Chapter 8 - The Unauthorized Baby Shower
By Thursday, Patricia and Nicole were officially cornered, but a cornered animal is at its most unpredictable.
Despite the restraining order we had filed—which prohibited Patricia from coming within five hundred feet of our home or my design studio—Nicole was not technically covered under the primary order, as she hadn't thrown the bowl. She used that legal loophole to launch one last desperate offensive.
I received a text from Sarah, the manager of the lakeside country club where my firm frequently decorated high-end galas.
*“Harper, are you coming to Nicole’s baby shower today? The terrace is fully booked under your company account, but no one told us about catering!”*
My blood turned to ice. “Ethan,” I called out. “Get in the car.”
Ten minutes later, we pulled up to the club’s grand entrance. Sure enough, parked illegally in the circle drive was Patricia’s Lexus, alongside a dozen cars belonging to their social circle.
Patricia and Nicole had called the club, claimed to be acting on behalf of *Harper Vance Interiors*, and charged a five-thousand-dollar private banquet room reservation directly to my corporate billing account. They had invited twenty-five of Patricia’s society friends, turning what was supposed to be a private gathering into a lavish baby shower—all on my dime.
As Ethan and I walked through the double mahogany doors into the grand ballroom, the scene was grotesque.
A giant floral arch framed a tiered pastel cake. Gifts wrapped in gold foil and silk ribbons were piled four feet high on a banquet table. Nicole was holding court in a white maternity gown, holding a mocktail while Patricia held a microphone, addressing the guests.
“…and despite the cruel persecution from certain individuals who have turned my son against us,” Patricia was declaring dramatically, “a grandmother’s love will always provide for her granddaughter! We do not need toxic people in our lives to celebrate this miracle!”
The room burst into applause—until Ethan reached the audio console near the door and ripped the master power cord out of the wall.
May you like
The microphone went dead with a loud pop. The ambient music cut out instantly.
The room fell dead silent.
