I slipped the invoice inside the gift box and tied the ribbon.
Ashley would discover it when she opened her present.
The wedding took place in a beautifully restored barn decorated with strings of lights. Daniel looked happy as he exchanged vows, and I wondered whether he knew anything about what his bride had done.
Grandma’s cake stood beneath the reception lights, every sugar flower still intact. Ashley proudly instructed the photographer to capture it from different angles, while Daniel smiled at Grandma, unaware of the humiliation she’d suffered that morning.
Around 7:30 p.m., just before the cake-cutting ceremony, I approached the head table with my gift.
“A little something for the happy couple,” I announced.
Ashley squealed with excitement, tore away the ribbon, and lifted out the silver frame.
“Aww, cute!”
Then she noticed the invoice.
Her smile disappeared. She hurriedly tried to crumple the paper and hide it in her bouquet, but Daniel noticed.
