The crowd erupted into snobbish, condescending laughter.
BANG!
The heavy double oak doors of the ballroom burst open, slamming hard against the marble walls.
The room fell into instant, dead silence.
I walked into the ballroom wearing a stunning, floor-length emerald silk gown, holding my head high, my hand wrapped securely around Mateo’s arm. Mateo walked beside me wearing a tailor-made charcoal suit, his posture straight, imposing, and regal, carrying himself like a commander rather than a domestic worker.
Teresa’s eyes narrowed as she set her glass down. “Valeria! What is the meaning of this dramatic entrance? You should be upstairs attending to your… husband’s modest needs.”
“I am attending to my family’s needs, Mother,” I spoke, my voice ringing out clearly across the silent ballroom sound system. “And correcting a few rumors.”
I walked directly up to the main stage, pulling a wireless microphone from the podium, while Mateo stood beside me like an impenetrable fortress.
