Chapter 3 · Abandon Them After the Thanksgiving Prank

When the wedding coordinator slid the cancellation agreement across the table to me, my mom and Emily came hurrying in.

Emily was wearing my wedding dress.

That burgundy gown had been kept locked up at the bridal shop, and they'd taken in the waist by 0.8 inches to fit my measurements.

The zipper was only halfway up, held together at the back with two safety pins. She was wearing my bridal heels. The sound of her steps echoed loudly on the marble floor.

As soon as my mom walked in, she snatched the agreement away. "You think you can cancel a wedding on a whim? Jason already knows he messed up. He's still at home waiting for you."

I stared at the alteration seam at Emily's waist. "Who picked up the dress?"

Emily looked down and fiddled with the hem. "Mom used the pickup code from the bridal shop. Sis, I only tried it on for a bit. Don't call me out in front of everyone."

The wedding coordinator looked a little embarrassed when he saw the dress. "Ms. Turner, this gown is custom-made and isn't supposed to be handed over to anyone else.

"But the person who picked it up provided the order phone number and pickup code, so we let it go."

The order phone number was my mom's.

When we were planning the wedding, she said she had more experience, so she put her number down for the order and pickup info.

At the time, I thought she finally cared about something that mattered to me.

"Take off the dress," I said.

My mom stepped in front of Emily. "How is she supposed to strip down right here? Emily has her pride. Think about where we are."

"There's a changing room upstairs," I said.

"We're not done with the photos yet," Emily said, tugging on my mom's sleeve, her voice going soft. "The photographer's already at the house."

My mom patted her hand and then shot me an impatient look. "Each of you can wear it for once? What's the big deal? As her big sister, are you going to make Emily look bad in front of everyone?"

The wedding coordinator handed me another document.

He said, "One more thing to confirm. Last night, someone requested to change the projected content. They deleted the bride's and groom's childhood photos and swapped them for a family Thanksgiving album. The request came from the organizer's mom."

I flipped to the preview page.

The first photo was Emily grinning with a cake in her hand. The second showed her leaning on my mom's shoulder. The third was my mom, my dad, and Jason sitting out on the balcony.

The last shot was from the prank video at the unfinished building.

I was standing next to a concrete pillar in the dark, my face pale in the glow of my phone screen.

Under the photo, the caption read: [The family's scaredy-cat is being put to the challenge.]

My mom reached over to close the laptop. "Emily wanted to spice things up at the wedding. She wasn't planning to play the video."

"You agreed to this?" I asked.

She froze for a second and then went back to normal. "Emily likes it, so I let her mess around. You made it back safe, didn't you?"

The coordinator looked down and stayed quiet.

I turned the laptop back around, deleted the whole album, and signed the cancellation agreement.

The first deposit was non-refundable, but the final payment could be refunded. The cancellation fee was 9 thousand.

The coordinator circled the number and told me to take five minutes to think it over.

My mom snatched the pen. "9 thousand dollars isn't a lot? You worked so hard to save it. Why throw it away for nothing?"

"It's my money, and I'll take the loss," I said.

"Your money? After you get married, it'll be yours and Jason's anyway, won't it?" my mom said, trying to keep her cool. "The family has been taking care of everything for you for so long.

"Emily even canceled her Thanksgiving trip for your wedding. You can't only think about yourself."

Emily chimed in quietly, "All my friends know you're getting married. If you cancel now, they'll ask me why."

I glanced at her.

So whether my wedding went on or not, the most important thing was how she answered her friends.

Once the refund was done, the wedding coordinator asked for the venue access card back. That card had always hung from my red bunny keychain.

I unclipped the access card and handed it over at the front desk.

Emily's eyes lit up when she saw the keychain and reached for it. "This bunny would look perfect with my dress."

I pulled my hand back before she could grab it.

She came up empty, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

My mom's face clouded over. "Are you going to fight your sister over an old trinket? Emily only wants to borrow it for a quick photo."

"No way," I said.

For once, I didn't bother to give any explanation.

My mom glared at me for a few seconds and then whipped out her phone. "Alright, you think you're all grown up now? I'll call your dad and let him handle you."

Without looking back, I rolled my suitcase out the door.

When I reached the revolving door, Jason got out of a cab.

He blocked the exit, clutching the engagement ring in his hand. "You canceled the wedding?"

I tried to walk around him.

He grabbed my wrist. "Olivia, let's talk. Your mom promised Emily won't pull any more pranks on you. The wedding's still on, and I can act like nothing happened last night."

