I didn’t need to.
Everything was already in motion.
Friday morning, I arrived at the Palisade estate early.
Clarissa had everything ready.
Revised contracts, updated vendor lists, and a fresh calendar of deliverables.
She had also pulled up the finalized floor plan, which I tweaked slightly, shifting the head table, adjusting the reserved seating and making sure a few names were removed entirely.
Then I waited.
Tyler and Brooke walked in 15 minutes late, storming through the front doors with matching scowls and an air of forced confidence.
“Jason,” Brooke said, crossing her arms. “This stops now.”
Tyler looked around.
“Where’s the manager? We want to speak to her.”
“She’s busy,” I said. “With me. Have a seat.”
They didn’t.
They stood, looming like they were about to lecture a weward employee.
“All right,” I said, opening a folder. “Here’s how this is going to work. You’re getting married here as scheduled. The date remains. Most of the vendors remain. The ceremony will be beautiful, intimate, classy, just not performative.”
Brooke blinked.
“What does that mean?”
“It means your influencer photographer is out, replaced by a proper wedding photographer who focuses on people, not Instagram trends. It means your eye sculpture idea, gone. The custom cocktail menu named after your dogs, also gone. This wedding isn’t a branding exercise. It’s a celebration for family. Real family.”
Tyler finally snapped.
“This is insane. You don’t get to just—”
I held up a hand.
“I do and I have, but I’m not here to fight with you. I’m here to make you an offer.”
Brooke narrowed her eyes.
“What kind of offer?”
I looked at them both, steady and calm.
“I’ll keep the wedding intact. I’ll pay every remaining balance. I’ll make sure it runs smoothly. You’ll have your moment. But there are conditions.”
Tyler snorted.
“Of course, there are.”
“One, you acknowledge publicly during the reception the people who made this wedding happen. Not just me, but the others you conveniently left out. Dad’s former partner who co-signed your business loan. Aunt Susan who paid your rent for 6 months. The people you forgot when it was time to give thanks.”
Brooke opened her mouth.
But I continued.
“Two. My guest list remains. I’ve invited people who mattered to our family. People you cut out because they didn’t fit your aesthetic.”
“You mean like your weird godmother with the birds?” Brook said.
I didn’t flinch.
“Yes. Her and your high school friend Jen who you ghosted after she got married at a courthouse. They’re coming. They belong here more than half the people you had on your original list.”