re we proceed.”

Jessica laughed nervously.

“No, no, no! This is all one event! There’s no other add-ons or whatever you’re talking about, Bella.

Come on, Gina. Tell her.”

I shrugged.

“Not according to the contract, Jessica. Your part wasn’t included in the original agreement.

Weddings cost money. If you want one, you have to pay.”

Jessica’s face turned bright red, and she dropped the veil she had been holding.

She looked around, expecting someone to back her up.

Nobody did.

Not Mom. Not Dad.

Not even Ben.

“Mom?” she whimpered.

Our mother folded her arms. She looked livid.

“You planned this nonsense behind everyone’s back, 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.”

“You need to calm down, Jess,” Ben told her. “I can’t believe that you lied to me and told me that Gina and Leo were happy about this.

I’m leaving.”

Jessica fell into a heap on the floor. Our father called security to escort her out.

I took a deep breath and smiled.

“Ready to slip into your dress?” Bella asked.

I nodded.

“It’s almost go-time, Gina,” my mother said. “Come on, I’ll help you.”

The wedding went off without a hitch after that.

It was perfectly romantic and intimate.

Without Jessica and her drama? The atmosphere was light, joyful, and electric.

Mom pulled me aside, wrapping me into a hug.

“I can’t believe your sister actually thought she could get away with it,” she said.

“Honestly? Neither can I!” I laughed.

“I told Leo everything after our ceremony, and he was shocked. Thank goodness he missed the whole confrontation—knowing Leo, he would have allowed her to have her moment. Just to keep the peace.”

“You’ve got a lovely husband, Gina,” Mom said.

“And don’t you take that for granted.”

Before we knew it, my dad walked up to us.

“She called. She said that we should all be ashamed for ‘humiliating’ her.”

I rolled my eyes.

“She humiliated herself. I just made sure that she didn’t get a free wedding out of it.

Leo and I worked our butts off to make this perfect. I wasn’t going to let Jessica sponge off me this time.”

Later that night, Leo and I stood together, hands entwined as he raised his glass.

“To my beautiful wife,” he said, eyes locked onto mine. “And to finally getting the wedding she deserves.”

Everyone cheered.

I felt tears well in my eyes, overwhelmed by love and support.

Jessica’s absence?

It didn’t matter.

I had barely taken off my shoes when the banging started.

Sharp. Desperate. Unrelenting.

I sighed, rolling my shoulders before walking to the door.

I already knew who it was.

I opened it to find Jessica, standing on my porch in sweatpants and an old hoodie, her face blotchy from crying. Her usual perfectly curled hair was tied in a messy bun, and her mascara had smudged beneath her eyes.

For the first time in my life, she looked small.

“Gina,” she whispered. “Can I come in?”

“Why?” I asked simply.

“I just… I need to talk to you,” she said.

I studied her, debating.

Every instinct told me to slam the door in her face, but something in her expression… a rawness I had never seen before, made me hesitate.

With a sigh, I stepped aside.

“Five minutes. That’s all you have.”

She stepped in, hugging her arms around herself.

I waited, arms still crossed as she stood in the middle of my living room, looking around like she barely recognized the space.

Finally, she exhaled a shaky breath.

“Ben left me,” her voice cracked. “He… he said that he needed a break.

That he didn’t understand why I did what I did. That he’s not sure I’m the kind of person he wants to be with.”

She let out a hollow laugh, swiping at her cheeks.

“Guess I finally took it too far, huh?”

I said nothing. I didn’t have any words.

Jessica licked her lips, avoiding my eyes.

“You know… I didn’t think it was that bad at first.

I thought you’d be mad for a little while, then we’d move on, like we always do.”

My jaw tightened.

“But then Ben left. And Mom and Dad won’t return my calls. And my friends…” Her voice wavered.

“Well, it turns out that I don’t have as many as I thought.”

She looked at me then, eyes red-rimmed and pleading.

“I don’t know why I do these things, Gina. I don’t know why I can’t just… be happy for you. I ruin everything.

And now? I’ve ruined myself.”

For the first time ever, Jessica was admitting that she was… not okay.

And for the first time ever, I didn’t feel the need to fix her.

I exhaled slowly.

“Yeah, Jess. You did.”

“Can we… start over?”

I stared at her, then shook my head.

“No.”

Jessica flinched.

I stepped closer, my voice calm but firm.

“You’ve spent years making me feel small.

Stealing what wasn’t yours. Manipulating people into thinking you were the victim. And now that you finally have to deal with the fallout,” I tilted my head.

“you want a fresh start?”

She swallowed, nodding.

I let out a quiet laugh, shaking my head.

“I spent years hoping you’d change. But I’m done hoping, Jess,” I walked to the door and pulled it open. “Now you have to live with the choices you made.”

Jessica’s face crumbled.

For a second, I thought she might argue.

But instead, she turned away without another word.

As she stepped outside, I spoke one last time.

“I really do hope you figure yourself out.”

She hesitated, then nodded once before walking away.

I shut the door, locking it behind her. And I put the kettle on.

For the first time in my life, I felt free.

What would you have done?

Source: amomama