Chapter 3 - The Family Group Chat Explodes
By noon, the digital fallout began.
It started with a frantic ping from the family WhatsApp group, “Reyes Family Strong ❤️”.
Melissa had posted first in all capital letters:
Melissa: DIANA REYES. WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!
A second later, Mom chimed in:
Mom: Diana, pick up your phone right now. Veronica from the Cypress Room just called Melissa crying that the entire ballroom booking has been wiped out. What is wrong with you over a dress?!
I didn't answer. I muted the chat, poured myself a cup of black coffee, and continued reviewing the security footage backups I had saved to my external hard drive.
At 12:45 PM, my phone rang. It was Mom.
I let it ring out to voicemail.
Ten seconds later, she called back. Then Melissa called. Then my phone buzzed with an incoming text message from Melissa, dripping with venom:
You think you’re so high and mighty because you have a salon and some savings. You’re destroying a sixteen-year-old girl’s dream over scraps of blue fabric that you can easily replace. Mom is having heart palpitations because of your selfishness. You are a bitter, toxic monster.
I stared at the screen, typed a single, measured response, and hit send:
May you like
Diana: The police report for unlawful entry and destruction of private property is being filed this afternoon. Save your energy for your lawyer.
The typing indicator on the group chat flickered furiously for a full two minutes. No message came through. They had realized, finally, that I wasn't bluffing.
