My chest felt tight with anger.

"If you won't take it down, then we're calling the police."

The makeup artist just laughed, folding her arms as if she'd heard a joke.

"Call them if you want."

I didn't waste another word on her. I dialed the police right there.

A little over ten minutes later, two officers arrived at the shop.

The moment she saw them, the artist who'd been so smug a second ago went pale.

She hurried over to greet them, her face all smiles.

"Officers, this is all just a misunderstanding."

"It isn't easy running a little business like this. We just got a bit loud while we were talking things through."

"I've already deleted the post."

And with that, she held out her phone to them.

I looked down. Sure enough, the post that had racked up over ten thousand likes was gone without a trace.

Once the officers understood what had happened, one of them spoke patiently:

"If there's a dispute over pricing, you can file a complaint with the consumer rights bureau, or settle it through civil channels."

"Posting things online tends to cause trouble. Don't handle problems this way again."

The artist nodded so fast her head practically bobbed.

"Yes, yes, of course, the officer's right, I'll be careful from now on."

The very picture of an honest little shopkeeper.

With the post already deleted and no more conflict, there was nothing more for the officers to do. They said a few reassuring words to me and Connor, then left.

The door had barely shut before the smile dropped off her face.

She folded her arms and settled back into her chair, her mouth twisting into a sneer.

"That little trick of yours, you think it did anything?"

"Save your energy, I'm telling you. What can you actually do to me?"

I looked at her coldly.

"I'll keep filing complaints."

"The consumer rights bureau, the consumer protection agency. One after another, I'll report you to every single one."

Instead of showing the slightest worry, she only laughed harder.

"I've been in this business over ten years. I've been reported dozens of times, maybe more than a hundred."

"If this shop can't stay open, I just change the name, change the sign, and open right back up."

She waved a hand, unbothered.

"Your little complaints? They don't mean a thing to me."

"If there's nothing else, get lost. My next client's about to show up, and I don't have time for you two."

I stood there, something heavy sitting in my chest.

Today was supposed to be the happiest day for me and Connor, and she'd turned all of it into a mess.

She'd used our exposure to rake in attention and customers.

And Connor and I had somehow become the freeloaders the whole internet wanted to spit on. We didn't even dare post about getting our license.

Just then, something seemed to occur to her, and her eyes darted around.

"Oh, right. Didn't you two also book a couples photo shoot?"

I froze. "How do you know that?"

Watching my reaction, her smile turned even smugger.

"The phone number you ordered with placed an order at the photo studio next door too."

"Forgot to mention."

"That studio? My daughter runs it."

My stomach dropped. I opened my phone at once.

Sure enough, the couples photo shoot I'd booked for $666 had, at some point, been changed into an $8,888 wedding-gown package.

I forced down my anger and held the phone up in front of her.

"We booked a couples photo shoot."

"What gives you the right to change it into a wedding-gown package without asking?"

The artist rolled her eyes.

"Once you've got the license, you're husband and wife. There's no such thing as a couples shoot anymore, it's all wedding photos."

She looked me and Connor up and down, contempt all over her face.

"I'm doing this for your own good. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and you insist on making it so cheap."

"People find out, they'll think your husband couldn't even spring for a set of wedding photos."

"The two of you want a bargain on everything. Bottom line, you're just broke."

"Broke and desperate to look respectable. You two don't even have the decency to be embarrassed."

I pulled up the order right then.

"Fine."

"Then I'll cancel it."

"You won't earn a single cent off us. That works, doesn't it?"

But the artist wasn't the least bit rattled.

"Go ahead and cancel."

"My family's been in the wedding industry over ten years."

"Photography, makeup, wedding planning. We know plenty of people."

She looked at me, slow and deliberate, spelling it out word by word:

"If you don't shoot at my daughter's studio today,"

"I promise you, not one wedding company will ever dare take your business again."

Connor and I traded a look, and we both saw the same thing in each other's eyes: there was nothing left to say.

In all our years, neither of us had ever met anyone this shameless.

All we'd wanted was to get our marriage license, take a set of couples photos while we were at it, and post them online to mark the day.

We hadn't expected that, by her logic, anything even remotely wedding-related meant the price doubled.

Connor gave my sleeve a light tug.

"Forget it, honey."

"Reasoning with someone like her is a waste of breath."

"I've got a friend who runs a photography studio. It's a little farther out, but he's really good."

"He'll get you looking gorgeous today, I promise."

Then he turned to the artist.

"You'd do better to have a little decency."

"Money made by cheating people always comes back to bite you, twice over."

The artist gave a scornful curl of her lip.

"I've seen plenty of broke nobodies like you two."

"Big talk today. Give it a couple of days and you'll come crawling back."

"And by then, it won't be this price anymore."

I couldn't be bothered to look at her again. I canceled the photo order on the spot and took Connor's hand to leave.

But the moment we reached the door, the artist's smug voice rose behind us as she got on the phone.

"Hey, sweetie."

"Moving the shop right by the marriage license office really was the right call."

She wasn't hiding a thing. She spoke loud enough for the whole shop to hear.

"Five people came in today for an everyday look, and after I did a little fishing, every one of them admitted they were going to get their license."

"Except for those two broke ones just now, the other four all coughed up the extra for the license look."

Her laugh was thick with self-satisfaction.

"Those two wouldn't pay, so I just tossed them up online. Brought in another wave of traffic for the shop."

"And look, this afternoon's already almost fully booked."

Whatever the other end said, the artist burst out laughing.

