I felt my chest close up.
“I didn’t sign this.”
The director nodded slowly.
“Then we need to clarify how it got into the file.”
I looked at Vanessa.
He stayed with his father.
She seemed to be arguing with him about music and drinks.
Just a few minutes before, he had laughed while Margarita stood in the mud.
Now I discovered that someone had submitted my name to approve a new amount of money.
“Where did that signature come from?” I asked.
Esteban opened another page.
“We have a digital version of the document.”
I took a deep breath.
“I want a copy.”
“We will provide it to you through the appropriate channels.”
I stared at him.
“And I don’t want any more charges authorized on our account without explicit verification.”
“Understood.”
Before finishing, Esteban added:
“There’s another matter we need to review.”
I felt an immediate unease.
“Which?”
“A request for accommodation for the bride and groom and several family members.”
I nodded.
“That was included in the original budget.”
“Yes, but an extension was requested.”
I remained motionless.
“How much?”
The director looked at the figure.
“Thirty-eight thousand pesos additional.”
I closed my eyes.
The amount wasn’t as important as the fact that they continued to use our name to request new services.
“Does my signature also appear?”
Esteban nodded.
“Yeah.”
I felt a chill run down my spine.
Two applications.
Two extensions.
And two documents that appeared to carry my authorization.
But I hadn’t signed any of them.
Then I heard a voice behind me.
“Dad, I need to tell you something.”
It was Daniel.
I turned around.
My son’s face was pale.
He was holding his phone with both hands.
“What’s happening?”
Daniel took a deep breath.
“Vanessa asked me for a copy of your signature three weeks ago.”
I felt my heart pounding in my chest.
“So that?”
My son started to cry.
“He told me it was to finalize the estate documents.”
I remained completely still.
Did you give it to her?
Daniel lowered his head.
“Yeah.”
That answer hurt me as much as seeing him hug Vanessa after the fall.
My own son had handed over a copy of my signature without asking me.
And now authorizations were appearing that I had never made.
“Daniel, I need you to explain exactly what you sent him.”
My son took a deep breath.
“A photograph of a contract you had signed at the beginning.”
I closed my eyes.
Everything was starting to fall into place.
The extensions.
My company.
And the ease with which Vanessa demanded services that we had not approved.
But then Daniel added something that left me speechless.
“Dad, I also found a message Vanessa sent me this morning.”
I observed him.
“What message?”
My son picked up the phone.
He showed me the screen.
I read a sentence written by my daughter-in-law several hours before I pushed Margarita.
“Tonight it has to be clear that your parents are no longer going to decide anything about us, even though they are the ones paying.”
I remained motionless.
And I realized that my wife’s humiliation had not arisen solely from a moment of anger.
Vanessa had been preparing for hours to confront us in order to assert herself.
What he didn’t yet know was how far he had planned to go.
PART 3: The real wedding bill
“Daniel, your mother is waiting to be seen, and now we know that someone used my signature without permission; I need you to understand that this can no longer be fixed with a hasty apology.”
My son lowered his head.
He did not respond for several seconds.
Then he put his phone away and looked towards where Margarita was standing.
Her blue dress was completely ruined.
A mud stain covered her from her waist to her hem.
His hair was slightly disheveled, and he was gripping the cane in his hands.
But what hurt me the most was his expression.
He seemed to be apologizing for interrupting our son’s happiness.
I approached her.
“My love, let’s leave.”
Margarita looked up.
“And the wedding?”
I took his hand.
“We’ve already done enough for this celebration.”
Daniel knelt beside us.
“Mom, I’m coming with you.”
My wife started to cry.
“Daniel, you just got married.”
He lowered his head.
“I know.”
“Your place is with Vanessa.”
Our son took a deep breath.
“Mom, now I want to make sure you’re okay.”
Tears began to run down Margarita’s cheeks.
He observed it.
For months I had tried to avoid any arguments with our daughter-in-law.
Even after Vanessa scorned the pearl bracelet, she had insisted that we shouldn’t say anything.
Now she sat with a pain in her leg and was still worried about ruining the wedding.
