Chapter 5 - THE WEDDING BUDGET TRAPThe next phase of my plan required a bait that Vanessa could not resist: money.
The following morning, I joined Daniel for breakfast. I looked frail but determined. "Daniel, sweetheart," I began, my voice soft. "I've been thinking. I don't want to be the cause of any friction between you and Vanessa. A wedding should be a time of joy."
Daniel looked up from his tablet, surprised. "Mom, you don't have to worry about that. She was wrong."
"I know, but she is carrying my grandchild," I said, forcing a warm, maternal smile. "For the sake of the baby, I want to make peace. I want to offer to pay for the entire wedding budget. No limits. Vanessa can have whatever she wants."
Daniel’s eyes widened. "Mom, that's incredibly generous, but I have the money. You don't need to spend your savings."
"No, I want to do this," I insisted. "But on one condition. Since I am paying, all invoices and contracts must be sent directly to my personal accountant for approval. I want to make sure we aren't being taken advantage of by the vendors."
Daniel smiled, relieved that the tension was easing. "That seems more than fair. I'll tell Vanessa. She’ll be thrilled."
Thrilled was an understatement. Within an hour, Vanessa had sent a text to Chloe that I intercepted via the baby monitor: The old bag is paying! No limit! We are going to bleed her dry. I'm going to double the budget for the floral arrangements and pocket the cash back from the vendor.
Vanessa believed she was pulling off a masterclass in embezzlement. She didn't know that my "personal accountant" was actually a corporate investigator I had hired weeks ago, a man named Marcus who specialized in forensic auditing.
Over the next three days, Vanessa went on a frantic spending spree. She booked a five-star catering service, a world-renowned florist, and a designer wedding gown from Paris. But she also made a fatal mistake: she started adding personal luxury items to the wedding invoices, disguising them as "bridal party essentials."
Marcus flagged every single one of them.
A $15,000 diamond necklace from Cartier was billed as "bridesmaid jewelry." A $20,000 weekend retreat at a luxury spa in Aspen was listed as "pre-wedding coordination venue fee."
On Thursday evening, I called Daniel into the living room, where Marcus was waiting with a thick leather folder.
"Daniel," I said, looking concerned. "I'm afraid we have a bit of a problem with the wedding expenses. Marcus has found some... irregularities."
Marcus opened the folder, spreading out the invoices. "Mr. Vance, your fiancée has been submitting altered invoices. For instance, this charge for the 'floral design setup' includes a cash-back clause of $30,000 paid directly to a private account owned by Vanessa's sister, Chloe. Furthermore, she has purchased several high-end luxury items under the guise of wedding planning, totaling over $80,000 in just forty-eight hours."
Daniel stared at the documents, his face turning an angry shade of red. "This... this is fraud."
"I'm sure there's a misunderstanding," I said, playing the naive peacemaker. "Perhaps she didn't realize the system would flag these things. She’s pregnant, after all. She might be nesting."
"Nesting doesn't involve laundering $30,000 through a florist, Mom!" Daniel slammed his hand on the table. "I'm going to confront her right now."
"No, please, Daniel," I begged, holding his arm. "Not yet. If you confront her now, she will cry and say it was a mistake, and you will forgive her because of the baby. Let's wait. Let's see how far she is willing to go. If she truly loves you, she will stop. If not... you will have your answer."
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Daniel looked at me, his eyes filled with pain. "You are too good for this world, Mom. But you're right. I need to see her true face."
I hid my smirk. He was finally beginning to see the outline of the monster he had brought into our lives. Now, it was time to strip away her ultimate shield.
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