The Last One at the Wedding

Jason Rekulak

53 pages 1-hour read

Jason Rekulak

The Last One at the Wedding

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Frank is a 52-year-old UPS driver who has spent his entire adult life working for the delivery company. He raised his daughter single-handedly after his wife, Colleen, passed away when their child was ten. Frank takes immense pride in his working-class background, his manual labor skills, and the financial stability his career provides. As he prepares to attend a lavish wedding at a private estate, he feels out of place and grows increasingly suspicious of his future son-in-law.

Key Relationships

Father of Maggie

Widower of Colleen

Brother of Tammy

Father-in-law-to-be of Aidan Gardner

Guest of Errol Gardner

Caretaker of Abigail

Friend of Vicky

Maggie is Frank's only child, a driven professional working for a highly profitable Cambridge startup called Capaciti. She lives in a Boston penthouse and projects a polished, successful image. Highly class-conscious, she is embarrassed by her working-class upbringing and eager to distance herself from her father's lifestyle as she prepares to marry into a family of extreme wealth.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Frank Szatowski

Fiancée of Aidan Gardner

Daughter of Colleen

Niece of Tammy

Employee of Errol Gardner

Aidan is an artist and part-time college instructor who paints portraits of everyday, working-class people. Despite his access to the Gardner family fortune, he appears nervous, introverted, and thoroughly disconnected from his wedding preparations. He drinks heavily during early family meetings and spends much of the weekend avoiding the guests.

Key Relationships

Fiancé of Maggie

Son-in-law-to-be of Frank Szatowski

Former Boyfriend of Dawn Taggart

Friend of Gwendolyn

Errol is the CEO of Capaciti, a highly successful technology company focused on battery development. He is a man of massive wealth and far-reaching influence, supporting numerous family members financially. He hosts the wedding at his private retreat, Osprey Cove, and projects an aura of absolute control and entitlement.

Key Relationships

Father of Aidan Gardner

Employer of Maggie

Friend and Client of Gerry Levinson

Employer of Hugo

Supporting Characters

Tammy is Frank's sister, a home healthcare worker who spends her life caring for others. She acts as a short-term emergency placement provider in the state foster care system. Pragmatic and observant, she lacks Frank's blind spots regarding family members and views situations with a realistic, grounded perspective.

Key Relationships

Sister of Frank Szatowski

Aunt of Maggie

Foster Mother of Abigail

Catherine is Aidan's mother and Errol's wife. Raised in an environment of extreme privilege involving cotillions and debutante balls, she now copes with the miseries of her marriage through heavy alcohol use. She spends the wedding weekend secluded in her lodge, claiming illness to avoid the festivities.

Key Relationships

Mother of Aidan Gardner

Acquaintance of Frank Szatowski

Gerry is the Gardner family's attorney and one of the top litigators in New England. He is a close associate of Errol who helps manage the family's private affairs and uses his legal authority to dismiss outside suspicions. He attends the wedding with his much younger wife.

Key Relationships

Attorney of Errol Gardner

Acquaintance of Frank Szatowski

Vicky is Frank's hairdresser and a trusted friend. She has endured the tragedy of losing a daughter to addiction, which gives her a nuanced understanding of parenting. She acts as a sounding board for Frank, offering him an objective perspective on his anxieties regarding Maggie.

Key Relationships

Friend of Frank Szatowski

Hugo is the caretaker and groundskeeper at the Gardners' summer camp property. He is a vigilant enforcer of the family's rules, utilizing technology like keyless Bluetooth locks to monitor the estate. He prevents guests from leaving freely and handles disturbances with unquestioning loyalty to his employers.

Key Relationships

Employee of Errol Gardner

Overseer of Frank Szatowski

Abigail is a young girl currently fostered by Tammy. She comes from a background of housing insecurity and brings a chaotic energy to the wedding trip, dealing with head lice and climbing trees. She is talkative and inquisitive, pressing the adults with constant questions about the wealth on display.

Key Relationships

Foster Daughter of Tammy

Dawn is a young elementary school teacher whose recent disappearance looms over the wedding. Her case was investigated by local police but quickly dismissed, leaving her working-class family desperate for answers regarding her connection to the Gardners.

Key Relationships

Niece of Brody Taggart

Former Girlfriend of Aidan Gardner

Brody is Dawn's uncle, a distressed local resident who refuses to let his niece's disappearance be forgotten. He aggressively questions anyone connected to the Gardner family and accuses area law enforcement of covering up the truth due to financial incentives.

Key Relationships

Uncle of Dawn Taggart

Informant to Frank Szatowski

Gwendolyn is a red-haired wedding guest and an old school friend of Aidan's. She is visibly uncomfortable at the opulent retreat and holds tense, secretive conversations with Aidan near his art studio.

Key Relationships

Friend of Aidan Gardner

Acquaintance of Frank Szatowski