“She’s… your daughter?”
Victoria’s voice barely carried across the table.
Richard stood beside Lily, holding a white cloth against her soup-stained hair. His daughter’s pale blue shirt was soaked. Her cheek still stung.
“Yes,” he said. “She is.”
Victoria stepped forward.
“Richard, I had no idea.”
He looked at her.
“Would you have treated her differently if you had?”
Her mouth opened, but no answer came.
A few minutes earlier, Victoria had been certain that everyone in the room would let her do whatever she wanted.
Now the room was watching her.
Lily Had Already Apologized
Lily had been carrying a tray of appetizers between the tables when Victoria suddenly pushed her chair backward.
The young waitress stopped sharply to avoid hitting her. A little sauce landed on the tablecloth.
“Look what you’ve done!”
Victoria stood and slapped her.
Lily’s head turned with the blow. Somehow, she kept hold of the tray.
She set it down on the nearby service table.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ll clean it up.”
She was trying to steady her breathing. She wanted to finish her shift without crying in front of the guests.
But Victoria picked up the bowl of cold soup from her place setting.
Before Lily could step away, she poured it over her head.
“Now clean yourself up, too.”
Lily closed her eyes as the soup ran through her hair and down her collar.
The conversations stopped.
One guest lowered her glass. Another looked away.
Nobody came forward.
Then Lily reached into her apron pocket and took out her phone.
“Dad… are you still in the lobby? Please come.”
The Guest Victoria Wanted to Impress
Richard was waiting near reception for a meeting with Victoria.
She had invited him to discuss investing in a new event venue business. The party was supposed to show him her vision, her connections, and the team she hoped to build.
No agreement had been signed.
Lily knew her father would be at the hotel that evening. He had texted her when he arrived, and they had planned to meet briefly after her shift.
She had