They Cut Down My Tree for Her Box, I Cut Myself Out of Their Family Chapter 06

They Cut Down My Tree for Her Box, I Cut Myself Out of Their Family Chapter 06

Nora’s wedding day. The whole family woke early.

Then her panicked shout echoed through the house. “Mom-my sister’s room is empty. She still isn’t back?”

Mom froze. “How’s that possible? She’s not getting married today?”

Nora dragged the two red quilts out of my room. “She took nothing-not even these.”

Zane waved dismissively. “Relax. She definitely went straight to the hotel. She’s never truly mad after a fight, is she?”

Mom tried to suppress the uneasy feeling. “Nora, hurry up. We’ll go to the hotel first. Your wedding

is what matters.”

They arrived at the hotel, giving the reserved ballroom name.

The staff looked at Nora, confused. “Didn’t you have your wedding yesterday?”

“What?” Nora was the first to understand. “Yesterday’s wedding-was the bride named Willa?”

The staff nodded. “Yes, the wedding’s already over. Why are you back here today?”

Mom swayed. “Yesterday? A wedding? What’s going on with her?”

Zane approached. “Her phone is off. I can’t reach her.”

A moment of silence. Then Nora pouted. “How could she move the wedding date up and not even

invite us? That’s too much.”

For the first time, no one agreed. No one joined in blaming me.

Finally, Dad spoke. “We’ll talk about it after the ceremony.”

At the reception, a relative pulled Mom aside. “I thought both girls were getting married today. How come I heard Willa’s was yesterday? Nobody told me. I had no idea.”

Mom opened her mouth-but nothing came out. What could she say? That she, the mother, didn’t know? That she’d taken everything from Willa and sent her off with nothing?

She could only laugh dryly and change the subject.

After the wedding, when the guests had gone, Nora whined, “I’m exhausted. Zane, can you book a hotel for my classmates tonight? I’m meeting them later.”

Zane looked at her quietly. “Nora, aren’t you worried about Willa?”

She waved it off. “She doesn’t have a temper. She’ll come back on her own.”

He fell silent. Looking at Nora’s indifference, he felt, for the first time, that something was off. And a nagging fear told him-this time was different.

That night, Mom rushed to my room.

The quilt was folded neatly, just as always. She searched for a while, then found a report in the drawer.

Patient: Willa. Chronic gastroenteritis. Notes: Avoid spicy and irritating foods.

Her hand clenched, knuckles white.

Dad walked in with an invitation. “Willa’s. It’s been at the door for a while. The date was changed.

Zane murmured, “Why? Why would she keep her wedding from us? She married without a single person from her own family?”

Mom stood, holding the report, tears splattering onto it.

“She never hid it. No one asked. No one looked.”

Zane suddenly said, “Mom-I’ll call her boyfriend. He wouldn’t dare hide her whereabouts.”

He pulled out his phone-and froze. Because his contacts had only one brother-in-law’s number. And that was the one he’d just seen today.

“Do you have her boyfriend’s number?”

Silence. No one said a word.