Chapter 4 - The Dinner Party Trap
Two months after the incident, Ryan and Diane threw a lavish dinner party at their country club to celebrate their 'new beginning' and announce the upcoming liquidation of my father’s estate. Ryan had already listed the house online, posting cheerful photos of the kitchen—conveniently omitting the exact spot where my skin had seared against the metal pot.
I received an invitation via certified mail, addressed mockingly to *'Melissa Bennett, Recluse.'* Ryan thought I was hiding in a cheap motel, broken and defenseless.
Instead, I rented a custom sapphire-blue evening gown with a high slit designed specifically to reveal the jagged, angry burn scars sweeping across my left flank, shoulder, and neck. I hired a private makeup artist to highlight the permanent discoloration on my cheek rather than hide it.
When I stepped through the grand mahogany doors of the country club ballroom, the murmurs died down instantly. Laughter evaporated. Cutlery stopped clattering against china.
Ryan dropped his champagne flute. It shattered against the marble floor, the champagne splashing across his polished Italian leather shoes. 'Melissa?' he choked out, his face draining of all color. 'You... you shouldn't be here. You're supposed to be—'
'Recovering?' I finished for him, stepping smoothly into the light of the crystal chandelier. I walked with my head held high, my posture rigid and unyielding. 'And miss the celebration of my own execution, Ryan? Never.'
Diane rushed forward, her face twisted in rage beneath her makeup. 'Get out of here, you lunatic! You're ruining our evening! Security! Escort this deranged woman off the premises!'
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'Don't bother calling security, Diane,' a deep, authoritative voice echoed from the entrance. Detective Miller stepped into the ballroom, flanked by two uniform officers. He held up a thick manila envelope bearing a federal judge's seal.
'Ryan Sterling and Diane Sterling,' Detective Miller announced loudly, his voice carrying across the silent room. 'You are under arrest for aggravated domestic battery, conspiracy to commit arson, and attempted murder.'
