Chapter 2: The Honeymoon That Disappeared
The ambulance wasn’t necessary.
That was what I kept saying.
Even though my shoulder felt like it was burning.
Even though my entire body was shaking.
Even though I could barely breathe without remembering the cold water closing over my head.
“I’m okay,” I repeated.
But nobody believed me.
Not anymore.
Daniel stayed beside me while the resort medic examined my shoulder.
Vanessa stood several feet away.
She wasn’t crying.
She wasn’t apologizing.
She was angry.
That hurt more than the fall.
“Emily, you’re making this look worse than it was,” Vanessa said.
Daniel immediately turned toward her.
“Stop.””
She blinked.
“What?””
“I said stop.””
Vanessa looked around.
She hated that people were watching.
She hated that she wasn’t controlling the story anymore.
“This is insane,” she said.
“Everyone is acting like I attacked her.””
“You pushed her into a pool,” Daniel replied.
“It was a joke!””
“A joke requires someone laughing.””
Nobody said anything.
Because nobody was laughing.
The medic gently moved my arm.
I clenched my teeth.
“Does that hurt?””
“Yes.””
“More than before?””
I nodded.
He sighed.
“You need to be checked by your surgeon.””
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
That small movement almost broke something inside me.
My own sister saw my pain and rolled her eyes.
I remembered the day of my accident.
The rain.
The headlights.
The sound of metal crushing.
The weeks afterward when I couldn’t dress myself.
Vanessa had visited me every day.
At least, that was what I believed.
She sat beside my hospital bed and cried.
“I almost lost you,” she told me.
She held my hand.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.””
I believed her.
I had built an entire version of Vanessa in my mind.
A loving sister.
A protector.
Someone who would never intentionally hurt me.
But maybe I had been holding onto a memory of someone who no longer existed.
Daniel walked back toward us.
His face was calm.
Too calm.
“What did you do?”” Vanessa asked.
Daniel looked at her.
“I canceled the honeymoon.””
The air disappeared from the terrace.
Vanessa stared.
“What?””
“The Maui reservation. The private villa. The boat excursion. Everything.””
Her mouth opened.
“You canceled our honeymoon?””
“Yes.””
“You can’t do that!””
“I just did.””
She laughed nervously.
A fake laugh.
The kind people use when reality becomes too painful.
“You’re serious?””
Daniel nodded.
“I called them.””
“You did this because of her?””
“No.””
He looked at Vanessa.
“I did this because of you.””
That was when her anger changed.
For a moment, she looked scared.
“Daniel…”
“You pushed someone who couldn’t protect herself.””
“I didn’t know she would fall like that.””
Everyone heard it.
The excuse.
Not an apology.
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“You didn’t know?””
Vanessa immediately realized what she had said.
“I mean—I didn’t mean—”
“You knew about her surgery.””
Silence.
She looked away.
Daniel continued.
“You knew she couldn’t lift her arm.””
“She can swim.””
I felt my stomach twist.
Daniel looked at her like she had just confirmed everything.
“She can barely use one arm.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“This is ridiculous.””
Then she pointed at me.
“Emily has always been sensitive.””
My chest tightened.
I wanted to disappear.
But something inside me finally broke.
“Sensitive?””
My voice was weak.
Everyone turned.
I pushed myself up slightly.
“Vanessa, I spent three months learning how to sleep without waking up from pain.””
She stared at me.
“I had to learn how to shower with one hand.””
My voice shook.
“I had to ask people for help opening doors.””
The terrace was completely silent.
“And you knew.””
Vanessa’s expression flickered.
For once, she had no immediate response.
Daniel looked at me.
“I’m sorry.””
Those two words meant more than he probably realized.
Because my own sister hadn’t said them.
The next morning, my parents arrived at the resort.
They had heard what happened from another guest.
My mother hugged me carefully.
My father looked furious.
But when Vanessa walked into the room, she didn’t look ashamed.
She looked betrayed.
“You all believe her over me?””
My mother stared.
“She was pushed into a pool.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“You’re acting like I’m a monster.””
Nobody answered.
Because sometimes silence says more than words.
Then Vanessa looked directly at me.
Her eyes were cold.
“You ruined my wedding.””
I felt a chill run through me.
Not because of what she said.
Because of how she said it.
Like she truly believed it.
And then her phone rang.
She looked down at the screen.
The color drained from her face.
“Who is it?”” Daniel asked.
Vanessa didn’t answer.
She just stared at the name.
Because the person calling was someone none of us expected.
May you like
And when she finally answered, her first words were:
“Wait… how did you find out?””
