3: 3
3
That last call got cut off by Keith before I could give the address.
This time there was no problem.
Tabitha jabbed her finger at me, so furious her hand shook.
"You—you—you! You just can't stand to see me happy! You're dead set on ruining my wedding!"
"They say it's the quiet dog that bites. Doreen, you're really something else!"
I glanced at her, at all that rage.
"Someone here does want to ruin this wedding. It just isn't me."
The moment the words left my mouth, my eyes went straight to Keith.
He already had a guilty conscience.
One pointed line from me, one cold look, and he was up on his toes with panic.
"Doreen, what's that supposed to mean? I've let things slide again and again because you're Tabitha's cousin, and now you're pushing your luck?"
"Everyone here knows exactly what I brought to this marriage. Don't stand there stirring up trouble."
Seeing her precious son-in-law upset, Aunt Ava rushed over to back him up.
"Doreen, you think everyone in this family is stupid? We all know you're just jealous of Tabitha. Who's going to believe a word you say?"
"Everyone here today is somebody who matters. The only two broke nobodies in this room are you and your mother!"
"I'm telling you, if you don't hand that stuff over today, I'll make sure you and your mother never walk out of this hall!"
The relatives had wanted to get in Keith's good graces from the start.
Now that they saw him worked up, they wanted their own moment in the spotlight.
"Keith, don't you worry. We all saw the hardware set you gave Tabitha just now. Of course we believe you."
"That Doreen's been creepy since she was a kid. One look and you can tell she's no good. People like that are just plain rotten. Stealing's bad enough, but she wants to wreck her own cousin's wedding too."
"Her mother's the same, isn't she? Widowed so young, killed her own man off. Who knows how she raised Doreen?"
"Exactly. Says she never remarried, but who knows what filthy business she got up to behind everyone's back."
The more they fawned over Keith, the uglier their words got.
I couldn't stand to hear another word of it, and my voice came out hard.
"Every single one of you who just spread lies about my mother, wait for your court summons."
The relatives froze for a beat, then broke into loud laughter.
"Hahaha, did you hear what she just said? She actually said she's going to sue us?"
"She's so broke she stole in front of a whole crowd, and now she can afford a lawyer? That's the funniest thing I've heard all day."
"A few years working in Seaford City and she didn't pick up anything except how to talk big and put on airs. That's the fine daughter her mother raised."
Aunt Ava didn't want to waste any more time. She stepped right up.
"Doreen, the wedding's about to start. Hand it over, now."
"Otherwise, I'm warning you, forget Keith's family. My family isn't one to cross either. I'll make sure you pay for this."
Watching it all about to spin out of control, my mother, who had held it in this whole time, finally broke.
"Ava, don't back the girl into a corner. I'll pay for it."
"I'll go withdraw the money right now, I'll get it and pay your family back, she's young, don't make things hard for her."
She was already moving toward the door as she spoke.
But the way she moved made them think she was trying to run, and they crowded in to block her path.
"Trying to run, are you? Not a chance!"
