Chapter 2 - The Audit of the Bloodline
I tapped the metal grille of the microphone, creating a sharp, crisp pop that made the sound technician in the back scramble to adjust the gains.
“First of all,” I said, my voice carrying a smooth, corporate-host cadence that commanded absolute silence across the ballroom, “congratulations on the girl, Khloe. Though I must say, utilizing a wedding reception you weren't invited to hijack—after being explicitly told no gender reveals six weeks in advance—is a remarkably creative way to announce it.”
A few scattered, nervous chuckles rippled through the crowd. My mother’s face flushed an angry, mottled red.
“Victoria!” Beatrice hissed, jumping up from her seat at the head table. “Do not speak to your sister that way in front of our guests! Hand the microphone back right now!”
“Mom, sit down,” I said, my voice dropping into a razor-sharp register that made her freeze halfway out of her chair. “You had your turn on the mic. Now it’s mine.”
I turned my gaze back to Khloe and Tyler, who were now shifting uncomfortably on their stiletto heels and sneakers, the pink mist finally beginning to clear from their hair.
“As for the second announcement,” I continued, tilting my head with a bright, venomous smile, “the twelve-day luxury honeymoon in Santorini, Greece. Khloe claims Mom swapped the names on the first-class tickets and gifted it to them as a baby shower present.”
My father puffed out his chest, nodding sagely. “And a very generous gift it is, Victoria. Family supports family.”
“Except for one tiny, legally binding logistical issue, Dad,” I said, stepping closer to the edge of the stage. “You see, Mom didn't swap the names on our original honeymoon tickets. When Caroline at the Aegean Travel Agency called me to verify the modifications my mother attempted to make using my family emergency credit card, she informed me of something hilarious.”
Khloe frowned, her brow furrowing. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that airline tickets purchased through corporate and international travel partners are strictly non-transferable,” I explained, my voice ringing clear and loud. “When Mom tried to change the names on Daniel’s and my tickets, the system blocked her. So, what did she do? Using my credit card without authorization, she simply purchased two brand-new business-class tickets for Khloe and Tyler, totaling exactly eleven thousand, eight hundred and forty-two dollars.”
Gasps erupted across the room. Several aunts turned to stare at my parents in absolute shock.
“Mom...” I turned my head toward the head table, where Beatrice was now turning a sickly shade of gray. “Did you really think I wouldn't notice an unauthorized eleven-thousand-dollar charge on the emergency wedding card?”
“You’re rolling in corporate money!” Beatrice shrieked, losing her composure entirely as she threw her linen napkin onto the table. “You make a fortune hosting corporate events! Your sister is pregnant and struggling! It was a drop in the bucket for you!”
“It was grand larceny and credit card fraud, Mom,” I corrected smoothly. “Which is why, the moment Caroline called me from the agency three hours ago, I instructed her to fully refund those unauthorized tickets back to my card—which she did, within the twenty-four-hour grace period.”
Khloe’s jaw hit the floor. “Refunded?! You canceled our trip to Greece?!”
“Correction, sweetie,” I smiled brightly. “I canceled your free vacation. Daniel and I are currently flying to Santorini on Tuesday using our original tickets—which Mom never managed to touch, because she was too busy buying a second honeymoon behind our backs while believing she had stolen ours.”
The ballroom was so quiet you could hear the air conditioning humming through the vents.
My father looked like he was about to suffer a stroke. My mother burst into theatrical, mascara-streaked tears, burying her face in her hands. And Khloe stared at me as if I had just revealed I was an alien from outer space.
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“You... you tricked us,” Khloe whispered, her voice trembling with rage.
“No, Khloe,” I said, setting the microphone down on the DJ stand with a soft click. “I just balanced the books.”
