt as though it had shifted.
"Mr. Whitmore, who prepared this agreement?"
"Vanessa brought it to our events director this morning. She claimed you had already approved it."
I closed my eyes.
Vanessa had spent months insisting she needed more authority over the wedding arrangements.
She said calling me for every financial decision was embarrassing.
I had refused to give her access to my company accounts.
Apparently, that hadn't stopped her.
"Did anyone sign it?" I asked.
"No. My director noticed the company information didn't match our records."
Relief washed through me.
But only briefly.
"Please preserve the document."
"Of course."
"I'll have my attorney contact you."
Nathaniel hesitated.
"Mrs. Bennett, perhaps you should come inside. I think we should discuss this privately."
I looked toward the mansion.
The thought of seeing Vanessa again made my stomach tighten.
"I'll come to your office entrance."
"That would be best."
I ended the call.
Harold glanced at me through the mirror.
"Ma'am?"
"Drive around to the administrative entrance."
He nodded.
As the car moved, my phone lit up again.
Marcus.
Then Vanessa.
Then Marcus again.
I finally answered my son's call.
"Mom!"
His voice sounded frantic.
"What's going on?"
I stared straight ahead.
"What do you mean?"
"The caterers are stopping service. The band says they're leaving. Celeste says you canceled everything!"
"Not everything."
"Mom, this is our wedding!"
I took a breath.
"Marcus, your bride ordered me to leave."
He said nothing.
"She humiliated me in front of our family and friends."
"Vanessa was upset."
"She threw my corsage across a table."
"Mom, please."
"And you stood there."
His breathing changed.
"Can we discuss that later?"
I felt tears sting my eyes.
"Later?"
"We have two hundred guests waiting!"
I looked down at my wedding badge lying on the seat.
"That's what worries you?"
He went silent.
I continued.
"Not whether your mother is crying. Not whether I was treated cruelly. You're worried about the guests."
"That's not fair."
"No, Marcus. What happened today wasn't fair."
He lowered his voice.
"Vanessa says you're trying to destroy our marriage."
I almost laughed.
They hadn't even exchanged vows.
And already I was being blamed for everything.
"Marcus, I didn't tell Vanessa to throw me out."
"I know."
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
Silence.
Finally, he whispered, "I didn't want to upset her."
Those words broke something inside me.
I looked toward the mansion.
"You were willing to hurt me to avoid upsetting her."
He didn't answer.
I ended the call.
Harold parked near a side entrance.
Nathaniel Whitmore was waiting beside a glass door.
He was a tall Black man in his late sixties, with silver hair and a calm expression.
Our families had known each other for years.
He had been one of Daniel's closest business friends.
When he saw me, his face softened.
"Evelyn."
He opened his arms.
I stepped into his embrace.
And suddenly, I couldn't hold back the tears.
Nathaniel held me gently.
"I'm sorry."
I wiped my cheeks.
"I never imagined my son's wedding would become this."
He shook his head.
"Come inside."
His office overlooked the gardens.
He placed a folder on the desk.
Then he turned it toward me.
The first page contained the letterhead of Bennett Property Group.
My company.
Below it was a proposed agreement for a luxury development networking event.
The event was supposedly sponsored by Bennett Property Group.
The listed budget was four hundred thousand dollars.
I stared at the amount.
"Four hundred thousand?"
Nathaniel nodded.
"Vanessa said the wedding was also a launch event for a new business division."
My mouth went dry.
"What division?"
He pointed to the next page.
BENNETT LUXURY RESIDENCES.
I had never approved such a division.
I had never even discussed it.
But there was something more disturbing.
The agreement named Vanessa as executive director.
And Marcus as managing partner.
I felt sick.
"Neither of them holds those positions."
Nathaniel looked concerned.
"I suspected that."
I turned another page.
There was a signature line.
Evelyn Bennett, Chief Executive Officer.
Someone had typed my name beneath a signature that resembled mine.
I stared at it.
"That's not my signature."
Nathaniel nodded.
"Fortunately, my director refused to accept it without speaking to you."
My hands began trembling.
I had spent thirty years building my company.
After Daniel died, I borrowed money against our small home.
I worked weekends.
I took risks.
I nearly lost everything twice.
And now my future daughter-in-law had apparently tried to use my business as a decoration for her wedding.
Or perhaps something worse.
"Who else has seen this?"
Nathaniel opened another folder.
"Several vendors received preliminary information."
I looked up.
"Which vendors?"
"An event production company, a luxury marketing agency, and a private investor group."
My heart pounded.
"Investors?"
"Vanessa told them the wedding would include an announcement."
I gripped the desk.
"What announcement?"
Nathaniel looked uncomfortable.
"That Marcus would be taking over Bennett Property Group."
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Then I heard footsteps outside.
A familiar voice shouted, "Where is she?"
Marcus.
The door opened.
My son stood there, still wearing his black tuxedo.
His face was pale.
"Mom, what are you doing?"
I looked at him.
Then I slowly pushed the folder across the desk.
"Before you ask me another question, read this."
He glanced down.
His expression changed.
"What is that?"
"Apparently, it's your new company."
Marcus picked up the first page.
He read silently.
Then he looked toward Nathaniel.
"I don't understand."
I watched his face carefully.
"Marcus, did you know Vanessa was announcing you as the new head of my business?"
He looked stunned.
"No."
I wanted to believe him.
Then his eyes moved to the signature page.
He went completely still.
"Mom..."
I felt my chest tighten.
"What?"
He swallowed.
"I've seen this signature before."
I stared at him.
"Where?"
He looked toward the door.
Then he whispered:
May you like
"Vanessa asked me to sign something last night."
And I realized my son might have helped prepare the very document that threatened everything I had built.
