Girl: Daddy! Please look at us! You weren't supposed to get married today!
Groom: Maya? Chloe? What are you both doing here? You were supposed to be at home with the nanny!
Maya: We weren't with the nanny, Daddy! We were locked away in the dark!
Groom: Locked away? What are you talking about? Who locked you away?
A dramatic tension swell vibrated through the audio speakers of the hall as the groom stared at his eldest daughter in absolute disbelief. The guests whispered frantically among themselves, their expensive champagne glasses pausing halfway to their mouths as the scandal unfolded. Maya clutched her baby sister tighter, the infant in the beige dress letting out a weak, frightened whimper against her shoulder. The American flag behind the altar seemed to watch over the chaotic scene like a silent judge of truth and justice. The bride in the white lace dress gasped sharply, her hands flying up to cover her chest as her face turned completely pale.
Bride: Arthur, do not listen to these stray children! They are obviously confused and making up wild stories!
Maya: We aren't lying! She locked us in the dark closet upstairs!
Groom: Step back, Victoria. Let my daughter speak. Maya, tell me exactly what happened.
Maya: She told us to stay quiet and shut the door! She said you would never find us in there before the wedding started!
Bride: That is an absolute lie! Look at their dresses, they've been playing in the dirt just to ruin our ceremony!
Groom: Dirt? Maya, are you hurt? Did someone touch you?
Maya: We were so scared, Daddy. It was freezing cold, and little Lily wouldn't stop crying because she was hungry.
Arthur dropped his ceremonial boutonniere onto the floor, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned stark white. The realization of what his bride had done while he was busy preparing for the wedding hit him like a physical blow. He took a heavy step forward, his eyes locking onto Victoria with a terrifying intensity that made the surrounding guests recoil in fear. Victoria stumbled back against the floral arch, her wedding veil fluttering slightly in the draft as her defensive facade began to crack.
Bride: Arthur, you cannot possibly believe the word of a hysterical child over your own fiancée!
Groom: My daughter has never lied to me in her life, Victoria. Why were they locked in a closet?
Maya: Because she said children don't belong in a wealthy lifestyle! She said we were in her way!