I'm past that now. I walked into the hallway and picked up the small box where I had kept the engagement ring documents and receipts. Deborah watched me. What are you doing? I took off the ring from her finger.
She didn't resist. I placed it inside the box and closed the lid. Her eyes followed my hands. Steven, you don't need this anymore. She shook her head.
Please don't. You made your decision. I made a mistake. Maybe. I put the box on the counter.
But mistakes have consequences. She wiped her face. Can we start over? No. You don't even want to try?
I tried before you left. She stared at me. What does that mean? It means I gave you the choice. You made it.
She sat down at the kitchen table. For the first time that night, she looked less angry than frightened. What am I supposed to tell my parents? The truth. They'll hate me.
They're your parents. That's between you and them. She covered her face with both hands. I didn't move toward her. I didn't insult her.
I didn't need to. The next morning William arrived at 8:00. He looked at Deborah, then at the ring box on the counter. "Everything's canceled? " he asked. "Everything. " Deborah stood up.
"I'm going to my sister's. " I nodded. She picked up a suitcase from the hallway. Before she reached the door, she stopped. "Do you really want me gone? " I looked at her. "Yes. " She stared at me for a few seconds.
Then she walked out. William waited until her car disappeared. "Are you sure? " I looked at the empty driveway. "Completely. " Then I handed him the wedding binder. "Help me finish cleaning this up. " The wedding was over.
Now I had to deal with everything that came after it. The following week was mostly cleanup. I met with the venue manager and signed the cancellation paperwork. The photographer returned part of our deposit. The caterer kept a fee, and I accepted it without arguing.
Money didn't matter anymore. Neither did the invitations. What bothered me was how long Deborah had been thinking about this. I knew about the group chat. I knew she had joined it weeks before she ever mentioned the party to me.
But there was still something I didn't know. On Wednesday evening William came over. He placed his phone on my kitchen table. "I need to show you something. " I looked at him. "What? " He opened an email.
It was from a woman named Lauren, someone Deborah had worked with at the dental office. Lauren had apparently heard that the wedding was canceled and wanted to explain something. She had attached a screenshot. It was an old message from Deborah. The date was almost 4 months earlier.
I read it twice. Deborah had written that she was tired of feeling like her life was already decided. Lauren had replied asking if she was talking about the wedding. Deborah's answer was simple. "I don't know if I want to spend the rest of my life doing what everyone expects. " I stared at the screen.