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<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
More phones came up, turning to capture Olivia\u2019s feigned, tearful surprise. They all assumed I was in on it; that I, the quiet older sister, had given my masterpiece away.<\/p>\n
I looked at my father, beaming as he accepted applause for his magnificent, impossible lie. I looked at Olivia, already crying beautiful, photogenic tears for a prize she had not earned.<\/p>\n
Something inside me, a piece of wiring that had been frayed for decades, finally snapped.<\/p>\n
I pushed off the wall. I simply began to walk. My low, practical heels clicked on the stone floor.\u00a0Click, click, click.<\/i><\/p>\n
The sound was sharp, cutting through the applause. The crowd parted. The applause died as faces turned, registering the confusion. This was not in the program.<\/p>\n
I stopped a few feet from the bridal table, directly in front of my father. His smile was still fixed, but his eyes up close were cold, swimming with bourbon.<\/p>\n