Chapter 2: The Honeymoon Was Gone
“You canceled what?””
Vanessa’s voice carried across the living room.
She had turned her back to the rest of us, one hand pressed against her ear, as though the walls themselves might be listening.
“What do you mean the reservation is gone?”” she demanded.
No one moved.
My mother stood beside the sofa with a cup of tea she had forgotten to drink. My father was near the fireplace. Two of the wedding guests were pretending to check their phones while watching Vanessa over their screens.
I stayed in the hallway.
Vanessa noticed me.
For one second, our eyes met.
Then she turned away.
“Daniel, you can't do this,” she said.
A pause.
“I don't care what happened by the pool. That has nothing to do with our honeymoon.””
Another pause.
Her face tightened.
“Eight nights? No. Twelve nights. Twelve.””
My stomach dropped.
Maui.
Twelve days.
The honeymoon Vanessa had talked about for months.
A private villa overlooking the ocean. A sunset sailing excursion. A helicopter tour. A dinner reservation at a restaurant she'd described as “impossible to get into unless you book half a year ahead.””
She had shown me the itinerary just three weeks earlier.
She'd expected me to be jealous.
I had pretended not to be.
Now I watched her lose every bit of it over the phone.
“Daniel,” she whispered, “you don't get to cancel our honeymoon because you're angry.””
Nobody had to ask who Daniel was speaking to.
She put the phone on speaker.
His voice came through, calm enough to make the room colder.
“I already did.””
Vanessa stared at the phone.
“You what?””
“I canceled the hotel reservation.””
“You're lying.””
“Check your email.””
She grabbed her phone with shaking fingers.
A few seconds passed.
Then she looked up.
The confidence was gone from her face.
“You actually did it.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Daniel was silent for a moment.
Then he said, “Because I need to think before I marry you.””
The room seemed to shrink.
Vanessa stopped breathing.
“What is that supposed to mean?””
“It means exactly what I said.””
“Daniel, this is insane.””
“No,” he replied.
“What happened today was insane.””
Vanessa looked around the room.
Everyone was staring.
She suddenly lowered her voice.
“Can we please discuss this privately?””
“We're past private.””
Her face reddened.
“I'm your fiancée.””
“I know.””
“You love me.””
Another pause.
“I thought I did.””
Vanessa flinched as though he'd slapped her.
Then she hung up.
She stood there gripping her phone.
For several seconds, she looked lost.
Then her expression changed.
The softness vanished.
She walked directly toward me.
My mother stepped between us.
“Vanessa, not tonight.””
“I need to talk to my sister.””
“You've said enough.””
“She has no idea what she's done.””
I stared at her.
“What have I done?””
Vanessa gave a bitter laugh.
“You always do this.””
“Do what?””
“Make everyone feel sorry for you.””
I felt something inside me go still.
“You pushed me into a pool.””
“I told you, I was joking.””
“And Daniel saw you.””
Her mouth tightened.
“He didn't see everything.””
“He saw your hands.””
She looked away.
“Whatever.””
My father stepped forward.
“That is enough.””
Vanessa turned on him.
“You're taking her side too?””
“She nearly drowned.””
“She was in the pool for, like, thirty seconds!””
My mother stared at her.
“Thirty seconds?””
Vanessa shrugged.
“Maybe forty.””
The room went silent.
I felt my fingers curl around the blanket.
Forty seconds.
She said it like it was nothing.
Forty seconds with my right arm barely working.
Forty seconds of swallowing chlorinated water.
Forty seconds wondering whether anybody would reach me before my lungs gave out.
My father’s voice dropped low.
“You knew she couldn't swim.””
Vanessa's eyes narrowed.
“She can swim.””
I shook my head.
“No. Not anymore.””
She looked at me.
I held her gaze.
“And you knew.””
For the first time, she had nothing to say.
The front door opened.
Daniel walked in.
He had removed his suit jacket, and his tie hung loose around his neck. He looked tired.
Not furious.
Not dramatic.
Just finished.
Vanessa immediately rushed toward him.
“Daniel.””
He stepped back.
“Don't.””
