Chapter 3 - Playing the Long Game
For the next forty-eight hours, I played the part. I didn't confront Daniel. When he texted me on Friday asking if we were still okay for the rehearsal dinner, I replied: “Everything is fine, sweetheart. See you tomorrow”.
The rehearsal dinner was held at an upscale steakhouse downtown. Lauren wore a pristine white designer jumpsuit, smiling brightly and playing the dutiful, loving bride-to-be. Every time Daniel looked at her, his eyes softened with absolute adoration. It broke my heart to see how deeply wrapped around her finger he truly was.
During the speeches, Lauren stood up, raised her champagne flute, and specifically thanked me for hosting them earlier in the week. Her eyes met mine across the table—sharp, calculating, and laced with a silent warning. She thought she had won. She thought her little slip-up about the inheritance phone call had been brushed under the rug by Daniel's blind devotion.
"To Eleanor," Lauren smiled sweetly to the room. "For welcoming me into the family with open arms."
"Hear, hear," Daniel beamed, tapping his glass against hers.
I smiled back, a cold, calculated expression that didn't reach my eyes. "To new beginnings, Lauren," I said softly, taking a slow sip of water. "May everything come to light."
After the dinner, Daniel walked me to my car. He gave me a brief, dutiful hug. "Thanks for keeping the peace, Mom. I know you and Lauren got off on a weird foot this week, but she's my future. I need you to support us."
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"I only want what's best for you, Daniel," I told him, smoothing the lapel of his jacket. "More than you'll ever know."
He kissed my cheek, completely unaware that the countdown to his destruction—and salvation—had already reached its final hours.
