Chapter 3

That afternoon, I drove to the wedding venue myself. The rehearsal was at a private chapel near the Moretti estate.

I walked in. The first person I saw was not the planner or the florist. It was Nina. She was wearing a white satin gown. My gown. The one I had spent a month choosing and having tailored. She stood beside Henry. The planner was teaching them the processional. Henry's hand rested lightly on her waist. The two of them stood in the center of the chapel like the real bride and groom.

I stood at the entrance. No one noticed me. Until the planner looked up, her expression turning awkward. "Miss Bellandi, you are here."

Nina turned around and smiled. "Perfect timing. I am running through the process for you. You did not reply to messages this afternoon, so the planner was worried about delays. I went ahead and rehearsed for you. We are about the same size anyway."

"Why are you wearing my dress?" I asked.

Nina looked down at it, still casual. "We are about the same size. I thought I would test the look."

Henry did not let go of her. He just said, "It is only a rehearsal. Do not overthink it."

My mother stood nearby, her voice gentle. "Let Nina go through it for you. She is more used to these events. It will save you from making mistakes when you are nervous."

I looked at my mother. Then I looked at Henry's hand still resting on Nina's waist.

"I am here now," I said.

The chapel went quiet for a moment. No one told Nina to step down. The planner handed me the run sheet. I opened it. Three things had been changed. The processional music had been swapped for jazz. The vows I had written had been deleted and replaced with generic phrasing. Nina's name was listed before mine.

"Who changed these?" I asked.

Nina's voice was soft. "I did, your original music was too formal. Tomorrow, most of the guests will be from the Moretti family, along with the elders. I thought a more relaxed atmosphere would be better."

My mother nodded. "Nina has a point. You are not used to these events. She understands them better."

Henry flipped through the run sheet. "The changes are fine. We will follow this tomorrow."

"You did not ask me," I said, looking at him.

"Nina was trying to help," he said. "These things are not your strength."

"Change the music back," I said. "Use my vows. Nina does not walk before me."

The chapel fell silent. Nina's eyes reddened. "I only wanted to help—"

"I know," I said. "I just do not want you to marry for me."

Nina's face paled. My mother walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. She sighed. "Jocelyn, Nina meant well. She is fragile, and she has been running around for you. Why make her feel this bad?"

My father spoke up, not harshly, but clearly. "She is not strong. Can you not be more considerate?"

Henry stepped closer and lowered his voice. "This is a rehearsal. The Morettis are watching. Whatever you need to say, say it after."

"Taking back my own wedding is making you uncomfortable?"

Henry did not answer. He only said, "Let us finish the run-through."

Then Nina stepped back, as if startled by the tension. She bumped into a floral stand. It wobbled. I reached to steady her, but she twisted and pulled me off balance. The stand came down on me. The metal frame slammed into my ribs. Pain shot through my side, so sharp I could not breathe. I hit the floor hard.

Nina stumbled and fell beside me, her palm scraped against the carpet. A thin line of blood welled up on her skin.

Everyone rushed to Nina.

Henry knelt beside her, checking her hand. "You are bleeding." My mother grabbed her wrist. "Does it hurt anywhere else?" My father called for a doctor. The guards moved in to clear the area.

No one looked at me. I tried to push myself up, but the pain in my ribs was too much. My breath came in short, shallow gasps.

Then Henry looked over. He saw me on the ground, my face pale, my arms shaking from the effort of trying to stand. Something flickered in his eyes. Concern. For just a second.

"Jocelyn—" he started.

But Nina curled closer to him, her voice trembling. "Henry, it hurts. She pulled me. I did not mean to fall."

Henry's gaze shifted back to her. He lifted her gently, checking her scraped palm again.

My mother sighed. "Nina has been running around for this wedding all week. She is exhausted, and now she is hurt." She glanced at me, her voice tight. "Jocelyn, she only tried to help. Why do you always make things so difficult?"

My father added, "She is fragile. Can you not show a little consideration?"

I forced myself to my feet. My ribs screamed with every movement. No one noticed.

Henry picked Nina up in his arms. "I am taking her to the hospital," he said. Then he looked at me, his voice softer for a moment. "You should go back to the house and rest. We will talk later."

My mother followed him out. My father was already on the phone, calling the family doctor.

The chapel emptied. The lights stayed on. I stood there alone, one hand pressed to my ribs, breathing through the pain. I looked down at the run sheet in my other hand, now spotted with blood.

For years, I had been taught to give way. Give way to Nina. Give way to my parents’ disappointment. Give way to Henry’s idea of what a Donna should be.

Not anymore.

This time, I did not look back.

I did not want the wedding. I did not want the Moretti name. I did not want a family that only remembered I existed when they needed someone to blame.

And I did not want Henry Moretti anymore.