All Chapters of The Wedding Day Shakedown: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

"Hey, hey, hey! Vince, don't you know how this works?"Behind Jeanie Westwood, seventeen bridesmaids stood in a row.I quickly put on an apologetic smile and pulled out the fat cash envelope I'd prepared ahead of time. "Thank you for all your hard work, ladies. Here's a little something to treat yourselves to coffee."Jeanie glanced at how thick the envelope was and snorted. She tossed it right back into my arms. "Do we look like beggars to you?"She took out her phone, pulled up her payment app, and shoved it in my face. Right behind her, all seventeen bridesmaids held up their phones in unison."We want to share in the good luck too. There are eighteen of us here, so each of us gets 999 dollars. We'll bless your marriage to be a long-lasting and happy one."Jeanie tilted her head, her face full of mockery.My head started buzzing. Eighteen times 999 dollars came to almost 18,000 dollars.I'd spent five years delivering food, rain or shine, and buying our home had already drai

"Vince, where's Meg? Why are you by yourself?"I steadied my mom and felt her hands trembling. "Mom, I didn't bring her here.""What happened? Did the car break down?"The relatives crowded around us too, everyone firing questions at once.I didn't say a word and headed straight for the stage.The emcee was testing the microphone. When he saw me come up, he smiled. "The groom's here, so let's get started..."I snatched the microphone out of his hand.Every eye in the room turned to me. I looked at all the familiar faces below the stage and took a deep breath. "To my dear friends and family, I'm truly sorry. Today's wedding is canceled."The room erupted."Canceled? Is this some kind of joke?""Do you know what time it is?""Where's the bride?"I gripped the microphone, my voice eerily calm. "Please, eat and drink as much as you like. Today's bill is on me. As for the wedding gift and cash envelopes you brought, my buddy will return them to each of you shortly."Not all of

Megan panicked. "Why are you calling the police?""For defrauding me out of 30,000 dollars worth of wedding gifts, plus the 20,000 dollars you extorted at the bride pickup today." I looked at Jeanie coldly. "And you, Jeanie. That 20,000 dollars went to you, so you're not getting away either.""That 20,000 dollars was a thank-you fee for the bridesmaids! It wasn't for the bride! Why should we give it back? It was a gift! A gift, got it?"The police arrived quickly.In the mediation room, Jeanie kept arguing in circles. I pulled up the transfer record. The memo line said it plain as day: "Bride pickup door fee (paid under duress)."I'd been smart enough to cover myself at the time.The officer looked at the record, listened to my audio recording, and told Jeanie sternly, "Demanding a large sum of money against someone's will by exploiting wedding customs counts as unjust enrichment. It could even be considered extortion. I suggest you return it immediately."Jeanie went white an

I calmly pointed to the copy of the property deed taped to the door. I'd put it there on purpose to ward off bad luck. "This house is mine. It has nothing to do with them. Besides, I've already sold it."As I spoke, I pointed at Chris in the doorway. "The buyer's right outside. We're about to transfer the title."Johnny panicked. "Vince! You can't just stand by and watch me die! If you don't pay this, they'll beat me to death!"I looked at him, my eyes cold. "Whether you live or die is none of my damn business."Then I turned to the tattooed leader and said something designed to cut deep. "If this house transfers without a hitch, I'll have cash in hand. But these people refuse to leave, so I can't sell it. Even if I wanted to help, I couldn't."That was a lie, of course. There was no way I'd ever help pay off Johnny's debts.The tattooed leader's eyes darted back and forth. He thought I wanted to sell the house to pay off my brother-in-law's debts, but this family was getting in

At that very moment, several police officers rushed in and pinned Johnny to the ground. "Don't move! Police!"The knife slipped from Johnny's hand and clattered onto the pavement.I leaned against the wall, gasping for air, my shirt soaked with cold sweat.Jeanie wailed from the ground. "Help... I'm dying..."Watching it all, I just found it absurd. Megan's toxic best friend who'd once acted so high and mighty was now lying in the mud. Her arrogant brother who'd once acted like he owned the world was now cuffed up.Before long, Megan came stumbling onto the scene. When she saw her brother under arrest and her best friend stabbed, she fell apart completely.She dropped to her knees in front of me with a thud and frantically bowed her head to the ground, over and over. Her forehead struck the concrete so many times that it soon started bleeding."Vince! Please! Tell the police this is all a misunderstanding! Johnny's my only brother!"Don't let them take him! If they arrest him,