"Right, right, right."

"This Saturday's a big rush for licenses, isn't it?"

"We'll drop the everyday look to eighty-eight on purpose."

"And you drop your couples photos to three eighty-eight."

"That way we lure in more people, then charge them the license package."

"These kids only get married once in their lives. When the time comes, they'll have no choice but to pay up."

My steps stopped short, and Connor's face darkened too.

He said in a low voice,

"Looks like this whole family are repeat offenders."

"Preying on people getting their license."

I turned back slowly and looked at the big words pasted on the shop door, "Quality First, Customers Come First." I couldn't help but smile. "She messed with the wrong person. She just hit a brick wall."

Connor blinked. "Honey, what are you thinking?"

I gave my phone a little shake.

"She likes making money off couples, doesn't she?"

"Then I'll send her a big batch of business."

With that, I opened the wedding-planning group chat, all eight thousand members of it, and my fingers flew across the screen.

【Ladies, found a hidden gem right next to the marriage license office!】

【During their promo, an everyday look is only $88, and couples photos are only $388.】

【Just don't tell the owner it's for a license or a wedding, and you get the super-low price. The promo starts in three days, so if you want in, book fast!】

The moment I sent it, the group chat exploded.

【Girl, drop the address!】

【$388 photos? My partner and I were just about to book!】

In under a minute, the messages had already scrolled past a hundred.

I watched the chat lighting up, message after message, and slowly the corner of my mouth curved up.

I'd barely dropped the makeup and photo studio's contact info into the group when someone popped up.

*Ladies, I've seen this cheap-deal trick before.*

*If we show up and she figures out we're just there for the marriage-license shots, won't she jack up the price on the spot again?*

The message had barely landed before someone replied.

*Don't worry, everyone, I studied law.*

*If she really tries pulling this on so many people, just save everything: the chat logs, the payment records, the on-site video.*

*Repeated pressure to spend, last-minute price hikes. As long as we've got enough evidence, we file complaints together.*

*The more people she scams, the bigger it gets. We win this one, guaranteed.*

Right away, more replies came in:

*Then I'm in.*

*A deal this cheap, I'm bringing my girls along to cash in too!*

I looked at the messages, gave a small smile, and quietly closed the chat.

Not long after, the artist's new post showed up in my feed.

*Thank you, ladies, for all the support!*

*The $88 special is three days out, and we're already fully booked!*

*Restocking overnight, just brought in a whole batch of high-end international cosmetics, and upgraded the photography equipment too.*

*Come on in, we won't let you down!*

Below it was a screenshot of a bank transfer.

With a caption: You can't get a return if you're not willing to invest.

I stared at the screen, the corner of my mouth lifting a little.

I hoped she'd still be smiling in a few days.

Over the next few days, I stayed busy getting the wedding ready.

But every time I passed near the marriage license office, the artist and her family were in a frenzy.

Either hauling equipment into the shop or tearing open deliveries.

Later I heard the neighboring vendors talking. To handle the weekend rush, she'd not only taken out a huge loan to buy equipment, she'd hired several extra makeup artists and photographers on short notice, all so she could rake it in over the weekend.

I just smiled faintly.

She didn't know yet: the more she put in now, the worse she'd lose later.

Three days later, my wedding to Connor went ahead as planned.

But the car was only halfway there when it suddenly stopped.

The driver frowned and looked back. "Miss Fox, the road's blocked up ahead."

I followed his gaze out the window. A truck sat across the road, and the artist was there with her daughter, directing workers hauling boxes of cosmetics and photography gear, jamming the road solid.

The moment she spotted us, she threw back her head and laughed.

"Well, if it isn't the deadbeat bride."

She pitched her voice loud on purpose, and heads turned our way.

"I figured you two went home for instant noodles the second you got your license."

"What, you can actually afford to throw a banquet?"

"Word of advice to everyone here, take a good sniff when they come around for toasts."

"Wouldn't want a bellyful of watered-down liquor and still be expected to chip in a gift envelope."

The more she talked, the more she was enjoying herself.

A few onlookers who had no idea what was going on couldn't help throwing me odd looks.

Almost at the same moment, my phone rang.

My sister's voice was so panicked she was nearly in tears.

"Sis, come quick!"

"Someone just called the hotel saying you two skip out on your bills all over town, and the whole wedding scene knows it!"

"Now the hotel's insisting we settle the full balance first, or they won't let any of our family in."

"Mom and Dad, and the relatives, everyone's stuck at the door!"

I held the phone and slowly lifted my head.

Seeing me look over, the artist jutted her chin at me on purpose, the smugness on her face impossible to hide.

I had a pretty good idea now.

I reassured my sister. "Don't worry, I'm on my way."

"As for who's spreading this, I'll deal with all of it once I get there."

After I hung up, the artist deliberately took her time directing the workers.

Only after the last box of equipment was carried in did she give a lazy wave.

The wedding car finally began to move.

Outside the window, the artist was still cackling at the top of her lungs.

"Two broke nobodies, and they want to take me on?"

"After today, I'm going to be rolling in it!"

I leaned against the window and glanced in the side mirror.

A big crowd of young couples was streaming toward her and her daughter's shop, quick on their feet.

The artist was grinning so wide her mouth wouldn't close. She turned to her daughter, face flushed red with excitement.

"Once we finish this one job, the two of us are going to be rich!"

Connor and I looked at each other and smiled.

I hoped they'd like the big gift I'd sent their way.