The morning of my wedding, I woke up feeling like I was floating. This was it—the day I had dreamed about, worked for, and waited years to see.
Leo and I had saved every penny for this wedding. Extra shifts, late nights, cutting corners wherever possible—all to make today perfect.
“Gina, just think of all the money we saved by cooking at home instead of ordering takeout,” Leo had joked one night.
I had laughed. “That’s because we’re on a healthy eating plan, mister.”
Now, after all the hard work, the sacrifices, and the waiting, the day was finally here.
I arrived at the venue an hour early, hoping to have a quiet moment alone. I wanted to breathe in the magic of the space, see the decorations, sip champagne, and feel my dream come to life before the guests arrived.
But as soon as I stepped inside, my heart stopped.
A bride stood at my altar.
She was adjusting her veil, watching the venue staff rush around making last-minute arrangements. Some of the guests had already arrived, mingling with each other.
And then she turned.
Jessica.
My sister.
Wearing a wedding dress. Standing in my venue. Smiling at me like she hadn’t just stolen my entire wedding.
“Oh!” she clapped her hands together. “You’re early! I was hoping to have everything sorted before you arrived. That kind of ruins the surprise.”
I could barely process what she was saying.
“Surprise?” I echoed, my voice hollow.
Jessica sighed dramatically, as if I were the one causing problems. As if I were ruining her special moment.
“Gina, come on,” she said, tilting her head. “Why waste a perfectly good setup? Two weddings in one! Genius, right? And you know how Ben has been pushing me to get married. It just made sense.”
My stomach twisted.
“So, you didn’t just show up in a wedding dress? You planned to get married at my wedding? Are you insane?!”
Jessica pouted. “Mom always said ‘insane’ isn’t a word we use, Gina. Be nice. And don’t be so selfish.”
Selfish? Me? At my own wedding?
That word lit something inside me. Something fierce. Something furious.
Jessica had been taking from me my entire life. My clothes, my ideas, my achievements—she had a way of twisting things so that she always came out on top.
But this?
This was war.
I glanced around. My wedding planner, Bella, looked horrified. The guests who had arrived early were whispering. Even Jessica’s fiancé, Ben, looked deeply uncomfortable.
“Jess, you told me that Gina was fine with this!” Ben exclaimed. “I should have known better.”
My vision sharpened.
I smiled.
“Bella,” I said, turning to my planner. “Did you know about this?”
“Absolutely not, Gina!” she gasped. “I was just finalizing everything for your wedding. Your hair and makeup team is getting set up as we speak.”
I nodded. “Thank you. Now, let’s talk about this ‘double wedding’ situation. Can you pull up our invoice?”
Bella immediately took out her tablet. “Of course.”
Jessica’s smirk wavered.
I crossed my arms. “Since you added your own ceremony, you should know weddings cost money. The officiant, the musicians, the catering—none of that is free, Jessica. If you want a wedding, you have to pay for it.”
Bella, ever the professional, turned to Jessica. “Gina’s right. And she actually left out a few details. The venue charges per guest, so your additional attendees will need to be accounted for. Also, we’ll need to adjust the timeline, and that will cost extra. Would you like to go over the full breakdown?”
Jessica paled. “Wait… what?!”
Bella’s tone remained pleasant. “Since this is a separate ceremony, the fees need to be paid upfront. Before we proceed.”
Jessica let out a nervous laugh. “No, no, no! This is all one event! There aren’t any extra fees! Gina, tell her.”
I shrugged. “Not according to the contract. If you want to crash my wedding, you have to pay.”
Jessica’s face turned red. She looked around for support.
Nobody came to her rescue.
Not Mom. Not Dad. Not even Ben.
“Mom?” she whimpered.
Our mother folded her arms. “You planned this ridiculous stunt behind our backs, Jessica. Fix it yourself.”
Jessica’s lip trembled, and then she exploded.
She shrieked. She stomped her feet. She demanded that I “just share” because we were “family.”
Ben shook his head. “I can’t believe you lied to me, Jess. I’m leaving.”
Jessica fell to the floor, wailing as security escorted her out.
The moment the doors shut behind her, I let out a deep breath.
Bella grinned. “Ready to put on your dress?”
Mom wrapped an arm around me. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you ready.”
And just like that, the wedding went on as planned. It was beautiful. Romantic. Joyful.
Without Jessica’s drama, the atmosphere was light. Full of love.
Later, as Leo and I stood hand in hand, he raised his glass.
“To my beautiful wife,” he said. “And to finally getting the wedding she deserves.”
The room erupted in cheers. I felt my heart swell.
Jessica’s absence? It didn’t matter. For the first time, she hadn’t stolen the spotlight.
I barely had time to take my shoes off that night before a sharp, desperate knock rattled my front door.
I sighed. I already knew who it was.
When I opened the door, Jessica stood there in sweatpants and an old hoodie, her face blotchy from crying.
“Gina,” she whispered. “Can I come in?”
“Why?” I asked simply.
“I just… I need to talk to you.”
I hesitated. Every instinct told me to shut the door in her face. But something in her expression made me pause.
I stepped aside. “Five minutes.”
Jessica shuffled inside, hugging herself. She took a shaky breath. “Ben left me. He said he’s not sure I’m the kind of person he wants to be with. Mom and Dad won’t return my calls. My friends… well, I guess I don’t have as many as I thought.”
She looked at me, red-rimmed eyes pleading. “I don’t know why I do these things, Gina. I don’t know why I can’t just be happy for you. And now… I’ve ruined everything.”
For the first time, Jessica was admitting she was broken.
But for the first time, I didn’t feel the need to fix her.
I exhaled. “Yeah, Jess. You did.”
“Can we… start over?”
I shook my head. “No.”
She flinched.
“You spent years taking from me. And now that you finally have to face the consequences, you want a fresh start?”
She swallowed hard. “I—”
I stepped back, opening the door. “I spent years hoping you’d change. But I’m done hoping. Now, you have to live with the choices you made.”
Jessica hesitated, then nodded. Without another word, she walked away.
I locked the door behind her and put the kettle on.
For the first time in my life, I felt free.
