Chapter 2

Jason's face flickered with discomfort. Then his expression shifted, turning defensive.

"Must you always sound so bitter?" he retorted. "It wasn't a date. I'm just helping her get better. Her depression has been brutal lately, and I only took her out to clear her head.

"We only hid it from you because we knew you'd blow it out of proportion."

I almost laughed at the sheer absurdity of it. He'd been sneaking around with his ex behind my back, and somehow, I was the toxic one.

Jason let out a heavy sigh and reached out to pinch my cheek, the way he always did to pacify me.

"Come on, Ellie," he said. "You're the most understanding person I know. We're getting married soon. Once Susan is better, we'll go on dates every day, okay?"

I turned my head just enough to dodge his hand.

"Every day?" I walked past him toward the bathroom. "There is no 'after this' for us."

His frustrated voice followed me down the hall. "What kind of attitude is that? Can't you show a little compassion?"

I paused, but I didn't turn around. By the time I finished washing up and stepped into the bedroom, Jason was on the phone.

The sound of muffled sobbing bled through the speaker. "Jason... Please... The apartment is so dark. I can't sleep. I'm so scared..."

He shot to his feet, looking frantic. "Don't cry, Susan. I'm coming over right now. Just hold on."

He hung up and turned to me. "Susan is having a panic attack. I need to go check on her."

I gave a bitter smile. "Our wedding is in a month. Do you honestly think it's okay to go to another woman's place in the middle of the night?"

He grabbed his keys and headed for the door. "This is exactly why we hide things from you. You always twist everything."

The front door slammed shut. He didn't come home all night.

...

The next morning, after breakfast, I got a text from him.

[Don't forget the dress and makeup fitting today. I'll be waiting at the shop.]

When I walked into the bridal boutique, my wedding dress was slung carelessly over a chair. The neckline was smudged with a streak of liquid foundation.

My best friend, Tara Houser, was also there. They were crowded around Susan, giggling as the three of them reviewed photos on her phone.

The cozy scene felt like a physical slap in the face.

"Oh, Susan, that looks unbelievable on you," Tara gushed. "Seriously, you look way better than most actual brides."

Jason's voice was softer than I had heard it in years. "It really suits you."

The boutique consultant walked over to me, looking deeply apologetic. "I'm so sorry, Miss Brooks. We tried to stop them, but Mr. Hart insisted on letting Miss Jennings try on your dress."

I nodded without saying a word, feeling a lump in my throat. Across the room, Tara finally spotted me, and her smile froze.

She hurried over and pulled me aside. "Jason told me you found out about the group chat. But Susan is in a delicate place right now. She can't handle any stress, so we brought her along today just to cheer her up."

She looked at me with a mix of pity and frustration. "You've always been the strong one, Ellie. You have a perfect life, so you can't understand the agony of someone who is unraveling. Stop being so rigid. Just be the bigger person."

I didn't say a word. I just looked down at the faint scar in the webbing of my hand, between my thumb and index finger.

Years ago, when Tara's drunk father swung a broken whiskey bottle at her face, I had thrown myself in front of her. The cut took three stitches.

From that day on, I thought she was my ride-or-die. Yet here she stood, telling me that I had everything and couldn't understand another woman's pain.

From across the showroom, Jason called out, "Ellie, stop hiding. Come try the dress on."

I pulled my arm out of Tara's grip. "I'm not trying it on."

Jason frowned. "It's just a dress. Why are you making that face?"

"It's dirty," I said flatly.

Susan's lower lip immediately began to tremble, and tears flooded her eyes.

"Miss Brooks, this is all my fault," she sobbed. "I just wanted to try on a wedding dress and take a few pictures. I didn't know you'd hate it so much. I'm sorry."

Tara immediately stepped in front of her, glaring at me. "That's enough, Ellie. Susan already apologized. What else do you want?"

Jason looked at me with pure disappointment. "Ellie, can you be a decent person for once? She's sick. Why do you have to keep pushing her?"

I looked at them circling protectively around Susan and let out a cold laugh. "Fine, let's just call off the wedding."