I pried his fingers off my wrist.

"But I can't pretend it never happened."

Chapter 3

When the wedding coordinator slid the cancellation agreement across the table to me, my mom and Emily came hurrying in.

Emily was wearing my wedding dress.

That burgundy gown had been kept locked up at the bridal shop, and they'd taken in the waist by 0.8 inches to fit my measurements.

The zipper was only halfway up, held together at the back with two safety pins. She was wearing my bridal heels. The sound of her steps echoed loudly on the marble floor.

As soon as my mom walked in, she snatched the agreement away. "You think you can cancel a wedding on a whim? Jason already knows he messed up. He's still at home waiting for you."

I stared at the alteration seam at Emily's waist. "Who picked up the dress?"

Emily looked down and fiddled with the hem. "Mom used the pickup code from the bridal shop. Sis, I only tried it on for a bit. Don't call me out in front of everyone."

The wedding coordinator looked a little embarrassed when he saw the dress. "Ms. Turner, this gown is custom-made and isn't supposed to be handed over to anyone else.

"But the person who picked it up provided the order phone number and pickup code, so we let it go."

The order phone number was my mom's.

When we were planning the wedding, she said she had more experience, so she put her number down for the order and pickup info.

At the time, I thought she finally cared about something that mattered to me.

"Take off the dress," I said.

My mom stepped in front of Emily. "How is she supposed to strip down right here? Emily has her pride. Think about where we are."

"There's a changing room upstairs," I said.

"We're not done with the photos yet," Emily said, tugging on my mom's sleeve, her voice going soft. "The photographer's already at the house."

My mom patted her hand and then shot me an impatient look. "Each of you can wear it for once? What's the big deal? As her big sister, are you going to make Emily look bad in front of everyone?"

The wedding coordinator handed me another document.

I flipped to the preview page.

The first photo was Emily grinning with a cake in her hand. The second showed her leaning on my mom's shoulder. The third was my mom, my dad, and Jason sitting out on the balcony.

The last shot was from the prank video at the unfinished building.

I was standing next to a concrete pillar in the dark, my face pale in the glow of my phone screen.

Under the photo, the caption read: [The family's scaredy-cat is being put to the challenge.]

My mom reached over to close the laptop. "Emily wanted to spice things up at the wedding. She wasn't planning to play the video."

"You agreed to this?" I asked.

She froze for a second and then went back to normal. "Emily likes it, so I let her mess around. You made it back safe, didn't you?"

The coordinator looked down and stayed quiet.

I turned the laptop back around, deleted the whole album, and signed the cancellation agreement.

The first deposit was non-refundable, but the final payment could be refunded. The cancellation fee was 9 thousand.

The coordinator circled the number and told me to take five minutes to think it over.

My mom snatched the pen. "9 thousand dollars isn't a lot? You worked so hard to save it. Why throw it away for nothing?"

"It's my money, and I'll take the loss," I said.

"Your money? After you get married, it'll be yours and Jason's anyway, won't it?" my mom said, trying to keep her cool. "The family has been taking care of everything for you for so long.

"Emily even canceled her Thanksgiving trip for your wedding. You can't only think about yourself."

Emily chimed in quietly, "All my friends know you're getting married. If you cancel now, they'll ask me why."

I glanced at her.

So whether my wedding went on or not, the most important thing was how she answered her friends.

Once the refund was done, the wedding coordinator asked for the venue access card back. That card had always hung from my red bunny keychain.

I unclipped the access card and handed it over at the front desk.

Emily's eyes lit up when she saw the keychain and reached for it. "This bunny would look perfect with my dress."

I pulled my hand back before she could grab it.

She came up empty, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

My mom's face clouded over. "Are you going to fight your sister over an old trinket? Emily only wants to borrow it for a quick photo."

"No way," I said.

For once, I didn't bother to give any explanation.

My mom glared at me for a few seconds and then whipped out her phone. "Alright, you think you're all grown up now? I'll call your dad and let him handle you."

Without looking back, I rolled my suitcase out the door.

When I reached the revolving door, Jason got out of a cab.

He blocked the exit, clutching the engagement ring in his hand. "You canceled the wedding?"

I tried to walk around him.

He grabbed my wrist. "Olivia, let's talk. Your mom promised Emily won't pull any more pranks on you. The wedding's still on, and I can act like nothing happened last night."

I pried his fingers off my wrist.

"But I can't pretend it never happened."