Chapter 5 - The Mother of the Bride
I called my mother at 7:38.
She answered on the second ring.
“Merritt, if you're calling to start another argument, I don't have time.”
“Did you use my corporate credit card?”
Silence.
Then she sighed.
“Oh, that.”
I gripped my phone.
“Forty-two thousand, five hundred dollars, Mom.”
“Lower your voice.”
“I'm in a hospital room.”
“People can still hear you.”
I stared at the ceiling.
“Did you use it?”
“We had a temporary problem with the wedding account.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
“Your father was going to replace the money.”
“With what?”
“Don't interrogate me.”
“Did you take my card information while I was recovering from surgery?”
Another pause.
Then she said, “You were asleep. I needed to check something.”
My stomach dropped.
“You photographed my card?”
“We are not thieves, Merritt.”
“You charged forty-two thousand dollars to my employer.”
“Forty-two thousand five hundred,” she corrected automatically.
I couldn't believe her.
She actually corrected the amount.
“Why?”
“Because Seacliff demanded the final payment before the wedding, and your father had a transfer delayed. We couldn't lose the reservation.”
“So you used my company's money.”
“You have access to substantial funds through your position.”
“They aren't mine!”
“You're being hysterical.”
I almost laughed.
There it was.
The same word she'd used when Sloan destroyed my prom dress.
The same tone she'd used when Dad emptied my savings account.
“Did you tell Dad where the money came from?”
“He knows we're handling it.”
“Does Sloan know?”
“Your sister has enough stress.”
“Mom.”
“She's the bride, Merritt.”
I looked down at the brace covering my swollen knee.
“And I'm the daughter you sent to the hospital.”
My mother went quiet.
For one second, I thought the words had finally reached her.
Then she whispered, “You know, your father and I have sacrificed a great deal for you girls.”
I ended the call.
A few minutes later, an orthopedic specialist entered with preliminary findings from the imaging.
There was significant swelling and evidence of damage to the healing graft. The exam also raised concern about an injury affecting the nerve that controlled movement in my foot.
He couldn't yet promise whether I'd need another reconstruction.
“We'll repeat the neurological examination and involve your surgeon,” he explained. “Right now, we need to protect the joint and understand the extent of the nerve injury.”
“How long before I can walk normally?”
“I can't give you an honest number today.”
I appreciated that he didn't lie.
After he left, a text arrived from my mother.
Your sister needs you to be reasonable. The ceremony starts at four.
I typed a response.
My doctor thinks I may need another surgery.
May you like
Her reply came less than a minute later.
Can we please discuss this after the wedding?
