Chapter 2 - The Sound of Shattered Bones
The music cut off mid-measure. A collective gasp sucked the air out of the grand foyer, followed by the sharp crash of a champagne flute shattering on the stone floor. I lay twisted at the bottom of the staircase, my pink bridesmaid dress tangled grotesquely around the metal frame of my brace. Waves of blinding, white-hot agony surged up my spine, stealing the breath from my lungs. Every nerve ending in my leg screamed in protest, and I knew instantly—without needing a doctor to tell me—that the surgical pins had snapped and my knee was completely destroyed.
""Somebody call an ambulance!"" a horrified voice shouted from the crowd. But before anyone could move, Sutton threw her head back and let out a shrill, mocking laugh. ""It's just content! Stop being so dramatic, Fallon! Why are you always crying for attention the second all eyes aren't on you?"" Guests stared at her, their expressions shifting from shock to profound disgust. My mother, Althia, pushed through the crowd, her face flushed with anger. For one fleeting, delusional second, I thought she was rushing to my aid. Instead, her manicured fingers dug cruelly into my biceps, yanking me upward. ""Get up right now!"" she hissed under her breath, her eyes darting frantically toward the groom's wealthy parents. ""Alden's parents are watching. You are making a disgusting scene!""
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""Mom, my leg... I think my leg is broken again,"" I gasped, tears blurring my vision. ""Stop being dramatic!"" she spat back. My father, Stellin, materialized beside her, showing zero concern for my physical condition. Instead of checking on me, he shoved a linen napkin toward my face to wipe away my tears. ""Your sister just had a little accident, and you're turning it into a federal case to ruin her rehearsal dinner,"" he scolded, completely ignoring the fact that I was hyperventilating from pain.
Through a haze of tears, I looked past them and saw Alden, Sutton’s fiancé. He stood motionless near the base of the staircase, his face utterly drained of color. He wasn't looking at my mangled leg; he was staring directly at Sutton with an expression of cold, unmitigated horror. He had been standing close enough to see the deliberate shove, and judging by the twitch in his jaw, he had heard every cruel word that tumbled from her lips. Without uttering a single syllable, Alden turned on his heel, pushed past the stunned guests, and walked out through the glass doors into the tropical night. Sutton's triumphant smile faltered, replaced for the first time by a flicker of genuine panic.
