Chapter 7 - The Rehearsal Disaster
I drove recklessly down the winding mountain roads, terrified that I was going to be too late.
I kept calling Daniel's phone on a continuous loop, but it went straight to voicemail every single time.
I finally managed to reach my father, who was actively searching the downtown area with the local police.
My father quickly explained the absolute disaster that had unfolded at the rehearsal dinner.
With the vendors canceling left and right, Vanesa had completely lost her carefully crafted mind in front of everyone.
She stood up during the dinner toasts and viciously blamed my parents for ruining her life.
She publicly shamed them for being poor and screamed that she deserved a much better family.
When Daniel finally found the courage to ask her to lower her voice, she threw a full glass of red wine directly into his face.
The wealthy ex-girlfriend bridesmaid completely sided with Vanesa, laughing at Daniel's absolute humiliation.
Daniel had silently walked out of the restaurant in a wine-soaked shirt and vanished into the city.
I finally tracked his phone's location using the family sharing app we had never turned off.
He wasn't on a literal bridge; he was sitting in the dark bleachers of our old high school football stadium.
I ran across the damp grass and found him shivering in the cold night air.
I wrapped my heavy coat around his shoulders and simply sat silently beside him.
He wept openly, apologizing profusely for everything he had said and done to push me away.
He confessed that he finally saw Vanesa for the monster she truly was, but he felt entirely trapped.
If he canceled the wedding now, he believed he would be held entirely financially responsible for the massive cancellation fees.
I gently held his hand and told him about the lawyer, the forged signatures, and the frozen loan.
I explained that he owed absolutely nothing, and that Vanesa was facing serious federal fraud charges.
A huge wave of relief washed completely over his exhausted face.
Suddenly, the bright stadium floodlights violently snapped on, blinding us both.
Vanesa marched aggressively across the field, flanked by two large, imposing security guards she had hired for the weekend.
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She stopped at the bottom of the bleachers and pointed a shaking finger directly at my brother.
She coldly stated that if he didn't get in her car right now, she would release a video that would destroy his entire career.
