My Daughter Married A Millionaire. But When I Caught Her Bouquet. – Updated Stories
“Doris, you must be over the moon,” a wealthy relative whispered to me, her bracelets chiming. “Preston is… well, you know what this means for her.”
But my stomach was in knots. Across the room, Preston smiled for the cameras, greeting people like royalty. But when he placed his hand on Simone’s back, it wasn’t a gentle touch. His fingers dug in. It was a grip.
Six months ago, Simone had called me breathless about this millionaire who swept her off her feet. But tonight, her smile looked carefully held. Too perfect. Rehearsed.
Then the DJ announced the bouquet toss.
The single women gathered, squealing and throwing elbows. Simone stepped up and turned her back. Preston leaned in close and whispered something in her ear. I watched her shoulders go completely rigid.
The bouquet flew high over the crowd. I wasn’t even trying to catch it, but it landed straight in my arms.
People laughed and clapped. I looked down at the white roses bound in tight satin.
That’s when I saw it.
A small, crumpled slip of paper tucked deep between the stems. My hands shook as I eased it out and unfolded it.
It was Simone’s handwriting. Frantic and messy.
My blood ran cold. The music kept playing. The lights kept glittering. But the entire night just shattered.
I looked up, frantically searching the crowded dance floor for my daughter’s white dress. But she was gone.
Instead, standing exactly where she had just been, was Preston. He was staring dead at me. His fake smile was gone. And in his hand, he was holding a single, fallen petal from the bouquet she had just thrown.
His eyes were like ice. They weren’t angry, they were something far colder. Calculating. He knew. He knew I had the note.
My heart hammered against my ribs. I had to move, but my feet felt like they were cemented to the floor. The laughing faces around me seemed distant and warped, like I was looking at them from underwater.
I stuffed the note into my purse, my fingers fumbling with the clasp. I had to look normal. I had to pretend I was just another happy wedding guest.
I turned away from Preston’s gaze and made a show of admiring the flowers. I smiled at a cousin I barely knew. Every second felt like an eternity.
I needed to find Simone. The note said to come to her. But where? This estate was massive. It had gardens, a guest house, a labyrinth of hallways.
Preston started walking. He wasn’t walking toward me, but toward the grand doors leading out to the terrace. He was cutting off my most obvious exit.
Panic seized me. I took a deep breath and scanned the room, trying to think. I couldn’t just run. I had to be smart.
A man in a sharp suit appeared at my elbow. “Mrs. Gable? Doris?” he asked, his voice low and calm. “I’m Arthur, Preston’s cousin. I manage his affairs.”
I recognized him from the rehearsal dinner. He’d been polite, almost forgettable.
“Is everything alright?” he asked, his eyes filled with a convincing sort of concern. “You look pale.”
I didn’t know who to trust. I clutched my purse tighter. “I’m fine. Just a bit overwhelmed.”
Arthur leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I saw Preston’s face when you caught that. I know what he’s like when the cameras are off.”
My head snapped up to look at him. His expression was one of deep sympathy.
“I’ve been worried about Simone for months,” he continued, guiding me gently toward a quieter corner of the ballroom. “He isolates her. Controls everything.”
The words landed like stones in my gut, confirming every fear I’d been trying to push down.
“She’s scared of him,” Arthur said, his gaze steady and earnest. “She tried to tell me. She feels trapped.”
“Where is she?” I whispered, my voice cracking.
“I think I know. She has a place she goes when he gets… difficult,” he said carefully. “The old conservatory at the back of the garden. But we have to be careful. He has staff everywhere.”
