"Wife."
The word echoed through the ballroom, bouncing off the crystal chandeliers and marble floors. For a moment, I thought I'd misheard him.
My heart hammered against my ribs as Nathaniel's declaration sent shockwaves through the crowd. The sea of faces around us morphed from smugness to confusion to disbelief. Even I couldn't quite process what he had just said.
Aurora Phillips was the first to break the stunned silence. Her perfectly painted face crumpled as she stumbled forward.
"What did you just say?" Her voice cracked, mascara already beginning to streak down her cheeks. "Nathaniel, what are you talking about? I'm your fiancée. Everyone knows that."
Nathaniel didn't even look at her. His eyes remained fixed on his brother and father, who were exchanging panicked glances.
"I said wife," he repeated, his voice cutting through the room like a blade. "Juliana Johnson is my wife."
I felt hundreds of eyes drilling into me. The whispers started again, louder this time.
