Down the long, marble-lined corridor leading to the private executive suites, Brandon caught up with his mother outside the corner office. Eleanor was standing calmly beside two men in tailored grey suits, holding a black leather briefcase.
Brandon: Mom! Mom, please wait!
Eleanor: Stand back, Brandon. I am currently in the middle of an emergency asset review with my legal counsel.
Brandon: Mom, I am so, so sorry... I had no idea she would ever lay a hand on you! I swear to God I didn't know!
Eleanor: You didn't know because you chose to be blind for the past eighteen months, Brandon. You ignored every red flag because she had a pretty face and a loud mouth.
Brandon: Mom, please... her red mark is still on your cheek... let me get you some ice...
Eleanor: The mark on my cheek will fade by tomorrow morning, Brandon. But the disrespect shown to the Vance family name will not be forgotten so easily[cite: 1].
Lawyer: Mrs. Vance, the catering company, the floral designers, and the private orchestra have all received the formal cancellation notices. Their legal teams have acknowledged that all payments were remitted under your sole account, giving you full authority to terminate services without penalty.
Eleanor: Excellent. What about the penthouse suite booked for the bride and groom?
Lawyer: Keycard access was revoked three minutes ago. Her luggage has been moved down to the curb outside the service entrance.
Brandon: Mom... you revoked the honeymoon suite too?
Eleanor: I paid twenty-five thousand dollars for that seven-day suite booking, Brandon. Why would I gift a luxury vacation to a woman who just assaulted me in front of three hundred people[cite: 1, 1]?
Brandon: She... she said her father was going to pay you back for everything...
Eleanor: Her father is bankrupt, Brandon. He has been under federal audit for tax evasion for six weeks. Did she fail to mention that while she was picking out fifty-thousand-dollar wedding rings on my store credit?
Brandon collapsed against the mahogany wall, burying his face in his hands as the full reality of Tiffany's grand deception washed over him. He had spent months defending Tiffany to his mother, believing every lie about her wealthy background and high-society connections.
Brandon: She lied to me about everything... She told me her family owned three hotels in Miami...
Eleanor: They don't own a single hotel room, Brandon. Her father was a mid-level manager who got caught embezzling company funds to pay for her shopping addiction.
Brandon: Why didn't you tell me sooner, Mom?! Why did you let the wedding get this far?!
Eleanor: Because I wanted you to see her true colors yourself, Brandon. I hoped she might show a shred of decency today. But instead, she proved to the entire world that she is nothing but an entitled, violent bully.
High heels clattered loudly down the hallway as Tiffany came stomping toward them, her white sequined dress trailing along the marble floor, her hair messily falling out of her diamond tiara[cite: 1, 1].
Tiffany: You evil old hag! How dare you kick my family out into the parking lot?!
Eleanor: Mind your tongue, Tiffany. You are no longer on private event property. You are on my commercial corporate estate.
Tiffany: I don't care whose estate this is! You ruined my life! You ruined my dream wedding day!
Eleanor: No, my dear. You ruined it yourself the moment you raised your hand against me[cite: 1, 1].