Brandon chuckled with his mother. Diana noticed. She said nothing.
Judith raised her wine glass higher. “You see, dear, our family does not invest in uncertainty. If you wish to marry my son, there must be a contribution. One hundred thousand dollars. Paid before any engagement is announced.”
Before Diana could respond, Judith flicked her wrist. The wine left the glass in a red arc and splashed across Diana’s face, her hair, and her dress. Gasps rippled around the table. One cousin dropped a fork. Brandon smiled. Not nervously. Not apologetically. He smiled as if he were watching an amusing performance.
Judith laughed. “Just disinfecting the poor,” she said brightly. “A little humor never hurts.”
Wine dripped onto the white tablecloth. The smell of grapes and embarrassment hung in the air.
Diana reached for her napkin. She wiped her face slowly. Her hands did not shake. She placed the napkin back on the table neatly. She looked first at Judith. Then at Brandon.
“So this is entertainment for you,” Diana said softly.
Brandon shrugged. “My mother enjoys testing people. It is tradition. Do not take it personally.”
Judith leaned forward. “So. Will you pay. Or will you admit you do not belong here.”
The room waited. Diana felt clarity settle inside her like still water. She smiled, gentle and controlled.
“Fine,” she said. “Then I will terminate every active contract between my firm and your corporate group.”
Silence crashed down harder than the thrown wine. Judith’s smile froze. Brandon blinked, confusion flickering across his face. The cousins stared. Brandon’s father set his glass down slowly.
Judith recovered first. “You are emotional,” she said. “Sit down and stop being dramatic.”
Diana stood. She placed her chair back carefully. She looked at each of them in turn.
“You will receive formal notice within the hour,” she said. “Enjoy your dinner.”
She walked out without rushing. Her heels echoed down the marble hallway. No one laughed as she left. No one followed.
Outside, the night air was cool. Diana stepped into her car, took a breath, and opened her phone.
She did not cry. She did not call a friend. She did what she had done for years in business. She acted.