Chapter 8 - The Video That Made Him Look Like the VillainBy the following morning, Nathan's phone wouldn't stop ringing.
At first, he assumed the calls concerned the disputed loan.
Then one of his employees sent him a link.
GROOM ATTACKS BRIDE WITH WEDDING CAKE IN FRONT OF HORRIFIED GUESTS.
Nathan opened the video.
The footage began with Audrey standing beside the broken wedding cake.
Nathan reached forward.
He pressed frosting onto her face.
Audrey staggered backward.
Guests screamed.
Then the clip ended.
There was no footage of Audrey humiliating Eli.
No explanation.
No image of the frightened little boy.
Just Nathan angrily pushing frosting onto his bride's face.
The video had already been shared thousands of times.
Comments flashed beneath it.
That poor bride.
I hope she leaves him.
Imagine marrying a man who treats women like this.
Nathan closed the application.
His first impulse was to throw the phone across the kitchen.
Instead, he sat down.
Because the clip showed something he really had done.
He couldn't deny it simply because people hadn't seen what happened before.
His business partner called.
“Nathan, clients are asking questions.”
“I know.”
“Somebody tagged our company in the video.”
Nathan rubbed his forehead.
“Tell the staff not to argue with strangers online.”
“What should we say?”
“That I'm dealing with a serious family matter. Nothing else.”
After hanging up, Nathan found Eli sitting on the stairs.
“Daddy?”
Nathan looked up.
“What's wrong?”
“Are people mad at you?”
Nathan went still.
“How do you know that?”
Eli pointed toward the phone.
“I heard your video.”
Nathan sat beside him.
“Some people saw something that happened at the wedding.”
“Because of me?”
“No.”
Eli looked down.
“If I hadn't gotten frosting on my head, you wouldn't have gotten angry.”
Nathan felt a fresh wave of shame.
“Listen to me carefully. What Audrey did wasn't your fault. And what I did was my choice, not yours.”
Eli studied his face.
“Was it bad?”
“Yes,” Nathan said.
The boy blinked.
“Even though Audrey was mean?”
“Even then.”
Eli leaned against him.
“Are you going to get in trouble?”
“I don't know. But I'll tell the truth.”
Across town, Audrey sat in her mother's office at Rosehaven Hall.
Her face was clean.
Her blonde hair was pulled into a loose ponytail.
But her expression remained hard.
The original wedding cake had been removed.
Only a faint sweet smell lingered in the ballroom.
Celeste stood beside a desk, reading messages on her phone.
“The video is working,” she said.
Audrey stared at the screen.
“He ruined my wedding.”
“He embarrassed you publicly,” Celeste replied. “Now people can see what kind of man he is.”
Audrey folded her arms.
“Then why hasn't he called?”
“Because he's stubborn.”
“He'll never sign anything now.”
Celeste lowered her phone.
“Not while he's protecting that boy.”
Audrey's expression tightened.
“Eli was supposed to be gone.”
“He was,” Celeste said coldly.
Neither woman noticed the door open.
A venue employee had come to retrieve the remaining wedding decorations.
He paused when he heard Eli's name.
Then quietly stepped away.
That afternoon, Tessa called Nathan.
“I saw the video.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
“So did everybody else.”
“It's edited.”
“I know.”
“Someone cut out the beginning.”
Nathan stared at the wall.
“Can you prove it?”
“My second camera was recording the cake table. I haven't checked all the footage yet, but it may have caught the whole thing.”
Nathan immediately called Dina.
Dina advised him not to post anything before the original files were preserved and reviewed.
“Even if the full recording supports your account,” she said, “it won't erase your own conduct.”
“I understand.”
That evening, Nathan received an unexpected email.
The sender was an address associated with Audrey's wedding account.
The subject line read:
YOU HAVE ONE CHANCE TO MAKE THIS RIGHT.
Inside was a brief message.
Apologize publicly. Agree to the financial meeting. And stop making accusations about my mother.
There was no signature.
Nathan read it twice.
Then he noticed the final sentence.
Otherwise, everyone will find out what kind of father you really are.
He forwarded the message to Dina.
Minutes later, Tessa called again.
Her voice was shaking.
“Nathan, I found the complete recording.”
He stood.
“What does it show?”
“It shows everything.”
May you like
She paused.
“Including what Audrey said to Eli before she touched him.”
Related Stories
