I hailed a car quickly and arrived at the bridal shop at the same time they did.
Outside the fitting room, Daryl sat on a sofa, flipping through a magazine.
Sarah dragged him over to the rack of wedding gowns, clinging to his arm and pointing at one dress after another.
"Daryl, what do you think? Would I look good in this one?"
Before he could answer, a sales associate hurried over with an eager smile.
"Mrs. Sanchez, with your complexion and figure, you and Mr. Sanchez are a match made in heaven. This silhouette would be perfect on you. Would you like to try it?"
Sarah pressed her lips together in a coy smile. Daryl didn't correct anyone. He simply had the dress taken down.
She was about to step into the fitting room when she suddenly gasped, covering her mouth.
"Oh! Josephine, I'm so sorry. You're the bride. You should try on dresses first."
"Daryl, honestly, I got so carried away that I forgot, and you didn't stop me or pay your own bride any attention!"
She swatted his chest with playful indignation. The staff exchanged awkward glances.
Only then did Daryl turn to look at me.
"Have you found one you like?"
I picked a simple, understated gown. Sarah snatched it from my hands and looked it over.
"I'm not trying to insult your taste, but this design is completely outdated. It won't hold up to the occasion at all. You'd embarrass Daryl."
She turned and lifted her chin toward him. "Don't you agree?"
"Absolutely." Daryl nodded, indulgent as ever. "Josephine, you don't have Sarah's eye. She can spot the right fit in an instant."
"Sarah, go ahead and try on the wedding dress. If you like it, I'll buy it for you."
I sat on the sofa, watching the two of them act like they were the ones getting married, and let out a bitter laugh.
Only after Sarah pulled the fitting room curtain shut did Daryl finally spare me a glance.
"Josephine, go look around on your own. I've been staring at dresses so long my eyes are glazing over. I need a break."
A message arrived on my phone just then, and I used it as an excuse to slip behind the fitting rooms.
It was about the car accident from years ago.
The scant remaining evidence all pointed to both Daryl and Sarah.
Hatred flooded through me, so thick I could barely see straight.
From the fitting room ahead came the muffled sounds of a man's labored breathing and a woman's soft moan.
I buried my emotions and walked back to the sofa.
Vincent was sitting there.
"Josephine, found anything you like?" He slipped into his impersonation of Daryl without missing a beat. "Vincent just texted asking me to pick something up for him. Sarah's still trying on dresses, so I need to stay. If you're done, could you run over for me?"
"Is this fun for you?"
I met his slightly furrowed brow with an icy stare.
"Does lying to me like this amuse you?"
Vincent opened his mouth, momentarily unsure what exactly I was referring to.
A laugh started low in my throat, then grew and grew until it shook my whole body. Tears streamed down my face.
"Sarah makes a lovely bride. Congratulations to you all!"
I screamed the words and stormed out of the bridal shop.
The grief of my parents' murder, the fury of years of deception. I couldn't think about anything else. I just wanted to grab my bags and leave.
"Josephine! What are you throwing a fit about now?"
I had barely gotten into a car when a hand seized my wrist.
Daryl had caught up somehow, his face contorted with the irritation of a man whose good time had been interrupted.
"Don't forget how hard you begged for this wedding. If you want to humiliate yourself, fine, but don't drag the Sanchez name down with you!"
"Think about your late parents' reputation, at least."
Sarah linked her arm through mine, feigning concern.
I looked from one face to the next. All I saw was hypocrisy and absurdity.
As I struggled to break free, a car came hurtling toward us, out of control. Sarah froze in its path.
Daryl reacted instantly, grabbing her and pulling her aside, but an ornament on Sarah's outfit had snagged on my clothes, locking us together.
I twisted frantically to dodge. I was almost clear when Daryl shoved me away with all his strength.
Sarah and Daryl tumbled to safety. I was hit full-on and sent flying.
When I opened my eyes again, the smell of antiseptic filled my nose.
"How are you feeling?"
The familiar voice made my eyes snap wide open.
I never expected to see Brandon Delgado again in this lifetime.
"Don't be alarmed. Your divorce case was assigned to my firm. The original attorney had an accident, so all his cases were transferred to me."
The pain wracking my body left no room to process this. My hand drifted instinctively to my stomach.
"Your baby... didn't make it." Brandon's voice was strained, reluctant. "Josephine, I used to hate you so much. I told myself that if your life fell apart, I'd be glad. But now, why does it hurt like this?"
Two lines of tears slid into the pillow. The fluorescent light above me no longer seemed harsh.
I had dreamed so many times of having a child with Daryl, of becoming a happy family of three. But that was only ever my dream.
This poor child didn't even get a proper farewell.
Outside the room, the nurses' admiring chatter drifted in.
"Mr. Sanchez truly loves his wife. He threw himself in front of a car for her, and even a scrape on her skin sends him into a panic."
"Absolutely. I heard they're so in love, and there's some woman named Manning who keeps trying to come between them."
"Keep your voice down. The one in there might actually be the other woman. She was causing a scene at the bridal shop."
A hollow smile crossed my lips. I looked up at Brandon, his dark, steady eyes.
"Brandon, just this once, take me out of here. As my attorney."
"Okay."
The day I left, I arranged a package for Daryl, timed to arrive on his wedding day. Then I destroyed my SIM card.
It was time to settle every debt with the Sanchez family.
