I stood frozen, clutching the marriage certificate in my trembling fingers. Arthur's question hung in the air while all eyes turned to me, waiting for an explanation I couldn't give. How could I explain something I didn't fully understand myself?
"I..." My voice faltered as I looked into Arthur's unreadable eyes.
Seraphina shifted uncomfortably, her gaze darting between Fiona and me. The poor woman clearly hadn't signed up for this spectacle.
"This is exactly what I meant," Fiona declared triumphantly, stepping forward with renewed confidence. "She can't answer because she's fabricated this entire relationship!"
I squared my shoulders, refusing to cower. "The certificate is real. The marriage is legal."
"A convenient document that proves nothing about your relationship," Fiona sneered, turning to the onlookers. "Look at her! She can't even tell you when or how they got married!"
The murmurs grew louder. I felt the weight of judgment pressing down on me from all sides.
