Chapter 5
Emily was crying as she took off the wedding dress.
"Sophie, I'm so sorry. I swear I didn't mean to. If you want to hit me or yell at me, just do it," she sobbed.
William pulled her behind him.
"That's enough. She's already scared out of her mind," he said.
I looked up.
"Did I say anything?" I asked.
William was left speechless.
Emily started crying even harder.
"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have come. I just wanted to help you with the wedding dress, but I never thought I'd mess things up like this," she sobbed.
Maggie was so mad her hands were shaking.
"Emily, not a word about being scared before, not a word while you were wearing it. But now that you've torn it, suddenly you're scared?" she snapped.
William's face darkened.
"Maggie, this is a family matter," he said.
Maggie let out a cold laugh.
"You guys are making a scene in my studio with your family drama, should I start selling tickets?" she said.
I gathered the wedding dress into my arms, holding it close.
William stepped forward.
"Sophie, we can fix it. Don't let Emily beat herself up over this," he said.
Just a little thing, huh?
I set the wedding dress back on the table.
"William, do you know who left this embroidered patch?" I asked.
He stayed silent.
Emily grabbed his sleeve.
"William, please, just stop. It's my fault," she said.
William let out a sigh.
"Emily's been through so much these past few years. Why do you have to push her over the edge?" he said.
I looked at him.
"And what about me?" I asked.
William avoided my gaze.
"You're stronger than her," he said.
That old line again.
I let out a bitter laugh.
Maggie stood off to the side, her eyes red with anger, so furious she couldn't even get the words out.
Suddenly, Emily clutched her chest and started to collapse.
William rushed to catch her.
"Emily!" he called out.
I didn't move.
He carried Emily out, glancing back at me.
"Sophie, if anything happens to her, I'll never forgive you," he said.
The wind chime at the door jingled nonstop.
I carefully folded up the wedding dress, bit by bit.
Maggie lowered her voice, "You don't have to keep bottling it up."
I picked up my phone.
"I'm not holding anything back," I replied.
"If you're not holding anything back, then why didn't you stop them earlier?" Maggie pressed.
I opened the video Buddy sent last night, then checked out the anonymous confession account's profile.
"Because I wanted to confirm something," I said.
Maggie leaned in.
"What is it?" she asked.
I zoomed in on the screen.
The couch Buddy was lying on in the video wasn't the one in my living room.
It was the guest room where Emily stayed.
And there was a small piece of white fabric peeking out from beside the couch.
The pattern looked just like Mom's embroidered patch.
I closed the page and opened the photo album I'd set up at home for Buddy.
The screen loaded slowly.
First, the guest room carpet came into view.
Then, the hem of Emily's dress.
And then, William's voice drifted in.
"Just cut it, Sophie won't really get mad at you."
The video froze for a second.
Maggie put a hand over her mouth in shock.
I didn't pause the video.
On the screen, Emily was sitting on the carpet, scissors in hand.
Her hands were steady.
There were no tears in her eyes.
William sat beside her, his hand covering the embroidered patch.
Emily's voice was so soft, one could barely hear her.
"She's going to hate me," she whispered.
William lowered his head.
"She'll be mad for a while, but she'll get over it. Don't let her wedding mess you up," he said.
"But that was left to her by Mom," Emily whispered.
"You're a Lane too," William said softly.
Emily looked up.
"William, do you really think I'll ever get to wear a wedding dress?" she asked.
William was quiet for a moment.
"You will, someday," he said.
The scissors came down.
The sound of the fabric tearing was so soft, one could barely hear it.
But I heard it loud and clear.
Maggie snatched the phone from me and hit pause.
"Don't watch anymore," she said.
I took the phone back.
"It's not over yet," I said.
Maggie's eyes were red with emotion.
"What's wrong with you? Isn't this enough already?" she snapped.
"That's not for me to say, it's up to William," I replied.
I saved the image and slipped my phone into my pocket.
*****
Just as I stepped outside, my phone rang, it was William.
"Emily's in the hospital," he said.
I didn't say a word.
"She's been crying nonstop, saying everything's her fault. Can you come over and tell her you don't blame her?" he said.
I stood by the roadside, the wind biting at my ears.
"William, you do realize she cut up the wedding dress on purpose, right?" I said, my voice cold.
There was a long silence on the other end.
After a moment, his voice dropped to a whisper.
"Don't say that," William said quietly.
"I've got it all on camera," I said.
"You put something in to spy on her?" William asked, his voice tight.
"It's just for Buddy's food bowl. It's in my own house," I replied.
William's breathing grew heavier.
"Sophie, don't blow this up," he said.
I let out a laugh.
"So now you're scared it'll blow up?" I shot back.
"She wasn't herself that day, Sophie. She really wasn't thinking straight," William said.
"Her grip on the scissors was rock steady," I said.
"Sophie Lane!" William shouted, his voice sharp and angry.
It was the first time he'd ever called me by my full name like that.
A few passersby glanced back at me.
I pulled my phone away from my ear.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
"Come to the hospital. Let's talk in person. And don't let Emily find out you have the footage, she won't be able to take it," William said.
"What can't she handle?" I asked.
"She's afraid she'll end up being the bad guy," William said.
Suddenly, it all just seemed ridiculous.
She could cut up someone else's things without a second thought.
She could steal someone else's fiancé.
She could even ask herself in her anonymous account if she was disgusting.
Yet she was terrified people would call her the villain.
I hung up.