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I sipped a whiskey at the bar, watching my son. He seemed more confident. I dared to believe he might have grown up.
Lina, in her blue dress, looked up at me with shining eyes.
“Are you enjoying the party?” I asked.
She nodded, but something uneasy flickered in her gaze.
Then the music stopped. Louis raised his voice to grab attention.
“Thank you all for being here. I have a special announcement…”
Élisa stepped forward, glowing. Her diamond earrings sparkled. Another gift… from me.
Louis dropped to one knee. He pulled out the ring. But before he could speak, a cry cut through the room:
“No! It’s fake! It’s all acting!”
Lina had rushed forward. She knocked the ring away. Total silence.
“Lina!” I whispered, taking her hand. “Come with me.”
I led her away from the commotion, my heart pounding.
“Tell me, sweetheart… what’s going on?”
She trembled, tears in her eyes. “I saw them an hour ago. Louis gave her an envelope full of money. He told her she’d get the rest if she played the fiancée till the end…”
I felt my throat tighten.
“Then I sneezed—they saw me. Louis told me to stay quiet… that he’d buy me anything I wanted. But I don’t want gifts for a lie!”
“You did the right thing, Lina. You saved me.”
I pulled her into a hug.
Then I saw a figure approaching.
Louis.
“Stay here,” I told her. And I went to meet him.
“Dad, wait…”
“I know everything, Louis. The actress. The money. The plan.”
He went pale. “I…”
“It’s over. You get nothing. Not a cent. I’m done ruining your life by giving you everything.”
He stood frozen.
For a moment, I thought I saw the little boy I had raised. But that boy was long gone.
“You’re dying anyway,” he whispered. “What difference does it make?”
Those words were the final blow.
I turned back to Lina.
“We’re leaving, sweetheart.”
She took my hand. Together, we walked away from the charade.
