I decided to attend the rehearsal dinner on Thursday night. I would give them one final opportunity. A chance to sign a legally binding promissory note with a strict repayment schedule. If they refused, if they chose to double down on their entitlement… then I would show them exactly how selfish I could be.
Chapter 2: The Rehearsal Dinner Insult
The rehearsal dinner was held in the private dining room of a high-end Italian restaurant downtown. The room was dripping with elegance—crystal stemware, imported lilies, and the soft hum of classical music.
I arrived wearing a simple black dress I had owned for three years. I felt entirely out of place among the designer suits and cocktail gowns worn by Brandon’s family and Melissa’s bridesmaids.
I found Melissa standing near the bar, sipping a prosecco. She looked radiant, her hair perfectly styled, her diamond engagement ring catching the light. She was basking in the glow of a perfect life that I was currently financing.
I approached her, my hands clammy, my heart hammering against my ribs.
“Melissa,” I said, my voice low and tight.
She turned, her smile faltering slightly when she saw me. “Rachel. You made it. Look, Mom told me you were being weird about the credit card thing. Please don’t ruin tonight.”
“Being weird?” I repeated, stunned by her vocabulary. “Melissa, it was forty-three thousand dollars. It was my life savings. I need a repayment plan. In writing. Starting next month.”
Melissa rolled her eyes, a grand, theatrical gesture. She smoothed the fabric of her expensive silk dress and looked at me as if I were a beggar asking for spare change.
“God, Rachel, don’t be so petty,” she sighed. “Brandon and I just closed on the house. We have to buy furniture. We can’t afford to pay you back right now.”
“Then you couldn’t afford this wedding,” I said firmly.
Melissa’s eyes narrowed. The sweet bride persona vanished, replaced by the vicious, entitled golden child I had grown up with. She stepped closer, invading my personal space, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper meant only for me.
