Ten days later, Veronica finally received the wedding dress she ordered online from a boutique shop. She unboxed it carefully, her eyes widening as she pulled out the gorgeous purple gown. It was elegant, royal, and fitting for the Lodge legacy. She admired it for a few moments, talking to herself, "This dress looks beautiful, just like I imagined. It's perfect."

She placed the dress back in its box and began getting ready for her bachelorette party. As she was pampering herself, a knock sounded at the apartment door. Veronica opened it to reveal her bridesmaids: Betty Cooper, Tabitha Tate, Olivia Baker, Emily Cooper, and Mindy Chen. They all greeted her with excited smiles and hugs.

Betty looked around, "Is Cheryl coming tonight?"

Veronica shook her head. "Cheryl's not a bridesmaid, just a wedding guest. She didn't want to be a bridesmaid, and that's okay."

Betty raised an eyebrow but then shrugged it off. "Okay, if you're sure."

Emily spoke up, "I really hope Hiram and Hermione don't try to ruin your wedding."

Veronica sighed. "I hope so too. But tonight, let's just have fun."

Veronica turned to her bridesmaids, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "For my bachelorette party, we're driving to New York City to party at PUMPS strip club in Brooklyn."

Olivia's eyes lit up. "Are there going to be male strippers?"

Veronica laughed. "Yes, there are. Let's get ready!"

The girls cheered and began getting ready for the night. They piled into a car and drove to New York City. When they arrived at PUMPS, they were greeted by the male strippers who showcased their dance moves for the bride-to-be. The girls screamed and cheered, thoroughly enjoying the show.

Amidst the fun, Veronica found herself needing a drink. She went to the bar and ordered a cocktail. One cocktail turned into two, and before she knew it, she was on her sixth cocktail. She brought it back to the table where her friends were sitting.

Mindy raised a concerned eyebrow. "Veronica, are you sure you should be drinking so much?"

Veronica waved her off. "It's my bachelorette party! I'm supposed to have fun."

She drank her sixth cocktail and soon ordered a seventh, then an eighth, and a ninth. By the time she was on her tenth cocktail, she was heavily intoxicated. Veronica stumbled, and as she tried to sit down, she slipped and landed hard on her butt, looking like a mess.

Olivia rushed to her side, helping her up. "Veronica, how many drinks have you had? Why are you drinking so much?"

Veronica, completely out of character, screamed at Olivia. "It's my party! I can drink as much as I want! And why are you all here? Why is Archie here?"

At that moment, Archie and his groomsmen—Jughead Jones, Reggie Mantle, Kevin Keller, John B. Routledge, and Spencer James—entered the strip club. Veronica knew the groomsmen shouldn't be at the bachelorette party, and seeing Archie broke her remaining restraint.

Instead of confronting Archie, Veronica grabbed another cocktail. By the time she was on her twelfth drink, she was too drunk to stand. Olivia and Emily tried to intervene, but Veronica screamed at them, spilling out her frustrations.

Betty stepped in, her tone firm. "Veronica, you need to stop. This isn't you."

Veronica, her eyes wild and glassy, shouted back. "You don't understand! Everything is falling apart! My parents, this wedding, everything!"

Archie, hearing the commotion, rushed over. "Veronica, what's going on?"

Veronica looked at him, tears streaming down her face. "Archie, I'm scared. I'm scared of everything falling apart."

Archie wrapped his arms around her. "It's going to be okay, Veronica. We're in this together. We'll make it through this."

The bridesmaids and groomsmen watched the scene unfold, their initial excitement dampened by concern for their friends. The night had taken a turn, but as they helped Veronica back to the car, they all knew that despite the chaos, they had each other's backs.

As they drove back home, the friends sat in silence, the weight of the evening's events hanging heavy. Veronica leaned against Archie, her head resting on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Archie. I didn't mean to ruin the night."

Archie kissed the top of her head. "It's okay, Veronica. We'll get through this, one step at a time."

Veronica nodded, feeling a flicker of hope. Despite the ups and downs, she knew that with Archie by her side, they could face anything together.