Ethan carried Lily out into the bright afternoon sunlight, placing her gently into the passenger seat of his black SUV parked near the front entrance of the estate. He buckled her seatbelt carefully, kissing her forehead before closing the door.
Groomsman: Ethan! Wait up, man!
Ethan's best friend and chief groomsman, Mark, ran out of the venue doors, holding Ethan's casual jacket and car keys.
Ethan: Thanks for bringing my things, Mark. I'm sorry you had to witness that disaster inside.
Mark: Are you kidding me? You did the right thing, Ethan. The second she locked Lily in that room, she proved she was a monster.
Ethan: I can't believe I almost married her, Mark. I was so blind. I thought she genuinely cared about Lily.
Mark: She played her role well for six months, man. But true colors always come out when people think nobody is watching.
Ethan: I need you to call our company's legal counsel right now. Tell them to freeze the joint investment fund we set up with Vance Capital.
Mark: Already on it. I texted our corporate attorney two minutes after you pulled off your ring. He's drafting the contract termination papers as we speak.
Ethan: Good. Make sure the Vance family loses every cent of access to my real estate portfolio.
Mark: What about the audio recording from Lily's watch? Do you need me to back it up on our secure cloud server?
Ethan: Yes. Transfer the file to my attorney and send a copy to the local family court clerk. If Chloe tries to file any civil lawsuit against my estate, I want that audio played in open court.
Mark: She won't dare sue you, Ethan. Her father is already threatening to cut off her trust fund to save his corporate reputation.
Ethan: I don't care about her trust fund, Mark. I just want her away from my child forever.
As Ethan turned to get into the driver's seat, the heavy glass doors of the venue burst open once more. Chloe came running down the marble steps, her white lace train dragging through the dirt and gravel of the driveway.
Chloe: Ethan! Stop the car! Don't drive away from me!
Ethan: Get back inside, Chloe. You've made enough of a spectacle of yourself today.
Chloe: I love you, Ethan! You can't throw away two years of our relationship over one mistake!
Ethan: Locking my daughter in a dark closet wasn't a mistake, Chloe. It was a choice. And calling off this wedding is mine.