Chapter 8 - THE PHOTO THEY DIDN'T WANT
Our photographer, Lila, offered to retake the portraits after the reception. I told her the dress I wore was the one I wanted to remember.
She nodded, then hesitated. “I also photographed what happened in the suite hallway. Your mother asked me to delete it.”
“Did you?”
“No. I work for you.”
Ethan squeezed my hand under the table.
The honeymoon could wait. We spent that evening eating cake with Rachel, Ruth, and the few relatives who asked if I was okay before asking about family gossip.
At nine, a cousin sent me a link. Mom had posted a six-second video of me saying, “She deliberately destroyed my property.” The clip started after the dye hit the dress. Her caption read: Our family is heartbroken to see Evelyn treating her sister this way on her special day.
Comments arrived fast. Some sided with her. Some asked what had happened before the recording. Mom deleted those questions.
Ethan held out his hand. “Give me your phone for ten minutes.”
“Don't tell me to ignore it.”
“I wasn't going to. I was going to ask if you'd rather look at our wedding photos.”
We chose one photograph: me wearing Rose's dress, his forehead against mine, neither of us performing for anybody. I posted it with one sentence: We got married, and we're happy.
Rachel preserved screenshots of Mom's accusation and sent the unedited suite photos to Amelia. Janelle saved the hallway footage. Lila agreed to keep the originals.
Later, Daniel texted me: I shouldn't have given you that receipt. Don't show Mom.
I typed: Is it my money?
May you like
Three dots appeared, vanished, appeared again.
Finally he answered: I think she made you a borrower without telling you.
