Charlotte frowned.
"That isn't my daughter's car."
Yvonne stepped out of the car, and I pulled her against me, an arm around her shoulders.
"Who says the bride has to be Christine? She loves her hide-and-seek so much, let her hide for the rest of her life."
Charlotte came after me. "What is this supposed to mean? Why did you bring some stranger here, and why do you have your arm around her?"
"Ethan, what exactly are you playing at?"
"Charlotte, today is my wedding day with Yvonne. If you want to stay and toast us with a glass at the reception, go find a table and sit down."
"Are you joking? This is your wedding with my daughter!"
"It was. It isn't anymore."
Charlotte grabbed hold of me. "You wait right there!"
"You're actually going to hold a wedding with this woman?"
"Yes."
"I don't agree! Everyone here today is my close family and friends, and my family paid for this banquet. Why should some outsider get the benefit of it?"
"Did you pay for the reception?"
That one line shut Charlotte's mouth.
The fight went out of her voice.
"Still, you can't. Do you want to make us a laughingstock in front of all these relatives and friends?"
"A laughingstock for who? I don't care what your family looks like."
Charlotte planted herself right in front of me. "No. There is no way this wedding is happening today without my daughter!"
Frantic, she dug out her phone and started dialing. The call connected fast.
"Christine, get over here right now. If you don't come, Ethan is going to marry someone else!"
Christine's voice came through, light and unbothered.
"Impossible. Ethan won't marry anyone but me."
Charlotte was beside herself. "It's real! He's already brought his new wife here. The two of them are about to get married! Come back right now, I'll talk Ethan around."
Christine laughed.
"Mom, did Ethan put you up to this little act? I already told you, I'm just seeing Jasper off. The second his flight lands, I'll come straight back."
"We can just redo the ceremony another day, it makes no difference. It's not like I'm calling off the marriage."
"Mom, Jasper's thirsty, I'm going to buy him some water. I have to go."
Christine hung up.
Yvonne shoved Charlotte aside.
"A good dog doesn't block the road."
Charlotte went into a rage, chasing right at my heels.
"Ethan, you humiliate the Finch family like this, and when Christine gets back she is absolutely not going to let you off!"
"And if you ever want to hold a wedding with Christine again, I will never agree to it!"
I had the makeup artist start on Yvonne.
"Charlotte, keep squawking like this and I'll have someone show you out."
"This is my wedding, not a stage for your tantrum."
Charlotte picked up her phone again and started a video call to show Yvonne.
The moment it connected she blurted out, "Christine, look, Ethan has already put your wedding dress on another woman!"
She swung the camera onto Yvonne.
"See that? This is the new woman he's found!"
"She's obviously some actress he hired. Mom, give him the phone."
Charlotte thrust the phone at me right away. "Christine wants to talk to you."
I didn't take it.
"Let her talk. I can hear her fine."
"Ethan, stop the act. You just didn't manage to find me today, so I couldn't come."
"But I'll give you one more chance. Today, make sure the guests who showed up eat and drink well, and we'll hold the ceremony another day."
I let out a short laugh.
"Finished? The ceremony's about to start. I don't have time to listen to your nonsense."
