Chapter 4When Even My Wedding Became About My Sister, I Called It Off

He knocked on my door and asked as casually as if we were discussing something ordinary, "Elena, let's move the wedding to the evening, all right?

"Viola's appointment ceremony will only happen once."

I looked at him and suddenly found it funny.

And how many weddings was I supposed to have?

Marisa reminded us over the phone that the church arrangements and the guests' travel plans had already been finalized, and any last-minute change required the bride's consent.

My mother answered for me. "She'll agree."

Matteo looked at me with gentle certainty.

"You're the reasonable one."

I suddenly remembered the first time I won an award for my legal aid work.

My parents said they couldn't come because my sister had an important interview. Matteo promised he would be there, but in the end, he went to my sister's interview too.

I stood onstage holding my certificate, and every family in the audience had come for someone else.

Afterward, he called to ask if I could look over my sister's interview notes as well.

So all those years, I had been standing in the same place, waiting for the same person to let me down again.

It wasn't that I didn't understand how much my sister's ceremony mattered. I only wondered whether, just once, I could matter without having to explain why.

"Fine. Move it to the evening."

A wedding without me could be held whenever they liked.

They were happy again. After the celebration, Matteo lay drunk on the sofa in the apartment.

My bags were already packed, but I still couldn't stop myself from asking him, "Are you looking forward to our wedding?"

He mumbled something like a yes.

Even that much, somehow, was still enough to give me a flicker of hope.

"Then why are you marrying me?"

"You're steady. You know the rules... You're suited to being the Donna."

"And if Viola had said yes back then?"

His eyes stayed closed. After a long silence, he answered, "Then of course it wouldn't be you."

My hand tightened around the glass.

"A man has to accept reality. If I marry you, at least I still get to see her often."

I thought I had known the answer all along. Hearing it still knocked the breath out of me.

I had made excuses for him so many times. He just couldn't let go of an old regret. One day, he would finally see me. It had never occurred to me that even his decision to marry me was about my sister.

So I wasn't just his second choice. The life I had so carefully prepared for was his way of staying close to another woman.

I sat there for a long time before taking off the ring.

That night, my lawyer confirmed that the notice revoking the proxy had been delivered to the company. Following his checklist, I canceled the existing signature authorizations tied to my name.

Doing it didn't make me feel lighter right away.

I was afraid of my father's anger and that my mother really would disown me. But I couldn't say I was leaving while still giving them the right to decide my life.

On the wedding day, the house was busy before dawn.

My mother chose my sister's earrings. My father confirmed the route. Matteo pinned the family crest on her, and she wore the sapphires around her neck.

I came down with my suitcase and said I was going to the venue first.

"Good. Make sure the guests are taken care of."

He didn't look up.

All the drivers were busy transporting council members, so I called a car myself.

In the rearview mirror, I watched my family gather around my sister as she got into the car. They left for the ceremony. My car headed for the airport.

At the terminal, I asked Marisa to cancel everything involving the bride and paid the fees required under the contract.

She asked whether Matteo knew.

"Please send the formal notice to him as well."

I turned off my phone.

When the plane landed in North Harbor, I saw Noah waving to me from the other side of the crowd.

That evening, in another city, Matteo finally arrived at the hotel after the ceremony.

Marisa came to meet him, her face pale.

"Don Moretti, the bride never showed up. She says the wedding is canceled."