Inside were printed screenshots of messages between me and Vanessa, including conversations about my father’s illness, my fears about marriage, and the difficulties I had faced during the previous year.
Some were genuine.
Others had been edited.
At the bottom of the folder was a handwritten list of dates and instructions.
October 3: Restaurant photograph.
October 18: Tell Ethan she’s unsure.
November 2: Screenshots.
Wedding eve: Dress and rings.
Wedding day: Letter, email, final reveal.
The last line had been crossed out and replaced with another sentence.
If she still marries him, show everyone Daniel.
I stared at the page.
The plan had been developed over months, not hours.
Vanessa hadn’t simply lost control of her emotions. She had deliberately created a sequence of events designed to make me look dishonest and unstable.
And someone had helped her.
The hotel manager photographed the folder and placed it in a secure evidence bag. We provided copies of the material to the appropriate authorities and returned to the estate.
