Chapter 4 - The Front Lawn Meltdown
I turned my main phone back on. It immediately exploded with missed calls and enraged texts from Chad’s family. Finally, it rang again. It was Chad. I answered, greeted by heavy, furious breathing before his voice erupted.
"Tara, what the hell is wrong with you?! Over a car?! Do you know how many people are at the venue? You’re humiliating my family! Get back here right now!"
I waited for him to finish his tantrum. "Chad. We are done."
"Excuse me?" he scoffed in disbelief. "You’re canceling a wedding because Chloe sat in the Rolls-Royce?"
"You think this is about a car?" I let out a dry, cold laugh. "This is about twelve years of you putting her first. You took my patience for granted. Check your email. Three days to pay me back, or my lawyer takes over." I hung up and blocked his number.
An hour later, my parents arrived at my condo, offering a tearful but fiercely supportive embrace. But our peace was short-lived. The intercom buzzed. I looked at the security camera feed. It was Chad and his mother, standing outside my building complex. His mother was screaming, pointing up at the building.
"Tara! You selfish brat! Come down here! You think you can embarrass my son and steal our money?!"
Neighbors were starting to stare at the spectacle. I calmly picked up my phone and dialed the front desk. "Hi, this is the penthouse. There are two trespassers screaming in the courtyard. If you don't remove them, I’m calling the police."
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Within minutes, three burly security guards escorted a thrashing, furious Chad and his mother off the premises. I watched them get shoved onto the sidewalk, sipping a glass of iced water.
Just then, my phone chimed with a new iMessage request. The profile picture was Chloe’s innocent, smiling face. The message read: "Tara, please talk to me. Can we be friends?"
