The Contract That Wasn’t Mine
The file contained a copy of the venue contract, internal notes from their booking system, and a short explanation from Emily.
At first glance, it looked like our contract: same date, same venue, same time.
But under Bride it didn’t say Tamara.
It said Maddie.
The groom’s name was still the same: Jake.
My brain short-circuited. I scrolled down to the notes section.
“Bride’s friend initially presented as primary client, but later calls indicate the bride is actually Maddie. Groom and Maddie have requested not to change the official contract until ‘after everything is settled.’”
Underneath, Emily had added a message:
“I’m sorry if this is confusing, Tamara. But I couldn’t stay quiet anymore. Jake signed this months ago. Every time we tried to clarify who the bride actually was, he brushed us off. It didn’t feel right. You deserve to know. Call me if you need me.”
I read it once.
