I smile then. It’s sweet. It’s toxic. It’s the face of the woman who just kicked the foundation out from under his life and is smiling at the collapse.
"So technically, Ryder... I’m your stepmother."
I let that sink in. I watch his eyes widen, watch his knees actually buckle slightly.
"You can call me Mom if you want," I say, patting his cheek. "But I think Blair is fine."
Gasps ripple through the room.
Ryder looks like he’s going to vomit.
Gabriel looks at his son. There’s no warmth. No conflict. Just the cold, dead stare of a man looking at a bug he’s about to crush.
"She's not lying," Gabriel says. "Now get out of my sight before you embarrass yourself further."
"Embarrass myself?" Ryder screams. "You're sick! Both of you! She’s my ex!"
"And you," Gabriel says, stepping forward, his voice a low rumble of thunder, "are finished."
He turns to me, offering his arm. "Come on, little bird. It’s time."
We walk away, leaving him shaking in our wake.
Not gonna lie, it feelsamazing.
The stage standsat the front of the room, glittering with decorations.
Gabriel guides me up the stairs. He takes the podium, and I stand slightly behind him, visible to everyone. I don’t cower behind him, though. I stand tall and proud of who I am.
They can fuck all the way off.
"Good evening," Gabriel booms.
The room goes silent.
"Thank you for joining us. The holidays are about legacy. About family." He pauses, his gray eyes scanning the crowd before landing on me. They soften, just for a fraction of a second. "I’ve spent my life building a name that stands for strength. Tonight, I’d like to formally introduce my wife, Blair Hollis. And announce that we’re expecting.”
Applause breaks out, loud and frantic. It’s actually painful to keep from rolling my eyes at all the false congratulations.
Gabriel raises a hand. The room goes silent again, and this time it’s like they’re all leaning forward slightly or holding their breath, waiting for what might come next.
"However," he says, his voice sharpening into a blade. "You can’t build a future on a foundation of betrayal."
He looks directly at Ryder, who’s hovering near the exit.
"For more than two years, Ryder has stolen from the woman standing beside me. He embezzled over forty thousand dollars from her business accounts. He sabotaged her clients. He cheated on her. He treated her with a cruelty that makes me ashamed he shares my name."
Ryder shakes his head, backing up. "Dad, don't..."
"But theft I could handle," Gabriel continues, his voice vibrating with rage. "Attempted murder, I cannot."
The oxygen leaves the room.
"Two weeks ago, Ryder ran my wife’s car off the road. He left her there, unconscious and bleeding, in a car teetering on the edge of the lake. He didn't call for help. He drove away." Gabriel grips the podium until his knuckles turn white. "He left his pregnant stepmother to die because his ego couldn't handle that she was happy."
"Liar!" Ryder screams, his voice cracking.
"I have the police report. I have the evidence." Gabriel straightens. "You’re no longer my son. From this moment on,you are a stranger to me. I’m taking back my money and my name. You leave this room tonight with absolutely nothing but the consequences of your own actions."
