Chapter 2: The Question She Asked Before Destroying Me
The boutique owner’s representative, Olivia, arrived carrying the garment bag that was supposed to hold my dress after the ceremony.
Instead, she found a disaster.
She stopped at the doorway.
Her eyes moved over the black stains covering the gown.
Then they landed on Chloe.
“I recognize you,” Olivia said.
Chloe immediately looked defensive.
“From where?””
Olivia didn’t answer.
She walked toward me instead.
“I’m Olivia. I work with the boutique that provided this gown.””
“I’m sorry,” I said, even though I didn’t know why I was apologizing.
Olivia’s expression softened.
“Don’t apologize. You didn’t do this.””
Chloe scoffed.
“Are we seriously making this a huge thing?””
Everyone looked at her.
Even my mother.
Especially my mother.
“Chloe,” Mom said quietly, “you poured ink on her wedding dress.””
Chloe lifted her chin.
“It was a prank.””
“A prank?”” I repeated.
My voice sounded strange.
Cold.
“When did ruining someone’s wedding become a prank?””
She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Olivia unlocked her phone.
“I need you to see this.””
She handed it to me.
There was an email thread.
The sender was Chloe.
My fingers went numb as I read the message.
It had been sent the day before.
The subject line said:
“Question About Damaged Gown Responsibility.””
The email was short.
Olivia, I have a question. If something happened to the gown before the wedding, would the bride be responsible for the full replacement cost?
I looked up.
“She contacted you?””
Olivia nodded.
“Yesterday afternoon.””
Chloe’s face changed.
“She was just asking a question.””
Sarah stepped closer.
“She asked because she was planning this.””
“No,” Chloe said quickly.
Too quickly.
I stared at my sister.
“Why would you even think about that?””
She looked away.
For years, I had tried to understand Chloe.
I told myself she was insecure.
I told myself she felt forgotten.
I told myself she didn’t mean the cruel things she said.
But standing there, covered in ink on my wedding day, I wondered if I had been making excuses for someone who never wanted to see me happy.
“You were going to let me pay thirty thousand dollars?”” I asked.
Chloe swallowed.
“I didn’t know it was that much.””
“But you asked.””
Silence.
That was the answer.
She had asked.
She had checked.
She had wanted to know exactly how much damage she could cause.
My mother sat down slowly.
“I don’t understand you.””
Chloe looked at her.
“What?””
“You spent years complaining that nobody cared about you. And today, when your sister is getting married, you decide to hurt her?””
Chloe’s eyes filled with anger.
“She always gets everything!””
I stared at her.
“What did I get?””
She laughed bitterly.
“The attention.””
The room went quiet.
“You think I wanted attention?”” I asked.
“Yes.””
I looked down at my ruined dress.
At the hours of work.
The memories attached to it.
The moment I was supposed to walk toward Ethan.
“You think this is attention?””
Chloe didn’t answer.
Sarah stepped forward.
“The ceremony starts in less than ten minutes.””
My heart sank.
“I can’t go out like this.””
Olivia looked at the dress.
“No.””
I expected her to say it was impossible.
Instead, she said:
“Wait.””
She pulled out her phone and made a call.
“Bring the emergency kit.””
Chloe frowned.
“What emergency kit?””
Olivia looked at her.
“The one we keep for accidents.””
Then she turned to me.
“We might be able to save it enough for the ceremony.””
Hope appeared for the first time.
Small.
Fragile.
But it was there.
While Olivia and Sarah worked, my mother stood beside me.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
I looked at her.
“For what?””
“For not seeing this sooner.””
I didn’t know what to say.
Because I didn’t know if I had seen it either.
A few minutes later, Ethan called.
I stared at my phone.
I couldn’t tell him.
Not yet.
If I heard his voice, I knew I would break.
Sarah picked up the phone.
“She’s getting ready,” she said.
I watched Chloe standing near the door.
She wasn’t crying.
She wasn’t apologizing.
She was texting someone.
Then her phone rang.
She answered quietly.
“I know. I know. But I need you to help me.””
My eyes narrowed.
Help her?
After everything?
She looked toward me.
May you like
And when she spoke again, I heard the fear in her voice.
“They found out about the email.””
