"If that's the case," she said, her voice steady, "then let's break up."
The answer didn't surprise me. It only confirmed what I'd known all along.
I nodded once, turned to the stunned guests, and said quietly, "The wedding is canceled."
"My apologies, everyone."
Gideon whispered something into Eliana's ear and she immediately led him away. She didn't even spare me a glance as they left.
After the guests had filtered out, I went back alone to the carefully decorated bridal suite and started packing my things. Not long after, Gideon updated his social feed. The short video showed a haze of club lights and booming music. He held a wineglass in one hand and had his other arm wrapped possessively around Eliana's slim waist, winking and mugging for the camera. Her veil was askew, cheeks flushed with drink, her eyes glassy.
The caption read, "Celebrating my sister's newfound freedom! Best sibling times—let certain dogs stop dreaming." It wasn't the words that stung so much as the image. The wedding dress I'd spent six months choosing looked like a joke.
A few minutes later Eliana messaged me.
[Jared, Gideon's still very emotional. I have to stay with him a little longer.]