My little sister always hated me when we were growing up. So when she suddenly asked me to be her maid of honor, I couldn’t believe it. I was so happy! But nothing could prepare me for the shock of seeing my bridesmaid dress. Sadie, that tricky little sister of mine, had planned a prank so cruel it almost made me cry. But don’t worry—I found the perfect way to get back at her.
The wedding invitation sat right there on my kitchen counter, staring at me with its fancy curly writing and pretty flowers. My little sister, Sadie, was getting married. And somehow, she’d asked me—Nancy, her oldest sister and her sworn enemy for 32 years—to be her maid of honor. Me! I couldn’t help but laugh at the crazy irony of it all.
“What’s so funny?” my best friend Liz asked as she sipped her coffee, looking at me with curious eyes.
I held up the invitation. “Sadie wants me to be her maid of honor.”
Liz almost choked on her drink. “Are you serious? The same Sadie who put gum in your hair at your high school graduation?”
“The very same,” I sighed, touching my much shorter hair that had been cut after Sadie’s prank—a painful reminder of her mean streak.
Liz gave me a worried look. “Nancy, are you sure this is a good idea? Your relationship with her has always been—”
“A dumpster fire?” I finished her sentence. “Yeah, I know.”
Growing up, Sadie was always jealous of me. But not because I was the perfect sister—far from it. I was the sick kid, the one in and out of hospitals all the time. Our parents spent most of their energy trying to keep me alive and healthy. Sadie, on the other hand, was strong and healthy but often left to deal with things on her own. That loneliness made her bitter, and she took it out on me in the worst ways.
She would say cruel things, play nasty tricks, and look at me like I was the worst person on earth.
“Maybe she’s changed,” I whispered to myself, though it sounded weak even to my own ears.
Liz frowned. “People don’t change that fast, Nancy. You have to be careful.”
I nodded slowly but deep down, I dared to hope this wedding was a chance for us to finally become real sisters.
The bridal shop was like a dream — walls full of white and soft pastel colors, lace and sparkles everywhere. And there was Sadie, glowing in her wedding dress, looking like a true princess.
“Nancy! There you are!” she called, waving me over. “What do you think?”
I smiled genuinely. “You look amazing, Sadie. Truly.”
For a brief moment, I saw the little girl who used to beg me to play dress-up with her. But just as fast, that warm feeling disappeared, replaced by Sadie’s usual cold smirk.
“Great. Now, let’s find you a dress that won’t make you look like a beached whale,” she said, flipping through the racks like I was a problem to solve.
There she was again — the Sadie I knew and feared.
While we looked at dresses, I couldn’t help but ask, “Sadie, why did you choose me as your maid of honor? We’re not really close.”
She stopped, holding a dress halfway off the rack. “You’re my sister, Nancy. It’s expected.”
“Right,” I muttered. “Wouldn’t want to disappoint the family, would we?”
Sadie’s eyes narrowed sharply. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly. “Let’s just find a dress, okay?”
The next few weeks were a whirlwind. Dress fittings, flower choices, invitations—everything was in motion. Surprisingly, I started to enjoy some moments with Sadie. She seemed softer, less sharp, less angry.
Maybe there was hope.
During the final dress fitting, standing side by side in front of the mirror, Sadie said quietly, “You know, I never thought we’d be here.”
“Getting you married off?” I joked.
She rolled her eyes. “No, dummy. Here—together—without wanting to kill each other.”
I smiled, surprised by how honest she sounded. “Yeah. It’s kind of nice, isn’t it?”
Sadie nodded with a small smile. “Maybe we can keep this up after the wedding. You know, actually be sisters!”
My heart felt lighter. “I’d like that, Sadie. I really would.”
The big day came. My heart was fluttering as I walked into the bridal suite, dress bag in hand, ready to be the supportive sister.
“Nancy! Thank God you’re here!” Sadie said, relieved. “The other bridesmaids are late.”
“No worries. I’ve got this,” I said, hanging up my dress and starting to fix her hair.
