“Did you read the revised proposal Melissa sent you?”
He hesitated.
“Not carefully.”
“Did you ask me?”
“No.”
“Then why would you assume I’d agreed?”
He stared at his hands.
Vanessa folded her arms.
“This is unbelievable. You’re using money to control our wedding.”
I took a slow breath.
“I signed a contract and paid for the celebration I agreed to provide. I haven’t taken away a single service I promised.”
“You’re punishing me because of a joke.”
I looked down at my ruined dress.
“Vanessa, if you cannot distinguish a joke from humiliating someone in front of 180 people, I don’t think arguing about hotel services will help.”
She opened her mouth.
I continued before she could interrupt.
“I came here to celebrate your marriage. I didn’t ask to be the center of attention. I didn’t complain when you moved my seat. I didn’t complain when you removed the mother-son dance.”
Daniel raised his head.
“Mom—”
“But I will not stand here and pretend that smearing food across my face was funny because you say it was.”
Vanessa looked toward Melissa.
“Tell her it was supposed to be harmless.”
Melissa remained quiet.
Then she said, “Vanessa, you asked us to make sure the photographer was near the cake table when you did it.”
Daniel turned sharply.
“What?”
Vanessa’s eyes widened.
“Melissa!”
The wedding planner looked miserable.
“You asked for a candid reaction shot. I thought you meant a little frosting on Daniel’s cheek, like some couples do with wedding cake.”
