I was genuinely happy when my brother announced his engagement—until I heard who he was marrying. The joy evaporated the moment I realized the woman he loved was the same girl who had turned my childhood into a living nightmare. She thought the past was buried. I knew better. And I had a wedding gift that would make sure she remembered.

I learned early on that monsters don’t always hide under beds. Sometimes they sit right behind you in class, whispering just loudly enough for you to hear.

Nancy never shoved or hit me. That would have been too obvious. She was calculated. Her cruelty came wrapped in quiet words and sharp smiles, each comment designed to cut without leaving evidence. Teachers adored her. My parents told me to ignore it. But ignoring Nancy was like trying to sleep through the buzz of a mosquito—you could never quite escape it.

By high school, I perfected the art of invisibility. I ate alone, kept my head down, and counted the days until graduation like a prisoner marking time on a wall.

Then I left. I moved two states away for college, built a career, and slowly created a life where Nancy existed only as a distant, unpleasant memory.

Until my brother called.

“You’ll never guess,” he said, excitement spilling through the phone. “I’m engaged!”

“That’s amazing!” I said, smiling. “Who’s the lucky girl?”

There was a pause—just long enough to set off alarms.

“Nancy.”

My stomach dropped. “Nancy… who?”

“From high school. You remember her.”

Oh, I remembered.

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. The room felt smaller, air suddenly heavier.

“She’s incredible,” he continued, oblivious. “We met through friends a couple years ago. It just clicked. She’s funny, smart—”

“She bullied me,” I said flatly.

Silence.

“She made my life miserable,” I continued. “You didn’t see it because she was nice to you. But to me? She was cruel.”

He hesitated. “I mean… kids can be mean sometimes. It was a long time ago. People grow.”

I closed my eyes. Do they?

“I really want you at the engagement party,” he added gently. “It would mean a lot.”

I should’ve said no. I should’ve protected my peace.

Instead, I convinced myself I was over it. That I was stronger now. That I could handle it.

That lie carried me straight into the restaurant where the engagement party was being held—soft lighting, polite laughter, the clink of glasses filling the air. My brother spotted me immediately, his face lighting up as he pulled me into a hug.

“You made it!” he said warmly.

“Of course,” I replied, though my stomach twisted.

And then I saw her.

Nancy stood near the bar, champagne flute in hand, perfectly composed. When her eyes met mine, a slow smile curved across her lips.

“Well,” she said lightly, tilting her head. “You actually came.”

“I did,” I replied evenly.

She looked me up and down, amusement flickering in her eyes. “You always did surprise me.”

I forced a polite smile and walked past her, pretending not to hear the soft laugh she released behind me.

But she wasn’t done.

Nancy had mastered the art of cruelty wrapped in charm.

“I love that you kept the same haircut from high school,” she said sweetly. “Not everyone commits to nostalgia like that.”

“I heard you’re still single,” she added later, sipping her drink. “That must be… freeing. No one to answer to.”

Each comment was sugar-coated, delivered with a smile just wide enough to make me question myself. And then, when no one else was close enough to hear, she leaned in.

“Still the same little loser,” she whispered. “It’s kind of adorable.”

My grip tightened around my glass. I didn’t shrink this time. I didn’t look away.

She hadn’t changed.

But I had.

That night, lying awake in the dark, I replayed everything—every insult, every humiliation, every moment she made me feel small. I thought about my brother, laughing beside her, unaware of who she really was.

And then, suddenly, I remembered something.

Something she had forgotten.

And in that moment, I knew exactly what my wedding gift would be.

Freshman year of high school. Biology class. Our teacher had brought in live butterflies for a lesson on metamorphosis. Most of us were mesmerized, watching the fragile creatures drift around their enclosure. But Nancy? She let out such a piercing scream that the principal came running.

At first, everyone thought she was joking. Then she bolted from the room, trembling, her face drained of color.

That was the day we all learned Nancy had a severe, irrational fear of butterflies. And some fears never fade with time.

By morning, I had a plan.

I did my research. In my state, releasing native butterflies was completely legal, and there were companies that specialized in providing them for special occasions—weddings, birthdays, memorials.

I found one that delivered live butterflies in an elegantly wrapped box, designed to create a magical moment when opened. The butterflies would burst free in a soft, breathtaking display.

I placed my order. Two hundred live butterflies, scheduled to arrive at Nancy and my brother’s home the night they returned from their wedding.

To make sure everything unfolded exactly as I envisioned, I paid extra for the delivery person to insist the box be opened indoors, claiming the butterflies were too delicate to be exposed to wind.

And just to be safe, I arranged for the entire moment to be recorded.

The wedding itself was exactly what I expected—entirely centered on Nancy. She glowed beneath the attention, parading through the venue in a designer gown, making sure every eye stayed fixed on her. She played the flawless bride, the perfect hostess, the perfect everything.

“You made it!” she gushed, all smiles and manufactured warmth. “I was so worried you’d back out at the last minute.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” I replied smoothly, lifting my champagne flute.

Throughout the evening, she kept it up. A subtle jab here, a sugar-coated insult there. Then, near the end of the night, she made her move.

“So,” she said loudly, drawing attention, “I noticed there’s no gift from you! I know you wouldn’t forget such an important day.”

I smiled and met her gaze. “Oh, I didn’t forget,” I said sweetly. “I wanted to get you something special. Something expensive. It’s waiting for you at home.”

Her eyes lit up instantly, excitement flickering across her face. “Really? What is it?”

I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice just enough to make her lean closer too.

“Something you’ll never forget.”

She beamed, clearly pleased, and I lifted my glass in response.

Later that night, after the reception, Nancy and my brother arrived at their home. Sitting neatly on the doorstep was a beautifully wrapped box, exactly as planned. The butterfly handler—a kind older woman—greeted them with a warm smile.

“This is very delicate,” she explained carefully. “It’s best if you open it indoors so nothing gets damaged.”

Practically buzzing with excitement, Nancy carried the box inside while my brother followed close behind. The handler discreetly pressed “record” on her phone.

With careful hands, Nancy lifted the lid.

Two hundred butterflies exploded into the air in a sudden flurry of wings. For a split second, there was stunned silence. Then Nancy screamed.

She stumbled backward, arms flailing as butterflies filled the room. She shrieked, shaking uncontrollably, gasping for air as she tried to escape the harmless creatures fluttering around her.

My brother rushed to her side, panicked, trying to calm her down—but she was inconsolable. She sobbed and screamed in pure terror, her wedding dress swirling around her in chaos and lace.

The handler captured everything.

The next morning, my phone rang.

The moment I answered, my brother’s furious voice exploded through the speaker.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he snapped. “You traumatized my wife!”

I yawned, stretching lazily. “Oh, now she’s traumatized? That’s interesting.”

“This isn’t funny!” he shouted. “She had a full breakdown! Do you have any idea how long it took me to calm her down? She barely slept! She—”

I cut him off, my voice cool and steady. “And how many nights do you think I spent crying in high school, Matt? How many nights did I lie awake, dreading the next day because of her?”

He went silent.

“That was high school!” he protested weakly. “You need to let it go!”

I smirked, casually twirling my phone between my fingers. “Sure. Just like she did, right? Oh, wait. She didn’t.”

Silence stretched between us.

Then, calmly, I delivered the final blow.

“Oh, and by the way… the whole thing was recorded. Her screaming, sobbing, running in circles over a few butterflies. Pretty hilarious, actually. Maybe I’ll share it. People love wedding disasters.”

His breath caught. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.”

That was the last time I ever heard from Nancy.

And for the first time in years, I slept like a baby.