3- The Bombshell

We reached home with awkward tension filling the car. Mom and Roni awkwardly sat in their seats, hoping the distance would suddenly shrink. I was not even gobsmacked by what my father had said. I was never his favourite child to begin with. I did not even flinch at what he said compared to my mother, who reached out to him and held his thigh while Roni gasped. 

Once we reached home, I quickly climbed out of the car and headed straight for my bedroom. I ripped myself out of the wedding dress, kicked off my high heels, pulled out the uncomfortable and sharp pins in my hair and grabbed a wet cloth and wiped away the makeup on my face roughly. 

“Knock, knock” Roni knocked on the door and then twisted the handle. 

She had already jumped out of the bridesmaid dress and high heels too, but she still had her hair all tied up and makeup on. 

“Tori, I am really sorry.” she sighed as she walked up to me.

I just kept quiet. I was not crying or upset or anything. I was just quiet. 

“I am really, really sorry that Dad said all of those things. I do not think he really meant it. He was just in a state of emotions. He just had a lot to deal with. He is probably shocked and miserable, too.” She added on

“So that justifies what? Him to say mean things to me when I was the one already left at the alter?” I asked bitterly 

“No, maybe he was trying to say it another way, and then it came out like that.” She explained 

“Roni, I know you don’t want him to look like the bad person in this whole situation, but too late. He said some really hurtful things that could not be taken back.” I answered, still in a bitter tone. 

She was quiet. It was as if she was thinking of what to say next. Something that would probably and supposedly soothe me. 

“Anyway, the damage is done, and at least I know he is not the fake one here. At least he is not pretending to be sad and surprised when he is actually disappointed about it.” I sighed “Now, just get out of my bedroom. I just want to be alone and be all miserable.” 

“Tori, you really shouldn’t be alone after something like this.” she sighed. 

“Roni, don’t act like it is the worst thing ever. Sure, I was abandoned at my own wedding, and my father claims that I am a difficult thing. That sucks, but this is not the worst thing that can happen to a person. I won’t be the first, nor the last, person to be left at the altar and supposedly disappoint my parents. So, right now, I do not need the whole fake comforting thing. I just need to be alone as I think about everything that has just happened and be depressed about it.” 

I looked at my older sister right in her eyes. Guilt, embarrassment, sadness and confusion. All of those emotions were written on her face. She pretended to be the one who was hurt by the whole situation when I was the one left behind, and she embarrassed my own father. 

“I will be here if you need me,” she said softly as she took a few steps back. 

She walked up to the disfigured chair in my bedroom and sat on it with her arms folded.

“Jesus, Roni. Do you not like to listen to people?” I asked angrily 

“I am not leaving you alone. Even if that’s what you want right now, I will not leave you.” she pouted 

“Oh, is it because my future husband has already left me?” 

She kept quiet. Guilt was definitely consuming her from the inside. She decided the best cure for her guilty heart was to pretend to sit in the same room as me. 

As she sat in my bedroom with her arms folded and mouth pouted, we heard my mother and father pass in the corridor arguing over something. Their voices echoed through the whole house. 

I slowly inched towards the door, causing Roni to bolt up. 

“M-m… I am not letting you go out there!” she blocked my bedroom door. 

“I am going!” I yelled at her 

“Tori, I am bigger than you. I can tackle you down. You’re not going out there to hear whatever Mom and Dad are discussing. It will make everything worse. You will probably hear things that you were not meant to hear, and it will make everything worse. Besides, you should give them their privacy.” she responded. 

I slowly backed away from the door, and she did the same. She returned to her seat and sat down while I went to the window. I looked out the window and saw cars pulling up to our yard. Most of them had come straight from the church to probably ‘check in on me’. More and more cars filled the street as they parked outside, but people had not yet come out of their cars. 

Then, I heard the house phone ringing. No one else had gone to answer it. I turned around and found Roni slowly dozing off on the very uncomfortable-looking chair. 

“Roni?” I whispered as I tried to wake her up. But she didn’t move one bit. 

I looked back at the cars lined up on the street and noticed no one had come out yet. 

“Roni?” I spoke in a hushed tone again, afraid that my voice would carry through and alert the nosy people that we were home. 

Mom and Dad were still arguing in the next room, and I was still curious to hear whatever more my father had to say about the disappointment I was. I took that opportunity and rushed for the door of my bedroom, opened it and bolted out of the room. 

Roni must have blacked out because she did not follow after me to tell me that it was a bad idea. 

I reached my parents’ bedroom door and stood there as quietly as possible to eavesdrop. 

“I just knew something like this would happen.” My father groaned 

“Elijah… these things happen.” My mother sighed 

“Why are you defending her, Mary?” he questioned with anger clearly laced in his voice “Why do you keep saying that it’s not her fault and that she will find another one?” 

“Well, because it is no one’s fault. Chris was not ready. He is a young boy. Remember, he is younger than her, so he is slightly immature.” she reasoned with him. 

The house phone eventually stopped ringing. I panicked because I was not sure if my parents would notice the silence and go and come out of their bedroom. 

“Well, she should have been married ages ago.” He hissed 

“Eli… It will be okay.” 

“NO! NO! It won’t be okay! The company has just fired me, so we are going to be very broke and to make matters worse, you’re sick again, and you don’t have much time!” he yelled. 

I did not expect to hear that.