She stopped.
“You can't punish me like this.””
He looked at her.
“I canceled the flights too.””
Her mouth fell open.
“You canceled our flights?””
“Yes.””
“You canceled everything?””
“Yes.””
“Without telling me?””
“I tried.””
“You called while I was changing!””
“I called because I wanted to tell you before you heard it from the resort.””
She shook her head rapidly.
“This is about Emily.””
Daniel glanced at me.
Then back at Vanessa.
“No. This is about you.””
Vanessa folded her arms.
“You're throwing away our entire marriage because of one stupid prank?””
“That's not what happened.””
“It was a joke.””
“A joke is something both people laugh at.””
His voice remained quiet.
“Emily didn't laugh.””
Vanessa's face hardened.
“She always overreacts.””
Daniel took a slow breath.
“Yesterday, she told everyone at dinner that she was afraid of the pool.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“So?””
“So you waited until she was standing at the edge.””
She said nothing.
“You put both hands on her back.””
Silence.
“You pushed her.””
Still silence.
“And when she went under, you laughed.””
Vanessa's eyes filled with anger.
“I panicked.””
“You laughed.””
“I was nervous!””
“You laughed.””
His tone never changed.
That made it worse.
Vanessa looked around desperately.
“Someone tell him I'm not a monster.””
Nobody spoke.
Her eyes landed on me.
“This is your fault.””
Daniel's head turned sharply.
“Don't.””
Vanessa pointed toward me.
“She always wanted me to fail.””
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
“I wanted you to be happy.””
“No, you didn't.””
“I helped you choose flowers.””
“You criticized my venue.””
“I said the parking was difficult.””
“You hated my dress.””
“I said it was expensive.””
“You've been jealous of me our whole lives.””
I stared at her.
“Vanessa, I was in the hospital when you asked me to stand beside you at your wedding.””
She blinked.
“You said you wanted me there.””
“I did.””
“And I said yes.””
“So?””
“So I was prepared to sit there tomorrow, smile for you, and pretend none of this mattered.””
Her expression flickered.
“But you couldn't let me have one weekend.””
I shook my head slowly.
“You were the one who pushed me.””
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
“Enough.””
She turned toward him.
“You're choosing her.””
“No.””
He looked at her for a long moment.
“I'm choosing not to marry someone I don't trust.””
That sentence landed harder than any shouted accusation.
Vanessa's lips parted.
“But we're getting married tomorrow.””
Daniel glanced down at his watch.
“Not anymore.””
A few guests gasped.
Someone near the stairs whispered, “Oh my God.””
Vanessa's face went white.
“You can't just cancel our wedding.””
“I haven't canceled it.””
She stared at him.
“Then what?””
“I told the officiant I won't be there.””
Her eyes filled.
“Daniel…”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
Every person in the room seemed to stop breathing.
The engagement ring.
Vanessa stared at it.
“No.””
Daniel placed the box on the console table.
“I think you should have this back.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Vanessa—”
“You can't do this tonight.””
“I already have.””
She stepped toward him.
“Please.””
He looked at her, and for the first time I saw emotion crack through his controlled expression.
“I loved you enough to spend my life with you.””
His eyes moved toward me.
“But I can't spend that life wondering what you might do when nobody's watching.””
Vanessa started crying.
“Daniel, I would never hurt her.””
He looked at my shoulder.
“You already did.””
He walked away.
The front door shut behind him.
Vanessa stood motionless.
Then she grabbed the velvet box and threw it across the room.
It struck the wall.
The lid opened.
The ring hit the hardwood floor and spun beneath the dining table.
Nobody spoke.
Vanessa wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
Then she looked directly at me.
“This isn't over.””
She walked upstairs.
A minute later, we heard a bedroom door slam.
My mother came over and sat beside me.
“Are you all right?””
I nodded, though I wasn't.
Not completely.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I opened the message.
*Emily, this is Daniel. I need to tell you something about what happened today.*
A second message appeared.
*Your sister wasn't surprised when you fell.*
May you like
Then another.
*Because she knew you were going to be in the pool before she ever pushed you.*