As I pinned up her golden curls, we looked in the mirror. For a moment, I saw the little girl who used to follow me everywhere, even if we fought.
“You look beautiful, Sadie,” I said softly.
“Thanks, Nance.”
Just then, the other bridesmaids arrived—a bundle of giggles and champagne bubbles. I stepped back to let them fuss over Sadie and went to change.
I unzipped my garment bag and pulled out the bridesmaid dress we had chosen together. But my heart froze.
“What the…?” I gasped.
The dress was huge. Several sizes too big. I held it up, my hands shaking. “Sadie, there’s been a mistake. My dress is enormous!”
Sadie turned around, eyes wide with fake surprise. “Oh no! Did you lose weight or something?”
I stared at her, the awful truth sinking in. “Like, 33 pounds. And no one noticed? We had fittings last week! This isn’t an accident.”
She shrugged and looked away. “Well, I guess you can’t be my maid of honor now. Don’t worry, Jess can take your place.”
Her voice was cruel and cold. All the hope I had built up came crashing down.
“How could you do this?” I whispered, tears burning my eyes.
“Oh please,” Sadie sneered. “Did you really think things had changed? That we were best friends now? Grow up, Nancy. This is my day, and I’m not letting you ruin it by upstaging me like you always do.”
I stood there, clutching the huge dress, feeling like the sick little kid again. Then suddenly, a voice cut through the tension.
“What’s all this fuss about?” Aunt Marie appeared, eyes sharp as she looked around.
“Aunt Marie, I—” I started, but she raised her hand to stop me.
“Save it, honey. I think I have just the thing!” She smiled and motioned for me to follow her.
In the hallway, she handed me a box. “I had a feeling Sadie might pull something like this. Open it.”
Inside was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. It looked just like the bridesmaids’ dresses but better—sparkling with delicate beads and a rich, deeper color.
“How did you—?” I stammered.
Aunt Marie winked. “I overheard Sadie plotting with her friends. Didn’t believe it at first, but just in case, I had my seamstress make this. Guess I was right.”
I was shocked and hurt that Sadie had actually planned this mean trick.
Aunt Marie squeezed my shoulder. “Now go put this on and show your sister what real class looks like.”
Taking a deep breath, I nodded. Sadie wanted to ruin me, but thanks to Aunt Marie, I wasn’t going down without a fight.
I slipped into the new dress and walked back to the bridal suite. Sadie’s jaw dropped when she saw me.
“What?? How did you—?” she stammered.
I smiled sweetly. “Oh, just a little magic from Aunt Marie. Don’t worry, I won’t steal your thunder.”
Sadie’s face twisted from shock to anger, then, surprisingly, to something like shame.
“You look amazing, Nancy,” she said softly.
For a moment, we just stood there, years of fighting and anger between us. Then, to my surprise, Sadie’s eyes filled with tears.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’ve been such a witch. I just… I always felt like I was living in your shadow.”
I reached out and took her hand. “Sadie, there was never any competition. I was just trying to survive.”
She nodded, squeezing my hand tight. “I know that now. God, we wasted so much time, didn’t we?”
The wedding ceremony was beautiful. Sadie looked radiant walking down the aisle. Standing next to her, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years — the joy of truly being there for my sister.
At the reception, Sadie pulled me aside. “Nancy, I need to say something.”
I braced myself, used to the old Sadie’s sharp words.
“What is it?”
She took a deep breath. “Thank you. For being here, for looking gorgeous, for everything. I was so caught up in my own insecurities, I never saw what you were going through. Can we start over?”
Tears prickled my eyes. “I’d like that, Sadie. I really would.”
She hugged me tightly, and for the first time in forever, it felt real. As we pulled apart, laughing and wiping away tears, I caught Aunt Marie’s eye across the room. She raised her glass with a wink.
Maybe this was the start of something new for us.
Later that night, as the dance floor filled with music and laughter, Sadie grabbed my hand.
“Come on, sis. Let’s show these people how it’s done.”
We twirled under the twinkling lights, laughing together.
And I realized something: sometimes the best revenge isn’t getting even — it’s moving forward together.
