She called the family's traditional wedding venue, a beautiful old estate Desmond himself had helped restore years earlier. Embarrassingly dated, insisting on something considerably more modern instead.
Vivienne had genuinely cherished the idea of Nolan marrying at that particular estate, a property carrying decades of family memory, Desmond's own careful restoration work visible in every restored archway and repainted trim. Watching Delphine dismiss it so casually. Without any apparent awareness of its significance. Felt like another small piece of Desmond's memory being quietly erased from his own son's most significant day.
Vivienne absorbed each rejection quietly, telling herself these were simply ordinary differences in taste rather than deliberate. Calculated erasure of her husband's memory from their son's wedding.
The truth became impossible to dismiss at the rehearsal dinner, three nights before the actual ceremony.
The evening had unfolded pleasantly enough at first, toasts and laughter filling the private dining room Vivienne had helped arrange, everyone apparently genuinely celebrating the upcoming union despite Vivienne's own lingering. Unresolved reservations. She'd stepped away briefly during a lull in conversation. Needing a quiet moment away from the celebratory noise.
She'd given her own toast earlier that evening, careful words about family and new beginnings that felt, even as she spoke them. Somewhat hollow given everything quietly troubling her deeply. Nolan had beamed throughout her speech. Apparently oblivious to any complexity beneath his mother's carefully composed delivery.
Vivienne had stepped into the hotel restroom during a brief break in the evening's festivities. Finding herself trapped in a stall when Delphine and her bridesmaids entered moments later.
She recognized Delphine's voice immediately, along with several bridesmaids she'd met briefly during earlier wedding preparations.
There were four distinct voices altogether, Delphine's clearly the loudest and most confident among them, the others contributing occasional agreement or laughter rather than fully independent commentary. Vivienne remained perfectly still. Barely daring to breathe, grateful for the stall's solid door providing at least physical. If not emotional, protection from whatever conversation was about to unfold.
One bridesmaid mentioned, apparently in passing. That at least Vivienne was covering the substantial costs of the entire celebration.
Delphine's response carried a casual cruelty. That Vivienne would remember with painful clarity for the rest of her life.
The particular ease with which Delphine delivered such devastating words, no hesitation, no apparent recognition of the human weight behind them. Struck Vivienne as somehow more disturbing than outright malice might have been. This wasn't someone momentarily unkind. This was someone entirely comfortable treating another person's life. And dignity as simply an obstacle to route around efficiently.
"There are one hundred twenty million reasons to tolerate her," Delphine said, laughter audible in her voice.
The other bridesmaids joined in the laughter too. Apparently finding nothing genuinely troubling about openly discussing Vivienne's inheritance as. Though she were simply an obstacle to eventually navigate around rather than an actual person whose feelings deserved consideration.
