Victoria folded her arms.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedding to get to.”
Eleanor stood still for another second.
Then she nodded.
“You’re right about one thing, Victoria.”
Victoria looked pleased.
“What?”
“My money does not buy me a special place in your life.”
Eleanor slipped the jewelry box into her handbag.
“But it also doesn’t obligate me to pay for a celebration where I’m treated like garbage.”
Victoria’s smile disappeared.
“What are you talking about?”
Eleanor took out her phone.
“I’m talking about the fact that I will not pay another dollar for this wedding.”
She turned toward the wedding planner.
“Could you please come with me? I need to review the outstanding payments and the arrangements that are still under my name.”
Victoria laughed nervously.
“You can’t be serious.”
Eleanor looked directly at her.
“I have never been more serious in my life.”
Then she walked out.
One Phone Call
In the hotel corridor, Eleanor contacted the venue manager.
“I need to discuss the contracts and payments under my name,” she said calmly. “I am withdrawing my authorization for any outstanding charges and requesting that the event services covered by those arrangements be canceled wherever the contracts permit.”
The manager hesitated.
“Mrs. Hayes, the wedding is scheduled to begin shortly.”
“I understand.”
“Some of the services have already been paid for, and the cancellation terms may affect what can be refunded.”
“I understand that, too. Please tell me exactly what can be stopped, what can be recovered, and what remains contractually owed.”
Eleanor was not pretending that every dollar could magically return to her account. She knew some deposits were nonrefundable and that vendors had already spent money preparing for the event.
But she also knew that she had no intention of authorizing the remaining payments simply to preserve the appearance of a perfect wedding.
