Chapter 6 - CARMEN'S DEFENSE
Carmen denied engineering a fake marriage.
She admitted funding the gala.
Admitted encouraging Deline’s “relationship hopes.”
Admitted accepting the proxy.
Denied knowing Lydia was sending deceptive messages.
“Deline is romantic,” Carmen said during the family meeting. “She hears what she wants.”
Deline exploded.
“You bought my wedding dress!”
“As a gift.”
“You ordered white roses.”
“You like white roses.”
“You told me Julian’s family preferred discretion.”
Carmen looked at her.
“They do.”
Technically true.
Again.
Facts arranged into deception.
Then Carmen’s lawyer argued the proxy remained valid because Deline signed it.
Daniel disagreed.
Misrepresentation could support rescission.
Litigation followed.
No magic cancellation.
Then Lydia finally spoke.
She had kept copies.
Carmen’s instructions came through voice notes.
Not explicit:
Pretend Julian is marrying Deline.
More careful.
“Keep Deline confident.”
“Use the Marzano timing.”
“Do not let her ask Simone direct questions.”
“Make the gala feel inevitable.”
Then:
“Once Deline believes the family transition is settled, get the proxy.”
That was enough to establish manipulation.
Still, Lydia was not merely a servant.
She had motives too.
She resented both sisters.
Simone had inherited influence through her late father.
Deline attracted attention without competence.
Lydia did the work.
Carmen took credit.
The fake-marriage scheme let Lydia destabilize everyone.
Then one voice note revealed her bitterness:
If Deline embarrasses herself, maybe people finally stop treating her like the pretty one who gets rewarded for existing.
Simone listened.
Then said:
“So you hated her.”
Lydia answered:
“I hated what the family made her.”
Deline laughed bitterly.
“And cutting Simone’s dress was supposed to prove you were right about me?”
Lydia had no answer.
May you like
The manipulation did not erase Deline’s cruelty.
It exposed how ready that cruelty had been.
