like a personal insult. Florists were arranging massive bouquets of white ro

hloe' s mother, appeared

ctly coiffed. She surveyed the room, her eyes lingering on the weddin

h as silk. "You' re not even dressed yet?

who had systematically dismantled my original family, who had always trea

ng well," I sai

e of my lingerie from a chair, holding it between her thumb and forefinger as if it were contaminated.

ather' s name was l

ling just fine," I sai

resilient girl. She' s always been so much s

rds, cracked something open inside me. The carefully constru

y voice shaking with a

sica' s eyes widen

Now." I stood up, my hands cl

ching her pearls. "After all I' ve

but try to erase me from my own father' s life, and now y

"You ungrateful little brat. You' ve always been jealous of Chloe, haven' t y

shouted, the sound echoing in the

e with my daughter. He seems to buy her everything her heart desires. Wh

ed. Tears of fury and hurt pricked my eyes. The chaos of the past twelve hours,

ut just to get her out of my space,

t ou

David, was the first one through the door, follow

, his eyes immediately going to Jessica'

ca cried, her voice breaking dram

think you' re doing?" my fat

, at the tear tracks on my cheeks. He just saw Jessica

t away from Jessica' s arm. The

t him, pleading with my eyes for him t

s side. "Mom, are you okay?

r. He stood between me and them, a

Jessica. Now,

. "She' s lying. T

"Don' t you dare dis

I screamed, the last t

when it

p and connected

he sting was immediate, a hot, blooming pain that spread acros

had just hit

d rising to my cheek, m

mething-regret? surprise?-in his eyes,

am is a good man, this is a good match. You will pull yourself together,

loe' s eyes, over her mother' s shoulder, were not fil

ring comforting words, and led her out of the room. Chloe followed, c

roses choking me. The hum of activity outside the door continue

e print of his fingers on my skin.

t to see the guests. I didn't want to see anyone. I needed to

s a physical weight, pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. He had left me there, utterly

in in my cheek a dull echo o