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Excited gasps and murmurs went through the crowd as Kara tore open the wrapping paper with her perfectly manicured fingernails.
With her perfectly manicured fingers, she reached into the box and pulled out a neat stack of cream-colored envelopes tied with a gold ribbon. She held them out to the crowd and let out a high-pitched, nervous laugh.
“What are these? Letters?” she asked, waving the envelopes around as if it were all a joke.
The guests leaned forward in their chairs, whispering and pulling out their cell phones to film. With trembling fingers, she tore open the first envelope. The gold lettering glittered in the light of the reception lamps.
“Payment receipt – A destroyed flower bed – $500.”
Her smile froze completely.
A confused murmur rippled through the rows as people began leaning over each other’s shoulders for a better look. Her hands trembled as she opened the second envelope.
“Payment receipt – One fence removed – $800.”
When she got to the third envelope, her fingers were shaking so badly that she tore it open crookedly.
“Payment receipt for outstanding amount – Six rose bushes, uprooted – US$1,200.”
The whole room buzzed like an angry beehive. The guests whispered amongst themselves and craned their necks to see what was going on. Sporadic applause and nervous laughter broke the awkward silence.
“What is that supposed to be?!” Kara finally blurted out.
I stepped forward slowly, keeping my smile on and my voice so calm that the entire room could understand every single word.
“This is your bill,” I said clearly. “For everything you destroyed in my garden. Every flower, every fence post, and every rose that meant something to me.”
Then I delivered the final blow, letting each word hit like a hammer blow.
“And before you think this is a joke: I filed a lawsuit at the district court yesterday morning. The judge ruled immediately because I had photos, receipts, and witness statements. These aren’t just pieces of paper. They are copies of the official court order. You and your family are legally obligated to pay every single cent.”
A murmur, whispers, and nervous laughter filled the room. Even Kara’s newlywed husband stared at her wide-eyed.
Colin stormed towards me, his face red with anger. “What the hell are you doing?! You’re embarrassing her!”
I looked at the man I had once intended to marry and felt nothing but absolute certainty. Slowly, I pulled the engagement ring from my finger.
I pressed the ring firmly into his palm.
“No, Colin,” I said. “You humiliated me by laughing while your sister destroyed my house, the roses I planted for my mother, and everything I built myself. You showed me who you really are. And I won’t marry a man who won’t even defend me in my own garden.”
The audience actually applauded.
Kara screamed, “You’re ruining my wedding!”, but nobody rushed to her aid.
I turned around and walked out into the cool night air, leaving behind the man who had let me down and the family who had never respected me.
