Chapter 5 - The Wedding Planner's Ultimatum
An hour after Chloe was ejected from my office building, I received an unexpected phone call from an unrecognized number. "Hello, is this Elena Vance?" a polished, slightly anxious woman asked. "This is Victoria Sterling from Sterling Estate Vineyards. I’m calling regarding the deposit for Chloe Vance and Mark Davis’s October wedding."
"I am not a party to that contract, Ms. Sterling," I answered, switching on my recording software after stating my consent.
"Well, that’s why I’m calling," Victoria sighed, sounding exhausted. "Chloe provided your Platinum card as the primary guarantee for the venue fee and catering. When the $6,850 charge was declined on Monday, she assured us you would call in with a new card today. She said there was just a temporary bank glitch."
"Ms. Sterling, listen to me carefully," I said, my tone cutting through her scripted politeness. "My card was used without my authorization. I have filed a police report for identity theft against Chloe Vance. I will never be paying for any portion of this wedding, and if you attempt to run any of my banking information again, my fraud department will pursue legal action against your merchant account."
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There was a long gasp on the other end of the line. "Oh my god," Victoria whispered, her professional veneer dropping. "She... she told us you were her maid of honor and financial sponsor. Her check for the initial deposit bounced three weeks ago. We told her if the funds weren't cleared by noon today, we are releasing the date to another couple."
"I suggest you release the date," I said. "And I recommend you only accept cash from her moving forward."
