the ballroom beneath crystal chandeliers, drawing strangers’ attention toward whoever had become the evening’s joke.
Dad raised his champagne glass, seemingly waiting for this moment all night.
“Look at that,” he said loudly, his voice carrying over the string quartet. “My younger daughter couldn’t even find one man willing to come with her.”
Several guests covered their mouths. Mother looked down, pretending to adjust her bracelet. Vanessa, radiant in her designer wedding gown, smiled smugly beside her groom.
“Don’t be cruel, Dad,” she said sweetly. “Maybe Emma’s date got lost.”
