Chapter 3 - CUTTING THE THREADS
The ride home in Mark’s truck was dead silent, save for the hum of the tires against the pavement. He held my hand tightly over the center console, his thumb rubbing small circles against my knuckles.
"I can't believe her," Mark muttered, his jaw tight as he stared at the road. "Eleven years, Lauren. You were her maid of honor candidate before she decided her sister looked better in photos. You paid for her bachelorette party gift bag out of your own pocket last month."
"I know," I whispered, staring out the passenger window at the passing autumn leaves. Columbus was bright with crimson and gold, but everything felt gray inside me. "I kept telling myself she was just stressed. That 'Bridzilla' was just a stupid internet trope and Megan was still the person who stayed awake with me all night when my dad passed away."
"People show you who they are when they get a little bit of power or stress," Mark said softly. "She showed you."
When we got back to our townhouse, I collapsed onto the couch. My body was exhausted from the physical strain of standing and the emotional drain of the confrontation. I rested my hands on my bump, feeling the baby kick against my palm.
"Hey little one," I whispered. "At least one of us knows how to make space."
My phone chimed. Then it chimed again. And again.
I picked it up. The group chat—titled Megan’s Magical Day 2026—was exploding.
Priya: Lauren, are you okay?? That was awful. I didn't know what to say.
Rachel: Honestly Megan, that was really harsh. She's pregnant.
Megan: I am dealing with a lot of stress right now. Lauren knew the dress rules. If anyone wants to step down because they can't support my vision, let me know now.
Sophie: Megan, shut up. You sabotaged her size. Aunt June literally proved it.
Megan: Sophie, stay out of this. You're my sister, you're supposed to have my back.
Sophie: Not when you're being cruel.
I watched the text thread scroll by in real-time. My heart thudded in my chest. For months, I had felt isolated, wondering if I was indeed being "difficult" or "demanding" just because I couldn't keep up with late-night party planning or wear towering heels. Seeing Sophie and Priya speak up gave me a sudden, clear wave of validation.
I pulled up the group chat settings, tapped Leave Group, and watched the screen disappear.
Then, I blocked Megan’s number.
An hour later, there was a sharp knock at our front door. Mark went to answer it while I stayed on the sofa. I heard hushed, urgent voices in the entryway, followed by Mark saying, "Look, man, she's resting. She doesn't need this right now."
"Please, Mark. Just five minutes."
It was Ryan Parker. Megan’s fiancé.
I stood up slowly, wrapping a cardigan around myself, and walked into the hallway. Ryan was standing by the door, holding a box of donuts from our favorite local bakery. He looked completely bewildered and deeply embarrassed.
"Lauren," Ryan said, his voice laced with genuine regret. "I... I just heard what happened at the shop. Sophie called me crying from her car."
"Did Megan tell you her side?" I asked, keeping my voice flat.
Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. "Megan told me you threw a fit because the dress didn't fit and that your aunt threatened to cancel all the dresses. But then Sophie told me about the portal log. About the size 10 order."
He looked at me, his eyes searching mine. "Did she really do that, Lauren? Did she intentionally change your dress size so it wouldn't fit you?"
"Yes, Ryan," I said quietly. "June pulled the system records. The change was made from her email on September 18. She changed it to a size 10 without telling me, knowing I was growing every week. She wanted me to fail the fitting so she had an excuse to cut me out without looking like the bad guy."
Ryan stood frozen in our entryway. The reality of what his bride-to-be had done seemed to crush him right there in front of us.
"She told me you were being unreasonable," Ryan whispered. "She told me you were trying to ruin the photos out of jealousy because you got married in a courthouse and didn't have a big wedding."
Mark stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "She said what?"
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"That's what Megan’s been telling Ryan?" I asked, feeling a cold numbness settle over me. "That I was jealous?"
Ryan lowered the donut box onto our entryway table, his hands trembling slightly. "I'm so sorry, Lauren. I don't... I don't even know who she is right now."
