She Wore My Wedding Dress Before I Ever Did Chapter 02

She Wore My Wedding Dress Before I Ever Did Chapter 02

The next morning, my fever had gone down a little.

From the living room, I heard Miles talking on the phone.

“She’s fine. She’s just overreacting.”

“The wedding is still on. Don’t tell my mom. She’ll only worry.”

I could not hear what the person on the other end said.

Miles lowered his voice.

“Vanessa, don’t cry. You didn’t mean for any of that to happen yesterday. Rachel’s usually pretty easygoing.”

Standing in the bedroom doorway, I suddenly felt like laughing.

Apparently, being easygoing was my greatest virtue after all these years.

I did not go into the living room.

Instead, I turned around, opened the closet, and began taking out every document related to the wedding.

There was the reception venue contract, the wedding planner’s proposal, the photographer’s retainer receipt, the invoice for the wedding favor samples, and the combined guest list.

Every one of them bore my handwriting.

Miles used to say, “You can decide. I trust you.”

At the time, I thought it was trust.

Only later did I realize he had simply been taking the easy way out.

At the dining table, he pushed a bowl of chicken noodle soup toward me.

“Eat something. I’m taking Vanessa to her follow-up appointment this morning. I’ll come back this afternoon, and we can look over the invitation designs.”

The soup was full of diced onions.

When I had a fever, even the smell of onions made me nauseous.

He used to know that.

I did not touch the spoon.

“Aren’t we supposed to finalize the entire wedding timeline today?”

Miles glanced at his phone.

“We can go over the timeline whenever we want. Her follow-up appointment can’t wait.”

There it was again. It could not wait.

Our wedding could wait. Another woman could wear my gown.

My fever could wait too.

Only Vanessa’s needs ever came first.

I asked, “Miles, how many times have you actually been involved in planning our wedding?”

He frowned.

“Do you have to drag up every old grievance right now?”

“Are they really old grievances?”

He placed his phone facedown on the table, sounding tired.

“Rachel, Vanessa injured her back because of me.”

“When the stage backdrop collapsed at the company gala, she shoved me out of the way and took the hit herself.”

“What’s wrong with me looking after her a little?”

I knew what had happened.

Three years ago, Vanessa had protected him during an accident at the company gala.

From then on, whenever she was in pain, he rushed to her.

Whenever she was afraid, he stayed with her.

At first, I felt sorry for her too.

I helped schedule her appointments, called specialists’ offices for her, and even bought her a back brace and heating pads.

It was only later that I realized Miles kept repaying the debt he owed Vanessa at my expense.

Before he left, Miles poured me a glass of water.

“Stop imagining the worst. The wedding is still happening. I’ll be there.”

After the door closed, I opened the calendar on my phone.

Today’s entry read:

[10:00 a.m. — Finalize full wedding timeline.]

I deleted it.

Then I opened a spreadsheet and began entering the expenses one by one.

They included the remaining balance on the wedding gown, the reception venue deposit, the wedding planner’s retainer, the photographer’s retainer, the invitation design fee, and the cost of the wedding favor samples.

I had paid most of those expenses.

Miles had said his project bonus had not come through yet and asked me to cover them for the time being.

Back then, I thought we were about to be married, so there was no point in keeping score too carefully.

Now I understood that when I did not keep track, I did not even realize how much I was losing.

Around noon, a notification appeared in the family group chat.

Miles’s mother had shared a health article.

Mrs. Caldwell: [Vanessa has a bad back. Make sure her seat at the wedding isn’t under an air vent.]

Another message appeared almost immediately.

Mrs. Caldwell: [Rachel, you’re capable. Make sure you take care of details like that.]

No one asked how I was feeling.

No one even knew I had been running a fever the day before.

I stared at the word “capable,” and a chill settled deep inside me.

I opened the reception seating chart.

The notes for Vanessa’s table were extremely detailed.

Keep her away from air vents. Seat her near the exit. Add a cushion to the chair. Keep the food mild.

Beside my own name, there was only one word.

[Bride]

Vanessa was fragile, so everyone had to protect her.

I was the understanding one, so apparently I deserved to come last.

That evening, I messaged the wedding planner.

Me: [Can we meet tomorrow? The wedding may be put on hold.]

She replied almost immediately.

Wedding Planner: [Ms. Morgan, does Mr. Caldwell know?]

Me: [The contract is in my name. There’s no need to notify him.]

I had planned this wedding alone from beginning to end.

It only made sense that I cancel it alone too.