I looked over the area where Nancy’s wedding would happen the next day as I stood in our backyard. The white chairs were lined up in neat rows facing the oak tree. This is where she and Josh would say their vows, with hills and a lake in the background.
This house was really something special that Peter and I bought three years ago.
He walked up behind me and put his arms around my waist. “It looks great, Evelyn.” Nancy is going to be very happy.
I put my back against his chest. “I hope so.” “This has been in the works for months.”
“You went above and beyond.” Most people would have just gave them the space.
“Well, you know her.” And I wanted everything to go well on her day.
Peter gave me a kiss on the head. “That’s why I love you: you always care about other people.”
“They should be here soon for the practice.” “I want to make sure everything is ready.”
He squeezed my shoulder and said, “Trust me, it is.” “Everything has been thought of.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I know…” “You’re wonderful.”
The sound of tires on dirt broke up our quiet time. Judy and Josh showed up.
“They’re here!” “Yes,” I said, feeling very excited. “I’m excited to show her everything.”
Nancy got out of her car, and her fiancé followed her, looking a little confused as always.
“There she is, my lovely bride!” I yelled and walked toward them, arms wide open.
She gave me a quick, tight hug. “All of the chairs are wrong.”
I was shocked and blinked. “What do you mean?”
“I wanted them to be in a half-circle instead of rows.” Did my text message not reach you?”
I took out my phone to see if there were any texts. “A half-circle doesn’t seem to mean anything to me.”
She let out a big sigh. “So what.” We can make it right. Tell me, where are the flowers?
“They’ll be delivered tomorrow morning, just like we talked about.”
Nancy made a face. “I hope this time they get the colors right.” The model flower arrangement was a mess.
Josh smiled at me and said sorry behind her. We hadn’t talked much since we got there. A delivery truck and two other cars pulled up to the driveway.
She said, “Finally,” and then she raised her voice. “Over here!” “Start taking everything off!”
She looked at me with a serious look on her face. “Let’s talk.”
“Okay, what’s going on?” I asked with a smile.
Nancy took my arm and pushed me away from the other people.
“What’s going on?” I asked, confused by how strong she sounded.
Her face turned into something I had never seen before: it became hard. “Evelyn, look, you set up the place for us… It’s nice and everything. “But listen, I don’t want you to go to the wedding tomorrow.”
“What?” I looked at her, sure that I had heard wrong.
She spoke in a cold, stone-cold voice, “You heard me.” “Don’t go there.”
“I don’t get it.” “Why?”
She made a face. “Hey, hold on!” “You understand WHY.”
I shook my head, really not understanding.
Someone should have told me that you used to date Josh. She asked for it.
The thought hit me like a slap. Josh and I dated for a short time in college, but it ended, and we went our different ways. After Nancy introduced him at their engagement party, we didn’t talk again. Even then, we only said “hi” or “hello” a few times.
“That?” That wasn’t important. A stupid thing that happened in college more than ten years ago. It wasn’t even serious… It didn’t last long, and we stayed friends. Not even bringing it up was worth it.
She said, “Well, I don’t care.” “It’s MY day, and I don’t want a woman who used to sleep with my fiancé to be there taking up space.” “Okay, you’re not coming.”
I had a hard time understanding what was going on as the words hung between us.
After all the work I had put into planning for months, helping her pick out decorations for hours on end, trying cakes, and meeting with vendors, She wasn’t asking me to a wedding on my OWN land?
“Nicole, you can’t be serious.” “This is where I live.”
Then she waved her hand and said, “And I’m glad you let us use it.” “Of course Peter can still come.” Not you though.
“After everything I did for your wedding?”
I like that you said that. But this can’t be changed.
She turned to the delivery crew and snapped her fingers before I could answer. “Go ahead and start taking everything out!”
It was strange how casually she told people to stay off my land right after she kicked me out of the party. I stood there frozen, unable to say anything.
He then put his hand on my shoulder. The warmth of his touch made me feel safe.
“Is everything okay?” He looked back and forth between Nancy and me as he asked.
Nancy’s smile came back right away. “Just girl talk.”
I told her straight out, “She doesn’t want me at the wedding.”
Peter’s body tensed up. “What?”
She sighed and said, “Don’t make a big deal out of it.” “It’s just that I found out she dated Josh before, and it makes me feel bad.”
His voice was sharp as he said, “Hold on.” “Let me make this clear… Feel free to use our house for free. My wife has spent months helping you plan the wedding, but now you won’t let her come?
She sighed and crossed her arms. “Don’t make a fuss.” It’s not a big deal. She only needs to follow my instructions on my wedding day.
I got chills when Peter laughed coldly. I hadn’t seen him mad in seven years of being together.
“Maybe you should get it somewhere else.”
Nancy’s eyes got really big with anger. “Are you KIDDING me?” Tomorrow is the wedding! What other place should I have it?! We can’t be kicked out like this!”
