Chapter 4
She faltered for a second. A flash of annoyance crossed her face, then the smile snapped right back. "Be careful, then."
She headed back to her own table.
I watched her go, and suddenly I remembered sophomore year. We were eating instant noodles in our dorm room, and she said we'd be each other's bridesmaids someday. I said yes. She said our kids would be promised to each other. I said yes.
Today, she stood as the bridesmaid.
But her kids would never be matched with mine.
Because deep down, she never thought I was worthy of her kids.
I turned and kept making the rounds.
Table five, six, seven...
Behind every smiling face, there was a hidden voice.
And behind every blessing, there was always a curse lurking in the shadows.
I heard more than enough.
When I reached the head table, Margaret Slater was chatting animatedly with a few relatives.
"Amara is such a sweet, quiet girl," she said with a smile. "She just had a boyfriend before, you know. For several years. And then he dumped her."
[Or maybe he got tired of her. Who knows?]
The relatives laughed knowingly.
[Ah, young people these days, that's just how it goes.]
[That's why you should marry someone you know. Who knows what kind of background an outsider has?]
[Ethan has such a good heart. He doesn't mind.]
I stood behind them, with a drink in hand.
Margaret turned and saw me. For a second, she looked uncomfortable. Then the smile snapped back into place. "Oh, sweetheart! Come sit down and rest!"
[She didn't hear that, did she? Even if she did, she'd better keep her mouth shut.]
I set my glass down on the table.
"Margaret, let me toast you," I said.
She smiled, took the glass, and said, "Alright, alright, I'll drink it."
Once she finished, she handed the glass back to me.
"Margaret," I said, "I want to say a few words."
She paused for a moment. "Now?"
"Just a few," I replied.
Margaret glanced at the relatives, then back at me, her smile still there, but her eyes had a wary glint.
[What does she want to say now? Don't cause any drama.]
"Alright, go ahead, but make it quick. Don't forget, you've still got a bunch of tables left," she said, urging me on.
I nodded, turned, and made my way to the stage.
The coordinator was adjusting the sound system. He looked surprised when he saw me. "We're not at the speeches yet."
"Can I grab the mic for a moment?" I said.
"Uh..." He looked uncertain.
I reached out, and he handed me the mic.
I walked to the center of the stage.
The room slowly fell silent.
Hundreds of eyes were on me—curious, confused, just plain impatient.
[What's she doing?]
[She's not going to perform, is she? Please, just serve the food already.]
[Something's off about this bride.]
I gripped the mic, looking out at all the faces staring back at me.
Ethan was standing in the crowd, his face full of confusion and a hint of unease.
[What the hell is she doing? If she starts saying something sappy, I'll die of embarrassment.]
Margaret had stood up and was walking toward the stage.
[Get down from there. Stop humiliating us.]
Bambi and the bridesmaids sat in a corner, some on their phones, some whispering.
[What's she going up there for? She's not going to thank me, is she? That would be great. Make me look good.]
I cleared my throat.
"Thanks, everyone, for being here today," I said.
My words rang out from the speakers, filling the banquet hall.
"Before the feast begins, I'd like to share an interesting story with you."
A few scattered laughs echoed through the room.
[Come on, tell your story later. I'm hungry.]
[Is the bride drunk or something?]
I smiled.
"This story's about yours truly," I said.
I paused, letting my gaze sweep over the room.
"When I woke up this morning, I discovered I had a new ability—I could hear what people were really thinking."
Laughter rippled through the room; some thought I joked, was drunk, or using an icebreaker.
I waited for the laughter to die down.
Then I added, "At first, I thought I was imagining it, but I realized I could actually hear what people were thinking.
"I heard Clara, my makeup artist, say, 'What a waste to use this 90-dollar foundation on her.'"
The room went a little quieter.
"I heard Bambi think, 'Her wedding dress is last year's off-the-rack. When I married, I wore this season's couture.'"
Bambi's smile stiffened.
"And I heard Ethan thinking, 'If she isn't rich, who'd want damaged goods like her?'"
The whole room went dead silent.
Ethan's face went ghostly pale in an instant.