Chapter 1

A month before the wedding, I asked my friend Gemma Lawton to come by the shop to finalize the details.

"Gemma, take a look at the plan I put together. If everything looks good, we can settle the remaining balance."

I handed her the venue layouts and the reception package I had prepared.

"Do not worry, we are friends. The price stays exactly what we agreed on. 30,000 dollars, all in."

"30,000 dollars for a wedding?" The friend who had come with her let out a gasp. "That is a total ripoff!"

My expression cooled instantly.

"Gemma, who is this?"

"This is my college friend, Sloane Halliday. She is in the wedding industry too. She heard I hired you and wanted to tag along and take a look."

Sloane tugged at Gemma's arm, her tone needling. "Gemma, your friend's prices are insane. Seriously, do not let her do your wedding."

A few other clients who had come in for consultations overheard and drifted closer.

"What do you mean by that?"

"What is she talking about? Is 30,000 really that much?"

"Yeah, 30,000 for a wedding does not seem that crazy."

Sloane put on a look of exaggerated disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You do not think that is expensive? My family runs a wedding supply chain. Trust me, nobody knows the real costs better than I do.

"An entire wedding, start to finish, costs a few hundred dollars. And she has the nerve to charge you 30,000."

"A few hundred?" Everyone in the room stared at her in shock.

"Are you serious?"

"You can put together a whole wedding for a few hundred dollars?"

Seeing the skepticism on their faces, Sloane pulled out her phone. "See for yourselves. These are all weddings I have done for clients, and I charged every single one of them just a few hundred."

The photos on her screen showed polished, gorgeous setups, and every person in the room was instantly convinced.

"So Laurel has been overcharging us by tens of thousands this whole time?"

"And we actually thought she was our friend!"

"I cannot believe she would do something like this."

With the room's fury pointed squarely at me, Sloane jabbed a finger in my face. "Laurel, you go around calling these women your friends, but all you have been doing is milking them for every penny. You prey on the people closest to you!"

I kept my temper in check and tried to explain. "Sloane, everything I put together for my friends is premium-tier—"

"Oh, please!" She cut me off. "Premium-tier? That is just a pretty way of saying you are lining your pockets!"

Gemma spoke up hesitantly. "Sloane, maybe Laurel is telling the truth."

She pointed to the portfolio on the table. "Look at the venue designs and the reception packages she has put together for us. It is all five-star quality."

"Gemma, that is exactly the problem. You are too easy to fool." Sloane swept the portfolio off the table and sent it crashing to the floor.

"She is using a pretty booklet to trick you. When the actual wedding day comes, it will look nothing like this."

The mood in the room shifted.

"Laurel, if I had not come with Gemma today, nobody would have ever found out what you are doing behind their backs," Sloane continued. "I am in the wedding business too, but the rate I give my friends is the real deal. Only 500 dollars. Unlike you, I do not make money off the people I care about."

The room erupted.

"500 dollars? Seriously?"

"Can we book with you instead?"

Sloane did not miss a beat. "Of course you can! I promise you will not be disappointed with your wedding."

"That is incredible!"

"We will save so much money!"

"No more taking out loans just to pay for a wedding!"

Gemma's face had gone pale. She turned to me, visibly uncomfortable. "Laurel, my fiancé and I have been really tight on money lately. We want to switch to Sloane for the wedding. Her price is just so much more affordable."

Several other brides who had been considering booking with me spoke up to cancel as well.

"We are out too."

"Your prices are outrageous. Give us our deposits back."

"Fine." I did not hesitate. My expression gave nothing away.

"Anyone who wants to cancel can register with my assistant."

I caught my assistant's eye. "Process refunds for everyone who wants out. Handle them all right here."

She grabbed a tablet and began working through the cancellations one by one.

Pouring 100,000 dollars' worth of heart into every 30,000-dollar budget, with nothing to show for it except ingratitude. I had had enough of that a long time ago.