The Same Wedding Dress, Two Different Brides Chapter 07

The Same Wedding Dress, Two Different Brides Chapter 07

Even now, he was still taking Vivian’s side.

I almost laughed, but all I managed was a bitter smile.

“Elliot, our baby was already gone the moment Vivian hit our car.”

The room fell completely silent.

The anger drained out of Elliot.

All that remained was helplessness.

After a long silence, he said my name, his voice hoarse.

“Elena.”

Then, with obvious difficulty, he continued, “Vivian told me it was just a minor rear–end collision. I

didn’t know you would…”

He couldn’t finish.

He looked at how weak I was, and his voice dropped further.

“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have used your father’s things to force you to sign. I wouldn’t have left you

here to go through this alone.”

I looked at him.

“If you’d known, Elliot, would you have stood up for me?”

He had no answer.

So I gave it for him.

“No.”

“Just like when Vivian’s parents slapped me. You wouldn’t have done anything.”

“You would’ve gotten trapped in the same dilemma you always do–unable to let go of your guilt toward Vivian while grieving the loss of your own child.”

“And eventually, just like every other time, you would’ve downplayed what happened until it

became something you thought you could smooth over with an apology.”

He said nothing.

I knew I was right.

Even if Elliot had known earlier that the baby was gone, he still wouldn’t have done anything for

That was the twisted logic of it.

Because I was his girlfriend and the baby was his, any harm done to us was something he believed he could make up for later.

There would always be time to apologize to me.

There would always be time to make it up to me.

But Vivian’s family had done him a kindness, and in his mind, he could never repay that kindness by turning his back on them.

So he wouldn’t have threatened me with my father’s photographs.

Instead, he would’ve used the same quiet guilt and pressure he’d used on me countless times before until I agreed to swallow the hurt myself.

I looked at him and suddenly wanted to say everything I’d held back.

Once I had, he could keep that little bit of guilt to himself and disappear from my life for good.

“On our seventh anniversary, I went to try on wedding dresses by myself.”

He froze.

“What?”

I looked away.

“I was in the fitting room when I heard you say it yourself–that you could let Vivian be the one everyone sees as your fiancée and I wouldn’t care. That you could throw her the wedding of the

century and I’d understand.”

“Elliot, what gave you the right to disregard my dignity so completely?”

“You felt guilty, so you chose Vivian over me again and again.”

“I kept putting my own hurt aside and making allowances for you.”

“But you never valued that.”

“You even started thinking I was supposed to keep making allowances for you forever.”

“That was why you could hurt me without ever worrying about the consequences.”

“What gave you the right?”

Eliot’s breathing turned uneven.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, wanting to argue.

Then he realized I was right.

Over the years, he’d pushed my boundaries a little farther every time until he learned that I would always understand.

So whatever Vivian asked for, whatever her parents wanted, he gave it to them.

Eventually, he’d almost forgotten that no one owed another person endless understanding.

I turned toward the window.

“Before Vivian came into our lives, you used to care when I was hurting.”

He went still.

“That time I had a fever, you stayed up all night with me because you were worried. After Vivian’s husband died, you started taking her calls in the middle of the night. When I had a fever again, you tøld me to take some medicine and deal with it myself because I was an adult and should know how

to take care of myself.”

He tried to speak.

I finished the thought for him.