At that moment, Hailey's lips moved slightly. It wasn't a smile. It wasn't fear either. It was something in between—like she was trying to hold something in, but her heart was too full. She had heard Benjamin's words clearly, and they echoed in her chest. He believed her. At least, part of him did. And he wasn't going to let Josephine walk away freely if she couldn't prove what she claimed.
Her arms dropped slowly to her side, then she folded them across her chest. Not out of pride, but out of quiet readiness. She was done being the quiet girl, the forgotten one, the second wife's daughter who got nothing after her father died.
Her eyes didn't blink as she stared at Josephine.
"Go on then," Hailey said, voice firm. "You said you have proof? Show it. Stop wasting everyone's time."
Josephine looked too confident. Her eyes sparkled like she had been waiting for this very moment. She smiled—big, toothy, cruel.
"You asked for it," she said sweetly, like she was doing Hailey a favor.
Hailey didn't move. Her feet were planted on the floor, her chest rising and falling slowly. The entire church held its breath.
Josephine pulled out her phone and tapped it quickly. Then she connected the phone to the large screen at the front of the room. A loud beep echoed, and the screen lit up.
Hailey's face appeared first, then a bed, then a man, then another photo.
Hailey and a shirtless man sleeping close together on a bed, the blanket covering only part of them. Another photo, another angle. It looked like early morning, sunlight peeking through a curtain.
And the room broke, Gasps hit like thunder.
A woman in the second row covered her mouth. Someone dropped a glass. Whispers started building in corners, loud enough to shake the walls.
"No way."
"Is that really her?"
"I thought she was different…"
"She's a whore after all?"
Some guests leaned forward to look closer, others leaned back like the shame was contagious. Phones started coming out again. A few people had already started recording the screen.
Hailey stood frozen, her mouth open, eyes wide. Her fingers pressed tightly into her arms, still crossed. Her stomach twisted like something was clawing inside her. Her heart was pounding too fast to keep up.
She looked at the screen. Again. And again. And again.
She didn't even know when her body leaned back just a little, like the pictures had pushed her.
The air was too thin, the whispers were too loud.
The screen glowed like fire behind her, showing what everyone now believed to be true.
The motion caused everyone stunned all the guest to the bone. They couldn't believe Hailey was a whore.
At that moment, the room felt like it was holding its breath.
Benjamin's eyes didn't move from the screen. His jaw tightened, his expression darkened, and his shoulders slowly tensed beneath his tailored suit. He stared at the image like it was a slap to his face. The photos looked too clear, too real. There was no sign of editing, no blur, no mistake either. The man beside Hailey looked peaceful—sleeping. Hailey, too. Her eyes were closed. Her body close to his.
It was the kind of picture that didn't need words to hurt.
However Benjamin didn't speak. Not yet. His eyes lowered for a moment, then returned to Hailey, but his face didn't give anything away.
Hailey turned slowly, her heels silent on the white floor. She looked at the screen again, and her lips parted in disbelief. The man she didn't know him. Not at all. His face meant nothing to her. It wasn't even familiar. There was no memory, no moment, no connection. And yet, the bed in the photo... the curtains, the lamp, the painting on the wall, that was her old room in her father's house.
Her heart sank to her stomach. She felt cold all of a sudden. Her chest tightened.
This can't be real, this is madness.
Without wasting anymore time she turned to face Benjamin, her voice rushed and desperate. "I don't know him. I swear I don't know this man. Benjamin, I have never seen him in my life!"
But Benjamin didn't answer. His brows were drawn together. His eyes searched hers like he was looking for something—truth, maybe. Or a reason to doubt.
People in the crowd weren't as quiet anymore.
"She's a liar."
"Why would she do that to Benjamin?"
"Money. That's what she came for."
"She's disgusting."
The voices were loud now. Angry. Some people were already standing, whispering to each other, shaking their heads like they had seen enough.
Hailey shook her head hard, her eyes burning. "Listen to me! This doesn't make sense!" she cried, voice raised. "Why would I cheat on Benjamin in my father's house? A place where my stepmother and Josephine live? That's madness! If I wanted to—" her voice cracked, but she swallowed hard and kept going, "—if I wanted to cheat, wouldn't I do it in my own apartment? Somewhere private? Somewhere nobody would see?"
