His face was tight with anger, but when he saw me, the anger gave way to something else.
His eyes filled.
Then, incredibly, he smiled.
By the time I reached him, several guests were openly whispering.
My father kissed my cheek and placed my hand in Ethan’s.
Ethan leaned toward me.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“I’m hoping you mean that affectionately.”
“I absolutely do.”
I glanced toward Victoria.
She was staring at Ethan’s phone.
That was when she realized he knew.
The officiant hesitated.
I gave him a small nod.
“Before we begin,” I said, “I’d like to thank someone.”
The garden became quiet again.
Victoria’s shoulders stiffened.
I turned toward her.
“Victoria, would you stand up, please?”
She didn’t move.
Ethan’s voice was calm.
“Mom.”
She looked at him.
“Stand up.”
Slowly, Victoria rose.
Every guest was watching her now.
I held up the red nose.
“I want to thank my future mother-in-law for the wedding present she arranged for me this morning.”
A nervous laugh came from somewhere in the back row.
Victoria’s face tightened.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I had expected denial.
So had Ethan.
He lifted his phone.
“Then maybe you can explain the video.”
Victoria’s eyes flicked toward the screen.
“What video?”
“The security recording of you taking Lily’s wedding dress out of the bridal suite last night.”
The garden erupted into whispers.
Victoria looked around as if searching for an ally.
Her husband stared at her.
Several relatives who had spent the previous year tolerating her comments now looked stunned.
She recovered quickly.
Victoria was very good at recovering.
“This is absurd,” she said.
“I was helping.
Lily asked me to make sure the dress was delivered.”
“And it was delivered,” Ethan said.
“The video shows that.
Then you removed it.”
Victoria turned to me.
Her voice sharpened.
“You’re making a spectacle of this family.”
There it was.
The accusation she always returned to.
Not that she had hurt me.
