My hands were shaking. I didn’t know whether to scream or cry.
That’s when Tom showed up. He took one look at me, then turned to Linda. “Hey,” he said calmly, “can I talk to you for a sec? Just the two of us.”
He led her away from the parking lot, behind the venue near the garden. I watched them disappear behind a row of hedges.

I had no idea what he said. All I knew was ten minutes later, he came back… alone. Calm, composed, with a tiny smirk.
And Linda?
She didn’t return until just before the ceremony started—and when she did, she was wearing a blush pink cocktail dress.
It was still a little flashy, sure. Sequins, off-shoulder sleeves, and a pair of dramatic earrings. But it was a hundred times better than bridal white.
And when she came to hug me after the ceremony, she barely met my eyes.
