But for Carrie, he immediately nodded. No hesitation.
As they walked away, she turned back and stuck out her tongue at me, a silent declaration: He’s mine now.
It was in that moment that I finally admitted it–not just Nick, but my mother, too, no longer belonged to me.
“Let’s welcome the bride’s sister to the stage to offer her blessing to the newlyweds!”
The emcee’s enthusiastic voice pulled me from my thoughts.
All eyes turned to me, waiting.
I looked at Carrie and Josh.
No one had told me this was part of the wedding ceremony.
Before I could react, Carrie smiled sweetly and said, “Grace, I know you love Josh, but he has always loved me. I can give you anything, but not him. Please… don’t take him from me.”
Her words were laced with meaning, and everyone in the audience understood.
+15 Bonus
Chapter 6
Whispers erupted among the guests. Someone called me a homewrecker.
And yet, my mother, Nick–no one stepped forward to defend me.
Even the man I had loved for seven years stood motionless and indifferent.
A sharp pain stabbed through my right side, so intense I nearly collapsed. My fingers clutched my stomach as I curled slightly forward, biting my lip to endure it.
Then my mother appeared beside me, grabbing my arm. She ignored the way I winced and forcibly dragged me to the stage, shoving a piece of paper into my hand.
“Just read this,” she said.
“Mom, I don’t feel well,” I whispered, struggling to stand upright.
Her face darkened. “Grace, are you doing this on purpose? It’s your sister’s wedding. You have to finish your speech.”
My vision blurred as my throat tightened.
If I told her I was dying, would she stop forcing me to do this?
…No. Even if I did, she wouldn’t believe me.
So I swallowed the pain and forced the words out, one by one, until the speech was done.
The wedding finally ended. The guests had left. The air had quieted.
Carrie walked up to me, her arm looped around Josh’s, eyes glistening with a practiced vulnerability.
“Grace,” she murmured, “can’t you just let me have Josh? I can’t live without him.”
I turned to Josh. His gaze wavered. Then he spoke.
“Grace, once Carrie recovers, we’ll go get our marriage certificate. After that, we’ll have a wedding of our own. I promise.”
