Mariz walked in carrying a neatly folded set of clothes. Her eyes were still red, as though she had been crying.
"Auntie, I found you something clean to change into. Why don't you put this on first?" Her voice was gentle, almost thoughtful.
But the moment the outfit was unfolded, the color drained from my mother's face.
It was a plain black skirt suit from the hotel's spare uniform supply.
The fabric was stiff and worn, the skirt still creased from being folded away. Pinned to the chest was an employee name tag that hadn't even been removed.
As if she hadn't noticed, Mariz smiled softly. "Just make do with it for now, Auntie. Besides, everyone will be taking pictures of the bride and groom. No one will see you clearly anyway."
My mother held the uniform in both hands, her fingers tightening around the fabric.
The dress she had worn today... She had bought it two months in advance.
To save enough money for it, she had gone an entire month without buying herself any fresh groceries.
Every evening, she would stand in front of the mirror trying it on.
Then she'd ask me with a shy smile, "Donna... do I look too flashy in this? Do you think I'll seem less respectable than your future in-laws from the city?"
Back then, I had laughed and hugged her. "Mom, you're the prettiest woman there'll be."
Her eyes had curved into happy crescents.
But now, holding an old hotel staff uniform, she lowered her head and quietly said, "It's alright. As long as I have something to wear."
My eyes suddenly burned with tears.
Meanwhile, Derrick looked as though a weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders.
"Mariz really thought of everything." Then he turned to me. "And stop looking so upset, Donna. You scared Mariz so badly earlier that she cried."
"When we go back out, apologize to her in front of everyone."
Mariz pursed her lips and softly protested, "Derrick, don't force Sister Donna. I know she doesn't like me. I just wanted to help make your wedding perfect."
Derrick's expression immediately softened. "I know. Don't feel bad."
Standing off to the side, I suddenly found myself too exhausted even to sneer.
My mother lowered her head without saying a word. But I saw her tears fall silently onto the black uniform.
The stiff fabric absorbed them instantly, leaving no trace behind.
At that moment, an overwhelming calm settled over me. It turned out that from the very beginning, my parents had never been treated as honored guests at this wedding.
They had never been respected at all.
I took out my phone and sent a message to the wedding planner.
[Don't wait for the original schedule. When the ceremony starts, play what I gave you.]
The reply came almost immediately.
[Are you sure?]
I looked at Derrick, who was still lowering his head to comfort Mariz. Then I looked at my parents, desperately holding back their tears.
Slowly, I typed two words. [I'm sure.]
-
When I returned to the banquet hall, Mariz was sitting in the bridal lounge. Her eyes were still red as she cradled a cup of warm water in both hands.
Derrick stood in front of her, bending slightly as he gently wiped away her tears with a tissue. "Mariz... don't cry. None of this was your fault."
A first-aid kit sat on the nearby table.
My father's palm was still embedded with tiny shards of porcelain. The wound on his knee hadn't even stopped bleeding.
Yet from beginning to end, no one had thought to carry that first-aid kit into the storage room.
Mariz had shed only a few tears, and Derrick treated it as though she had suffered the greatest injustice in the world.
Watching them from a distance, I suddenly remembered something from years ago.
It was the night of the company's annual gala.
I had been burning with a high fever, waiting outside the hotel entrance for Derrick to pick me up. He had promised he'd come as soon as the meeting ended.
I waited until well past midnight. In the end, all I received was a single message.
[Mariz had too much to drink. She just joined the company. It's not safe for a young woman to go home alone, so I'm taking her back first.]
That night, my fever was so high I could barely remain standing.
Yet all I replied was, [Okay. Drive safely.]
