Chapter 2
Michael was the first to snap out of it. "Rachel, have you lost your mind?" He rushed down from the stage and reached for my wrist.
I stepped back and got out of his reach.
His eyes were full of shock and anger, as if I had done something unforgivable.
"Are you done with your outburst? Pick that ring up and come home with me," he demanded. His tone left no space for compromise. He spoke purely out of order and control.
Linda stumbled over and jabbed her finger in my face. "How dare you!" she yelled. "You have disgraced our family, you witch. If you don't want to marry him, then get out and give back the money we gave you as the wedding gift."
My parents rushed over and stood in front of me to block her.
"Michael, show some respect," my father, Billy Warren, said, his voice low with anger.
"You disrespected my daughter first." My mother stepped right in front of Linda. "You know full well what really happened here today. No one can deny who is truly at fault."
The whole ballroom was a mess.
Guests were whispering and pointing, but I felt strangely calm.
So this was what it felt like to be completely broken inside. There was no anger or sadness left, only a cold emptiness inside.
I looked straight at Michael. "We're done," I said, my voice steady. "Don't touch me. You make me sick."
My words cut through him like a harsh public rebuke.
His complexion shifted from pale to flushed with humiliation and fury.
"You will regret this decision, Rachel," he snapped.
I squeezed my mother's hand tight. "I will never regret a single thing."
Then I turned to my parents. "Let's go home. We are better off without tying ourselves to people like this."
My mother held me gently while my father led the way through the crowd.
The three of us walked straight ahead and never looked back as every guest in the room watched us leave.
This day was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life, yet it had turned into a public humiliation I would never forget.
Linda screamed and hurled vicious insults from behind us in a frantic breakdown.
Michael unleashed loud, furious outbursts with his barely contained anger.
Their anger and complaints held no power over me anymore.
Once we reached home, I changed out of my heavy wedding dress and into simple, comfortable clothes.
My parents never pushed me to talk about it.
They simply poured me a glass of water and stayed close in quiet support. "You are not alone in this, Rachel. We will always take care of you," they said.
I nodded and let my tears fall freely at last.
I didn't cry for Michael or the broken wedding. I cried for my parents and for all the time and effort I had wasted over the years.
Letting out all my sorrow eased the weight on my chest. I dried my tears, pulled out my phone, and blocked Michael and Linda across every platform to cut them out of my life for good.
A peaceful stillness settled all around.
Yet this sense of peace faded quickly.
The home landline started ringing.
My mother answered the call. After she listened for a few moments, her expression darkened at once.
"Michael, don't keep calling. Rachel doesn't want to talk to you." She hung up the phone right after those words.
Only a few minutes went by before the phone rang again.
Linda was the one calling this time.
My mother pulled out the telephone line to stop any further calls.
Soon after, my cell phone began vibrating with an unknown caller ID.
I answered the incoming call.
"Rachel, you have quite the nerve now. How could you block me?" It was Michael on the line.
He had used a new phone number to reach me.
I haven't gotten a single word out before Linda's furious shouting filled the line. "You need to pay back the 60 thousand dollars our family gave you.
"You also have to cover the 70 thousand dollars we spent on the wedding reception.
"We will go to your office and create a scene if you refuse repayment. Everyone there will find out the truth about who you truly are."
I remained quiet and listened to every harsh word.
When her anger wore thin and she struggled to catch her breath, I spoke in a soft, collected tone. "Calm down, Mrs. Jones. We will sort out every unresolved issue between us."
I ended the call and blocked the new number right away.
I knew they would never let this situation go easily.
*****
My worry was well-founded.
Early the next morning, I was still sound asleep when my father woke me up.
"Rachel, they're here," he said, his voice tense.
I walked into the living room.
My father was staring at the video doorbell screen with a heavy look on his face.
On the screen, Michael, Linda, and a few relatives I didn't recognize were crowded right outside our front door.
Linda was pounding on the door like she was trying to break it down.
"Open up, Rachel. Get out here," she shouted. "You owe us money, and paying back what you owe is only fair. Hiding in there like a coward doesn't make you look good."
They had come as a group to pressure me into paying.
I looked at Michael's face on the screen. His features felt achingly familiar.
His brows were drawn tight, and there was no hint of guilt in his eyes, only impatience and irritation.
I took a deep breath and turned to my father. "Dad, open the door. Let them in."
There were some things that needed to be handled face-to-face, once and for all.