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Jenna’s cousin played a practiced piano piece near the stage.
She floated from guest to guest, smiling, hugging, and kissing cheeks. She stopped briefly to fix the bow on Lily’s dress before turning to Maya and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You girls look perfect,” she said with a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes.
I wore the navy suit my mom had helped me pick out last fall. It still held the faint scent of her perfume. Lily stood on my right, holding a small bouquet she’d made from wildflowers she picked outside the hotel.
Maya stood on my left, holding a pink glitter pen tightly.
“Thank you all for coming! Tonight, we’re celebrating love, family, and —”
“Actually, babe, I’ll take it from here.”
I reached into my jacket and pulled out a small black remote.
“Everyone,” I said, turning to face them all. “We’re not just here to celebrate a wedding. We’re here to reveal who we really are.”
I clicked the first file, and the screen behind us came to life.
“Tuesday Afternoon — Kitchen Camera” read the corner timestamp. The footage was grainy, black and white, but the audio came through perfectly.
“The house? The insurance money? It should be for us! I just need James to wake up and smell the coffee… and put my name on the deed. And after that, I don’t really care what happens to those girls. I’ll make their lives miserable until he gives in. And then this naïve man will think it was his idea all along.”
I let it play for a few more seconds before pausing it. My voice stayed calm, even as my hands tightened around the mic.
“My mom had nanny cams in the house. She installed them back when she worked long hours and had babysitters for Lily and Maya. I forgot they were even there until that day. This isn’t a setup. This isn’t a joke. This is Jenna, speaking freely.”
I clicked again. Another clip played — Jenna’s voice, this time speaking directly to the girls.
“Don’t cry, Maya,” Jenna snapped. “I’m warning you. If you cry again, I’ll take your notebooks and throw them away. You need to grow up before you keep writing your silly stories in them.”
“But we don’t want to leave,” Maya whispered. “We want to stay with James. He’s the best brother in the world.”
Lily’s hand slipped into mine. Maya didn’t look away, not even once.