Chapter 4

Two days later, I went to the hotel.

The venue had already been transformed into a lavish, romantic setting for the wedding. Only the flowers were missing.

The planner, Theo Mercer, told me, "Mr. Orsini gave very specific instructions. The brightest violets will arrive on the first flight on your wedding day, enough to fill the entire venue."

I stayed silent for a few seconds, then looked down at the menu.

Butter-seared fish. Mango tarts. Plum martinis.

"Did he pick these out too?"

"Yes. Mr. Orsini has put a lot of thought into your wedding. He even came in last Friday to sample the menu himself." Theo was still smiling. "Ms. Bellucci, you're very lucky."

Was I?

I didn't say anything.

He remembered that I loved violets, but he had forgotten that I didn't eat fish, was allergic to mangoes, and didn't like martinis. Zelinda was the one who liked all three.

He'd put a lot of care into it, all right. Just not for me.

I stepped onto the main stage and looked out over the ballroom. Countless times, I'd dreamed of standing here with Kane, watching him choose me without hesitation as everyone gave us their blessing.

Even as he grew closer to her, I couldn't bring myself to give up.

But standing here now, I knew I had no reason to hold on anymore.

"Replace the violets. Keep everything else the way it is."

Theo was surprised. "What would you like instead?"

I said calmly, "Yellow roses."

Yellow roses were Zelinda's favorite. They would match the rest of the wedding. That was only fitting.

I took off my ring and handed it to Theo. "One last thing. If he comes, please give this to him."

He misunderstood. "You'd like the hotel to hold on to it for you for now? Don't worry."

I didn't correct him. I wasn't asking him to hold it. I was giving it back.

On the way home, I saw Zelinda's new post on Twitter.

In the photos, Zelinda smiled brightly on the beach in my wedding dress while Kane stood beside her in a suit. They looked like happy newlyweds.

His arm was around her waist as he gazed at her with tender, undivided attention.

He used to look at me like that.

I thought nothing could hurt me anymore, but a sharp, prickling ache spread through my chest.

My eyes burned, but I liked the post anyway.

The second I got home, my mother slapped me across the face. "What's that supposed to mean? You're trying to upset your sister on purpose, aren't you?"

My ears rang, but my mind was perfectly clear. Zelinda must have told my mother that I'd liked the post.

I didn't know exactly what she'd said, but I knew it always ended this way.

It didn't matter what I had or hadn't done. If any of it upset Zelinda even slightly, she'd run crying to our parents.

They never asked questions or tried to find out what had really happened. They simply decided I'd done it on purpose.

They punished me and made me apologize, no matter how badly I was hurt or how many tears I shed.

I didn't understand it before. Later I realized they just didn't care.

So there was no reason for me to care anymore either.

I held my cheek and looked at my mother. "The pictures are beautiful, aren't they? Don't they deserve a like?"

For the first time, something I said left my mother speechless.

I didn't say anything else. I turned and went back to my room.

Kane called almost immediately.

I answered and spoke before he could. "What, you think I shouldn't have liked it either?"

"...What?"

Kane didn't seem to know Zelinda had already gone crying to my mother.

He brushed it off and asked, "Why would you do that? Do you know how guilty Zelinda feels now because of you?"

That almost made me laugh. "People only feel guilty when they've done something wrong. What did she do wrong?"

"Mirta!" Kane's voice dropped, edged with anger.

I cut straight to the point. "So she knows she shouldn't have worn my wedding dress."

This time Kane was really angry. I could hear him breathing hard.

"Are you done yet? All this over a dress? When did you get so petty? You never used to be like this!"

I leaned against the door and said quietly, "You never used to be like this either."

The Kane I used to know would never have left me behind or asked me to keep giving in.

The night before the company celebration three years ago, he told me he loved me and promised we'd get married.

I thought it would last forever. I had no idea forever could be so short.

"Kane," I asked him, "do you still love me?"

"Of course!" Kane didn't hesitate for a second.

If you love me, why don't you believe me? If you love me, why do you keep making me give in? If you love me, why did you break your promise?

I thought I'd press him for answers. Instead, after a moment's silence, I said calmly, "The dress looks good on her."

Kane finally seemed to sense something was wrong. "Mirta, don't..."

I didn't listen. I hung up.

Five minutes later, I got a text from him.

"Don't say things you don't mean. The dress is yours, and so am I.

"Be good and wait for me to come home. I'm going to give you a big, beautiful wedding."

He didn't know there wasn't going to be a wedding.

I put down my phone and started packing.

There wasn't much in my cramped attic room, so it didn't take long.

Then another text came in. "Your ticket's booked. See you early Saturday morning."

Saturday. The day of the wedding.

Just as well. That would be the day I said goodbye to everything.