The Bride Wore My Nightmares Chapter 12
School was about to start, and Ethan was in the grip of some kind of possession, running around from dawn to dusk arranging his big proposal.
“Maddie, the venue is Beverly Wilshire. Don’t forget!”
Then, quietly, he added: “Of course… if you really don’t want to come, you don’t have to.”
I nearly laughed out loud inside: a show that good, and he thought I wasn’t going to watch?
The Beverly Wilshire was one of the grandest hotels in all of Beverly Hills. Him choosing it — how touching, how thoughtful of him.
I bided my time until nightfall.
Ethan had left early, dragging our openly reluctant parents along with him.
I glanced at the ninth-grade photo on my desk, then looked at myself in the mirror.
I picked up the bag I’d already prepared and walked out the door.
…
The Beverly Wilshire. The main ballroom.
“Vanessa, I’ve rehearsed this proposal in my head so many times. But now that the day is here, I’m actually nervous. I’m scared you won’t say yes. I’m scared I’m not good enough for you…”
Ethan stood on stage, mic in hand, every word laced with feeling.
Chloe and I huddled in the corner, and it was all we could do not to roll our eyes.
“Did Vanessa put a spell on Ethan or what?” Chloe rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck.
“You? I’m the one wondering,” I said flatly. “He’s a lost cause.”
While we were whispering, a voice up on stage, sweet enough to melt teeth: “I do.”
Vanessa was dressed like a Disney princess, glittering, dabbing at her eyes with the tips of her fingers as she extended her hand for Ethan to slide the ring on.
I cleared my throat, picked up the other mic I’d prepped, took a deep breath, and walked steadily forward.
“Good evening, everyone. I’m Ethan’s sister. I’m so happy to be here today.”
Every pair of eyes in the room snapped to me. Ethan was more stunned than anyone — he never dreamed I would voluntarily walk up on stage.
“The day Ethan first brought his girlfriend home, I was firmly against the relationship. Because Vanessa Whitaker — back in high school — was one of the girls who bullied me.”
I glanced up at the stage.
Vanessa’s face flickered with panic.
I smiled and pressed on. “But Ethan explained again and again that Vanessa had been coerced, that she was a victim too. So — a few days ago I took a special trip back to our high school. And while I was there, I invited some of Vanessa’s old classmates to be here tonight, so they could clear her name in front of everyone. After all, she’s about to become my sister-in-law.”
Before Vanessa could react, I lifted a hand toward Chloe to signal her to open the side door and let them in.
Vanessa tried to rush down off the stage to stop them, but Ethan led the applause first.
She froze in place.
“Long time no see, old classmate,” the girl walking at the center of the group said, snide and sugary all at once.
Vanessa stretched her lips into a stiff smile. “…Long time no see.”
“Ladies, welcome,” I said, deliberately pitching my voice loud. “I invited you here today so that, in front of everyone, you can clear Vanessa’s name. When you bullied me back then, she really was forced into it, wasn’t she?”
And I passed the mic over to them.
The girl at the edge of the group, painted to the hilt, let out a sharp scoffing laugh, contempt written all over her face. “Clear her name? What clean-ass name?”