11
My career was thriving, and we’d finished our wedding photos. I’d even invited friends and family, and my parents had traveled from Hillview to meet Eliza’s family. Everything was smooth, though Rena wasn’t finished with her dramatics.
She made it onto the top trending list with a video, trekking up Red Oaks Chapel hill, stumbling step–by–step in what looked like an act of penance. She only wanted one thing: a brown charm bracelet.
The moment she got it, she fainted from exhaustion, clutching it to her wrist. News broke that she was “repenting for her wrongs” toward her ex, with all her secrets dragged into the open.
The media frenzy lasted days, but most of the comments were brutal, calling her out for being manipulative. Watching the footage, I felt a wave of irritation. She had zero shame, and this was how I was getting my fifteen minutes of fame.
The night before our wedding, Little Ev called, his voice soft and pleading. “Tyler, can you check on my sister? She hasn’t eaten in days, just staring at that bracelet.”
I heard Sammy in the background, which explained
Eliza came over, offering, “Want me to go?”
Verything. “Ev, I’m getting married tomorrow. Stay with your sister.”
After a moment, I nodded. “Let’s go together.
