Chapter 3 - The Morning After in Cannon Beach
The morning after the wedding, the ocean was covered in a thick, silver fog that rolled softly over the sands of Cannon Beach.
Nathan and I sat on the private wrap-around balcony of the oceanfront estate my grandfather had built in the late 1970s. It was a rustic, massive timber house nestled high on the cliffs, invisible from the public road—a place I had intentionally kept hidden from everyone in my life until now.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the cool air. I was wearing an oversized wool sweater, holding my mug with both hands, watching the waves crash against Haystack Rock in the distance.
Nathan sat beside me, dressed in sweatpants and a dark hoodie. He was quiet, his eyes staring out at the grey horizon, processing the whirlwind of the past twenty-four hours.
"Are you okay?" I asked softly, resting my head against his shoulder.
Nathan let out a long, slow breath, turning his head to kiss the top of my hair. "I’m better than okay. I’m just... processing."
"I’m sorry about how public it was," I murmured. "I didn't want to ruin our wedding day, Nathan. But when she stood up in front of three hundred people to tear me down..."
"Stop," Nathan interrupted gently, turning to face me completely. He took my hands in his. "Elaine, you didn't ruin anything. My mother ruined it the moment she decided to use our wedding as a stage to humiliate you. If Lawrence hadn't stepped in, she would have walked away thinking she had successfully put you in your place."
He shook his head, a wry smile touching his lips. "I just can't believe my dad’s brother is threatening to sue her."
"Is he really going to?"
"Oh, absolutely," Nathan sighed. "Uncle Greg is a hawk when it comes to money. He called me at seven this morning while you were still sleeping. He apologized for not noticing what my mom was doing earlier. He said he’s already hired a forensic accountant to look into the funds my mom collected for the rehearsal dinner too."
I winced slightly. "I didn't know she took money for the rehearsal dinner too."
"Neither did I," Nathan said grimly. "Apparently, she told my dad’s entire side of the family that we were struggling to afford the food, so she passed the hat around to 'help us out.' She collected over twelve thousand dollars just for the dinner at the country club."
"Which I also paid for," I pointed out quietly.
"Which you also paid for," Nathan agreed. He leaned back against his chair, looking at me with a mixture of awe and gentle amusement. "A billion-dollar heiress... grading third-grade spelling tests in a sweater with a hole in the elbow."
"I like that sweater," I smiled, nudging his knee with mine. "And I love my job, Nathan. None of that money changes who I am. I grew up around people who defined their entire worth by their bank accounts, like my mother’s friends. That’s why I chose to live simple. That’s why I drive my Subaru."
"Speaking of the Subaru," Nathan grinned, "are we keeping it?"
"Are you kidding?" I laughed. "That car gets twenty-eight miles to the gallon and survives Oregon winters like a tank. I’m driving it until the engine falls out."
Our conversation was interrupted by the sharp buzz of Nathan’s phone resting on the glass table.
The screen lit up with his father’s name: Richard Hayes.
Nathan looked at the screen, his smile fading into a solemn expression. He answered, pressing the speakerphone button so I could hear.
"Dad?"
"Nathan," Richard’s voice sounded tired, drained, and aged by ten years. "Are you two okay?"
"We’re fine, Dad. We’re at the beach."
"Good. Good... look, I’m calling to apologize. To both of you. Especially to Elaine." Richard paused, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I had no idea how far Diane had gone with the money, Nathan. I knew she was being difficult about the wedding arrangements, but I thought it was just typical mother-in-law control issues. I didn't know she was collecting checks from my brothers."
"Where is she now, Dad?" Nathan asked quietly.
"She’s upstairs in the bedroom," Richard said with a heavy sigh. "She hasn't stopped crying since we got home last night. Her sister called her an hour ago to tell her she’s not welcome at the family Sunday dinner anymore. The news of what happened at the ballroom has already spread through the entire country club circuit. People are calling her a fraud."
"She did it to herself, Dad," Nathan said firmly. "She tried to publicly destroy Elaine’s dignity. She just didn't realize Elaine had the means to defend herself."
"I know," Richard replied. "I’m legally separating our accounts on Monday, Nathan. I can't be tied to her financial mess if Greg files charges. But... Diane wants to know if Elaine will speak to her. She wants to apologize."
Nathan looked at me, raising his eyebrows in a silent question.
May you like
I took a sip of my coffee, looking out at the foggy ocean.
"Tell her," I said calmly into the phone, "that I’m on my honeymoon. If she wants to apologize, she can do it in writing... through Lawrence Bennett."
