Seraphina didn't plan it at all.
She had walked back into the grand hall, her heart hammering so hard she thought everyone could hear it, telling herself over and over that she could be strong, that she could be dignified, that she would walk up to Derek and Evelyn, offer a quiet congratulation, give one perfect camera smile and then leave with her head held high the way a real Hale should, the way a powerful woman should, the way she had always imagined a woman should look in a moment like this.
But the second Derek stepped away from the glowing circle of people surrounding Evelyn and started walking straight toward her with that same soft, sympathetic smile he had used in the limousine only hours earlier, everything inside her chest twisted so violently she couldn't breathe.
"Seraphina," he said in that low, gentle voice, loud enough for the nearest guests to hear every word, "I was so worried when you disappeared. Are you okay? We really should talk somewhere private—"
Seraphina opened her mouth to speak. Words that would expose him to everyone, tell the entire hall how he had been her fiancé for two years, how he had promised to marry her.
But her throat closed up completely, the words choking behind a wall of shock and betrayal, and nothing came out except a tiny, broken sound that hung fragile in the sudden silence.
His hand reached out and closed around her arm exactly the way he used to do when he was guiding her through a crowded room, as if he still had every right in the world to touch her.
The slap happened before her brain even caught up with her hand, the sharp crack echoed through the entire banquet hall like a gunshot, and Derek's head snapped to the side, a bright red handprint blooming instantly across his cheek.
For one single glorious heartbeat, Seraphina felt power rush through her, felt vindication, felt like she had finally struck back and shown every single person in this room that she would not take his betrayal lying down.
Then the world rushed back in and crushed her.
Derek didn't shout, didn't stumble, didn't even raise his voice, he just lifted his hand slowly to his cheek, eyes widening in perfect shock and hurt, the exact look that made every single photographer in the room lift their cameras higher.
"Seraphina…" he whispered, voice breaking in just the right place so that it carried to every corner of the hall, "I know you're upset, but…"
The whispers started immediately, spreading like fire through dry grass.
"Oh my God, did she just hit him?"
"She actually slapped him?"
"Right after he proposed to her own sister?"
Her hand throbbed, her face burned hotter than the mark she had left on him.
Evelyn's hand flew to her mouth in perfect horror, her eyes filled with tears that looked so real they sparkled under the chandeliers, she reached across immediately and touched Derek's cheek with gentle fingers, cooing over him like he was a wounded child.
"Oh Derek, you are so badly hurt, look at this mark," she whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, then she turned and glared at Seraphina with eyes that felt like burning stones. "I can't believe my sister did this to you."
Victoria moved forward like a queen crossing a battlefield, placing herself right between Derek and Seraphina as if she were shielding a precious treasure.
"Seraphina," her mother said, voice ringing clear and carrying to every single table in the hall, heavy with disappointment and embarrassment, "this is unacceptable, I can't believe you would do this to your own sister."
Cameras flashed like lightning, phones were already held high, recording every second of her shame.
Seraphina's eyes flashed with sudden fury, she opened her mouth again. "He—" She couldn't finish, couldn't believe what she was hearing, couldn't believe that Derek had just done this to her, couldn't believe that her own mother was standing there taking their side when she had been his fiancée for two years.
"I can't believe you are taking their side, Mom."
But her voice cracked on the last word, came out high and childish and trembling, and a few people standing close enough to hear exchanged quick pitying glances that cut deeper than any insult.
Derek shook his head slowly, still holding his cheek, looking so wounded and noble. "I never meant for you to get hurt like this," he said quietly, loud enough for the microphones that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, "you always knew Evelyn and I loved each other."
Like hell she did.
The crowd murmured softly, sympathy flowing visibly toward Derek, toward Evelyn, who now had perfect tears glistening on her lashes.
Seraphina felt every single stare in the room pressing into her like needles, every single eye judging her, every single phone capturing her fall.
She had imagined this moment as something triumphant, a slap that would ring through history as justice. Instead, it felt small and petty and hysterical, she had become the crazy sister and ex in front of the entire city she used to rule.
Tears welled up suddenly, hot and unstoppable, blurring the glittering chandeliers into long streaks of light, her chest heaved with a sob she couldn't swallow down, the whole room started spinning around her.
She turned and ran, heels clacking desperately against the marble floor, gown tangling around her legs, tears glistening on her cheeks as they poured freely down her face, guests parted in front of her like a wave opening, their faces a blur of shock and quiet judgment.
She pushed through the heavy doors, gasping for air in the corridor, the sound of her own broken sobbing echoing off the walls as everything she had ever believed in crumbled behind her.
Someone close to the door whispered loud enough for her to hear, "Poor Derek, he didn't even react to that crazy lady."
Another voice answered softly, "She always seemed so put-together… guess the pressure finally got to her."
By the time she stumbled into the empty corridor, Seraphina was shaking violently, not with rage anymore but with crushing childish shame that made her want to disappear into the floor.
She felt as if the entire world had ended right there in that moment, she had decided to give every single piece of herself to Derek, and this was what she got in return.
The video was everywhere within thirty minutes.
#SeraphinaSlapsDerek and #TeamDerlyn shot straight to the top trends.
"Assault caught on camera—will charges be pressed?"
"Imagine being so bitter, you physically attack your sister's fiancé at his proposal 😬"
"Derek handled that with class. Seraphina needs help."
"Violent and entitled. Boycott Hale Lumina."
"Evelyn Hale and Derek King are the most beautiful couple ever #CoupleGoals"
Evelyn posted an hour later: a black-and-white photo of them kissing with Derek's reddened cheek visible in the frame, captioned only "Choosing kindness even when it hurts."
Hundreds of thousands of likes poured in, messages of support flooded the comments, thousand of images of the newly engaged lovers.
Seraphina stared at the ring on Evelyn's finger, the exact Lumina collection piece she had designed herself, inspired by her own relationship with Derek, the one she had engraved with the words "For you, always and forever" as a promise she thought would last her whole life.
Victoria released a statement by morning: "The family is saddened by last night's events. We ask for privacy during this difficult time and hope everyone involved can move forward with grace."
Hale Lumina's customer inboxes filled with angry emails demanding refunds, department stores reported canceled orders, the stock opened down 8% before trading even started.
Seraphina sat alone in her apartment, refreshing the feeds she knew she shouldn't look at, each new post and each new comment carving deeper into her chest until she couldn't breathe.
She had wanted to be strong.
Instead, she had become the villain in everyone's story, including her own.
This nightmare wasn't just beginning.