“In fact, I can,” Peter said. “Yes, I did.”
Nancy got red in the face. “You two are the SELFISHEST people I’ve ever met!” You should be THANKFUL I invited you in the first place after everything I’ve been through! It’s not about you! It’s about ME! You need to pay me this!”
Her voice turned into a screech, which caught the attention of Josh and the delivery team.
He looked worried and asked, “What’s going on?”
“We’re being kicked out!” Nancy cried, and tears came out of nowhere. “Your ex-girlfriend is STUCKED that they’re ruining our wedding!”
I gasped when I heard the charge. “That’s not true!” I was just told I couldn’t go to the wedding… in my own house!”
Josh seemed to be lost. “Wait, what?” “Why didn’t Evelyn show up?”
“Because you went out with her!” Nancy lost it. “And no one told me until your best friend Willie told me!”
Josh’s face changed from being confused to shocked. “You mean our two-month thing on our first year of college?” Before I knew you were there?”
“Do you really think you can pull this off at the last minute?” Nancy didn’t pay attention to him; she was mad at Peter and me. „Do you know how much I spent on making this happen? You can’t ruin my wedding just because you’re mad!”
It felt like someone hit me. “Bitter?” ME?! After I did everything?”
Peter moved forward and put himself between Nancy and me by a small amount.
“No, Nancy.” When you thought you could treat my wife like trash in her own home, you ruined your own wedding.
Nancy laughed out loud and then looked at Josh. “Do something!”
Josh moved in a strange way and looked at the ground. He showed he didn’t want to be a part of this.
“JOSH?!!”
He made a weak suggestion, “Maybe we should talk about this in a calm way.”
Peter said, “There’s nothing to talk about.” “Get off our land,” I said. “RIGHT NOW.”
Nancy’s angry face changed shape. “All right!” I’m going to sue you for this! This is not okay! You will both feel bad about what you did!”
“Good luck with that.” Stop being on our land now.
For a split second, I thought Nancy might hurt one of us. Her whole body was shaking with anger as her hands were squeezed into fists.
“Let’s go,” Josh said in a low voice to Nancy.
“Are you on their side?” She turned around on him.
“I’m not going to side with anyone.” This isn’t helpful, though.
She took a wild look at the half-full trucks, the set-up chairs, and the decorations boxes that were all over the place. So what should I do now? Tomorrow is the wedding!”
In spite of everything, I felt a twinge of pity. Then I thought about how quickly she told me I couldn’t come into my own house.
I told them, “That’s no longer our problem.”
***
The next hour was a mess. She screamed, cursed, and had a full-on temper tantrum. After a while, she picked up a box of table sets and threw it to the ground, breaking plates all over our driveway.
She screamed, “You’ll pay for this!” “You both!”
Josh finally got her to the car by saying something in her ear that made her feel better for a short time. After getting in their cars, the delivery crew stood there awkwardly, waiting for orders.
He told them, “You can take everything back.” “This is not where the wedding will take place.”
I was so sleepy for the rest of the day that I called back vendors and asked for returns on everything we had paid for. With just a few phone calls, the cake, flowers, and food were all gone.
Peter and I sat on our porch chair that night and looked out at the half-taken-down wedding setup.
“Sorry,” I said in a soft voice.
He was shocked when he looked at me. “What for?”
“For making all this trouble.” If only I had told you about Josh…
He gently cut him off and said, “Stop.” “You didn’t do anything.” It wasn’t important, and it happened a long time ago. Today Nancy showed what she really is, and that’s not your fault.
I put my head on his shoulder. “Do you think she will really sue us?”
“Let her try.” There were no papers signed. I did this as a favor for a friend, but that friend turned out not to be real.
“I still can’t believe how fast everything fell apart.”
“Evie, some people are nice only when they get what they want.” The mask falls off as soon as you stand up for yourself.
***
Soon after, through friends we both had, we learned that Nancy and Josh had a quick wedding at a nearby hotel. The shots showed a party that was a lot smaller than the one we had planned at our house.
It was a surprise when Josh texted Peter a few days later.
“Nicole is still mad, but I wanted to say sorry for what happened.” “I should have said more.”
Peter showed it to me, but he didn’t answer. Once they were burned down, some bridges were not worth repairing.
The thing is, I don’t feel bad about anything that happened. Because that day taught me something important: never let someone see you without respect if they wouldn’t do the same for you.
Some people might say that by calling off Nancy’s wedding at the last minute, we were too emotional. Taking someone out of an event at their own home because of a useless college fling from more than ten years ago is, however, a real overreaction.
It wasn’t about that old past with Josh in the end. It had to do with respect. The most important thing I’ve learned from this is that I deserve at least that same amount. We all do.
This work is based on real people and events, but it has been made up for artistic reasons. To protect privacy and make the story better, names, characters, and circumstances have been changed. Any similarity to real people, living or dead, or real events is completely accidental and not on purpose by the author.
thecelebritist.com is the source.