Eyes bounced between Hailey, Benjamin, and the screen still showing the terrible images . Guests whispered. Some frowned. Some shook their heads. But when Hailey spoke when she cried out those words asking why she would cheat in the very house that hated her something shifted.
Her voice made sense. It wasn't just words it was pain, it was truth, it was human. Everyone could feel it. Even some guests who had judged her moments ago started nodding to themselves. Even the pastor, standing quietly beside the altar, glanced at Benjamin with uncertainty, as if silently saying, This isn't adding up.
Benjamin looked at Hailey longer now. His eyes searched hers, as if trying to find the lie—but nothing in her gaze shook. She was standing there raw, vulnerable, and real.
Slowly, Benjamin turned toward Josephine.
But before he could say anything—
"This was before she met you!" Josephine shouted suddenly, cutting him off. Her voice was loud again, full of false confidence. She raised her chin like someone who thought she had already won. "That photo was before she met you, Benjamin," she repeated, then crossed her arms tightly. "But even after that, she kept seeing the man. She never stopped. She was double dating. Living a lie."
The room fell silent again.
Josephine smirked. "Don't worry. We've done all the hard work for you. Just wait a few more minutes, and you'll see exactly who she is. She's not just a liar—she's a witch. Evil to the bone."
Immediately Hailey flinched at the word witch. Her face tightened with rage.
"You're a liar, Josephine!" she barked, stepping forward with her hands clenched at her sides. "You're lying through your teeth and you know it! You're making things up to ruin me because you can't stand that I found happiness!"
But Josephine didn't flinch. She didn't even blink. She looked away from Hailey like she was a fly buzzing in her ear.
However Benjamin was unsettled. His hands moved from his pocket to his side. Then he rubbed his neck. Then he walked around the altar slowly like he needed space, like he was searching the ground for answers. He didn't know what to believe. His face was heavy with thoughts, his eyes dark, lips drawn into a deep frown.
Hailey followed him with her eyes, her heart aching at the sight of him being pulled in two.
"Benjamin," she said, her voice softer now. She walked up to him slowly, stopping just a few steps away.
"Please… don't let her do this to us. Let's just go on with the wedding. Don't let her lies destroy what we've built. I don't know that man. I have never dated anyone else but you. You're the only one I've ever loved."
Benjamin stood still. His fists slowly tightened, then loosened again.
He didn't look at her.
"I'll wait," he said, his voice quiet but steady. "I'll wait for full confirmation."
A second later, a loud stir broke out at the back of the hall.
Gasps filled the room as two hefty men dragged someone forward. The man was struggling, shouting, his clothes slightly torn like he had been forced in. They didn't care about the noise or the guests watching—they flung him hard toward the altar direction, and he stumbled forward, nearly falling flat before catching himself.
Everyone turned their heads in shock.
It was the same man from the photo.
He looked a mess his face sweaty, hair rough, clothes wrinkled but his eyes went straight to Hailey with rage burning in them. He pointed at her, breathing heavily.
"You!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the stunned room. "So this is how you repay me?! You left me! After everything, you left me and came here to marry this man?!"
Hailey froze. Her legs were stuck in place. Her mouth parted, but no sound came out.
The man didn't stop. His voice got louder, more desperate. "Hailey, what about the debt? What about the five million dollars we owe? Who's going to pay for it now? You think you can just walk away?!"
Gasps hit again, louder this time. Some guests covered their mouths. Some turned to each other in disbelief.
Benjamin's face was like stone. He didn't say a word, but the darkness in his eyes was now deep and sharp. His jaw twitched.
Just then, Josephine stepped forward, her smile wide and wicked. She reached into her bag and pulled out a thick brown envelope. She handed it to Benjamin.
"One of the men gave me this," she said calmly. "You should take a look."
Benjamin took the envelope with slow, steady hands. He opened it carefully and pulled out a set of documents.
The room watched him read, the thick air nearly choking.
Benjamin's eyes scanned the papers slowly.
His face didn't change much—but something in it cracked. Something cold. Something final.
The document showed it clearly—Hailey's name. Her signature. Her photo ID. The debt agreement for five million dollars.
And the most terrifying part of it all?
It was written clearly in bold:
"Upon legal marriage, the spouse of the debtor becomes jointly responsible for full repayment."