“Don’t let go of the good in you, Micaela.”
Even after things between Mark and me fell apart, I had called her just to hear her voice.
Inside the box was an invitation—Mark and Sarah, printed in glossy cardstock with gold lettering, his name beside hers as if nothing had ever happened between us. But what stopped me wasn’t the card.
It was the dress.
Deep crimson silk, so vivid it almost hurt to look at. A sweetheart neckline. The kind of dress meant to be noticed.
I had my phone in hand before I could stop myself. Elena answered on the first ring.
“Did you get it?” she asked, breathless, almost urgent.
“Elena, what are you thinking? You want me to show up to his wedding wearing this?” I tried to laugh, but it came out unsteady.
She didn’t laugh. “Wear it, Micaela. Please. Trust me, there’s a reason. I found it in my guest room after Sarah was there. I just needed to be sure.”
“Elena, this is going to cause a scene. It’s his wedding… You know how people are. They’ll twist it into something else.”
She went quiet for a moment.
“Mic, I can’t explain over the phone,” she said, her voice tight. “I need you there—where she can’t rewrite what she did in front of witnesses.”
I sank onto the couch, staring at the dress. “Are you okay? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“I’m fine, love,” she said too quickly. “I just can’t let her take this too. Please. You’ll understand soon.”
The call ended before I could ask more. I sat there, the dress in my lap, letting the silk slip through my fingers.
Did I really want to be part of this?
The hardest part wasn’t the dress. It was how Elena sounded—like someone standing on the edge of something, and I couldn’t tell which way she might fall.
I thought about the early days with Mark, how Elena had cooked for me, how she showed me pictures of her daughter, Clara, her expression soft with grief.
I owed her.
**
The next three days were a blur of nerves. I tried the dress on, pacing my apartment. I called my best friend, Nicole, and told her everything.
“What if it’s a trap? What if I ruin the day just by showing up?”
Nicole snorted. “If Elena’s asking, there’s a reason. But
