The morning of my wedding, I woke up feeling like I was floating. Butterflies filled my stomach, but it wasn’t nerves—it was excitement.
Leo and I had worked so hard for this day. Late nights, extra shifts, cutting corners wherever we could just to make sure everything was perfect.
“Gina, just think of all the money we’re saving on takeout,” Leo had joked one night while we ate a sad-looking homemade meal.
“That’s because we’re on a healthy eating plan,” I laughed, nudging him.
And now, after all that work, the day had finally come.
I arrived at the venue an hour early, eager to have a quiet moment before the ceremony. I imagined walking down the aisle alone, soaking it all in, breathing, drinking champagne while admiring the fairytale setting Leo and I had created.
Instead, I found something that made my blood run cold.
A bride stood at my altar.
She had her back to me, her hands smoothing down her veil. But I didn’t need to see her face. I knew that posture. I knew that entitled air.
It was Jessica. My sister.
Dressed in a beautiful white gown, surrounded by staff making final preparations. Some guests were already arriving. My guests.
The shock rooted me to the spot, my heart pounding in my ears. My hands curled into fists.
Jessica turned, and the moment she spotted me, she broke into a bright, smug smile.
“Oh! You’re early!” she said, clasping her hands together like she had just seen an old friend. “I thought I’d have everything sorted before you got here. Well… that ruins the surprise.”
My mind struggled to catch up.
“Surprise?” I echoed, my voice hollow.
Jessica sighed dramatically, like I was the one being unreasonable.
“Gina, come on,” she said, exasperated. “Why waste a perfectly good setup? Two weddings in one! Genius, right, sis? And you know how Ben has been pushing me to get married. This just worked out perfectly!”
My stomach dropped.
“You… You didn’t just show up in a dress? You planned to get married at my wedding? Are you insane?”
Jessica pouted, tilting her head.
“Mom said that ‘insane’ isn’t a word we use, Gina,” she rolled her eyes. “Be nice. And come on, don’t be so selfish!”
Selfish?
Me? On my own wedding day?
That word lit something inside me. Something furious. Something unstoppable.
Jessica had spent her entire life taking from me. My clothes, my ideas, my friends, my parents’ attention. But this? This was beyond petty. This was a new level of audacity.
Around us, the wedding planner, Bella, looked ready to have a stroke. The guests who had arrived early were whispering in disbelief. Even Ben, Jessica’s own fiancé, looked pale with embarrassment.
“Jess, you told me Gina agreed to this!” Ben said, his voice tense. “I should have known better.”
My eyes locked on Jessica’s, and a slow smile spread across my face.
Fine. If she wanted a wedding, she was going to get one.
“Bella,” I said, my tone all business. “Did you know about this?”
“No, Gina!” Bella said, looking horrified. “I was just making sure the bridal suite was ready for you. Your hair and makeup team are setting up right now.”
“Perfect.” I turned back to Jessica. “You want a wedding, sis? Let’s do this properly. Bella, please add Jessica’s wedding to our tab. But make sure she pays for her portion first. And while we’re at it, charge her for the harpist, the venue’s extended time, and every single extra seat she’s added. Oh, and let’s not forget—Leo’s photography students will need to be paid for the extra work.”
Bella, ever the professional, nodded and pulled out her tablet.
Jessica’s smirk wavered.
“Wait… What?”
Bella’s voice remained calm. “You added a separate ceremony, Jessica. That comes with a separate fee.”
Jessica laughed nervously, looking around for backup. “No, no! This is all one event! There’s no extra fee! Right, Gina?”
I shrugged. “Not according to the contract, Jess. If you want a wedding, you have to pay for it.”
Jessica’s face turned bright red. She turned to our mother. “Mom?!”
Mom crossed her arms. “You planned this nonsense behind everyone’s back. Fix it yourself.”
Jessica’s lip trembled, then she exploded.
She shrieked. She stomped. She demanded that I “just share” because we were “family.”
“You need to calm down, Jess,” Ben muttered. “I can’t believe you lied to me about this. I’m leaving.”
Jessica collapsed onto the floor, wailing. Our father called security to escort her out.
I took a deep breath and smiled.
“Ready to slip into your dress?” Bella asked, grinning.
I nodded. “More than ready.”
The wedding went off without a hitch. It was romantic, intimate, and everything I had dreamed of. Without Jessica, the atmosphere was light, joyful, and electric.
Later that night, Leo raised his glass.
“To my beautiful wife,” he said, locking eyes with me. “And to finally getting the wedding she deserves.”
Everyone cheered. Tears welled in my eyes, overwhelmed by love and support.
Jessica’s absence didn’t matter.
I had barely kicked off my shoes when a loud banging rattled the front door. Sharp. Desperate. Unrelenting.
I sighed, rolling my shoulders before opening it. I already knew who it was.
Jessica stood there, blotchy-faced, her hair a mess, her mascara smudged.
For the first time in my life, she looked small.
“Gina,” she whispered. “Can I come in?”
I studied her, debating. Every instinct told me to slam the door, but something in her expression—rawness I had never seen before—made me hesitate.
With a sigh, I stepped aside. “Five minutes.”
She stepped in, hugging herself.
“Ben left me,” her voice cracked. “Mom and Dad won’t take my calls. And my friends… I guess I don’t have as many as I thought.”
She looked at me, eyes red-rimmed and pleading. “I don’t know why I do these things, Gina. I ruin everything. And now? I’ve ruined myself.”
For the first time ever, Jessica admitted she wasn’t okay. And for the first time ever, I didn’t feel the need to fix her.
I exhaled slowly. “Yeah, Jess. You did.”
“Can we start over?”
I shook my head. “No.”
Jessica flinched.
“Now you have to live with the choices you made.”
Her face crumbled, but she didn’t argue. She turned and walked away.
I shut the door, locking it behind her.
And for the first time in my life, I felt free.