“You signed everything while I paid my share?”
“Excuse me,” she said carefully, looking at Nick. “The final balances for today’s event are still outstanding.”
Nick turned to me slowly. “You never paid anything?”
A ripple of whispers spread through the church.
I folded my arms. “I told you it was handled whenever you asked, but I never paid a cent. ”
He took one step closer. “You lied?”
“Yes, I lied. You planned to humiliate me and steal my wedding. Did you really expect me to foot the bill for that, too?”
“You never paid anything?”
The caterer stepped up next. “Sir, we need payment authorization before service continues.”
The venue manager joined him. “And settlement of the hall balance.”
The band leader lifted a hand from near the aisle. “Same here.”
Nick looked around like a man trapped in a burning room. “This is insane.”
Lori grabbed his arm. “You have money, right, baby?”
He swallowed. “Not enough… not $80,000. What about you? Can’t you pay your sister’s share?”
“You have money, right, baby?”
Lori’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious? Of course, I can’t!”
That did it.
The room erupted.
Nick’s father stood up from the second pew, red with embarrassment. “Nicholas, how dare you embarrass our family like this?”
Nick turned to him with a panicked look in his eyes.
Lori turned toward the room, desperate now. “Nick and I are still getting married!”
“Nicholas, how dare you embarrass our family like this?”
A guest near the aisle let out a short, unbelieving laugh and said, “With what money are they getting married?”
The caterer answered before I could. “Not without payment, you aren’t.”
Lori’s eyes found mine, wild and furious. “You can’t just ruin everything.”
I looked at her standing there, wearing my life like a costume, and said, “You wanted the wedding. I’m just giving it to you, bills and all.”
I turned toward the doors and started walking.
“With what money are they getting married?”
Behind me, one of my bridesmaids said, “I’m with her.”
Then another.
Then I heard movement all through the church. Rows of guests standing, low voices. By the time I reached the doors, most of them were following me out.
Nick shouted after me, panic finally cracking through his voice. “You can’t just walk away.”
I looked back once.
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