Claire sighed, rolling her eyes.
“Ugh, babe.
Not now,” she said. “Can we not do this on our wedding day?”
Liam didn’t move at all.
“Answer me.”
She huffed, clearly annoyed.
“Look, she helped us. So what?
That was her gift to us. And honestly, let’s face it, it’s her job, too.”
Liam stared at her in disbelief.
“She paid for the food, Claire. She spent days baking the cake!
And you just… what? Pretended she didn’t exist?”
Claire let out a dramatic sigh.
“Fine. You wanna know the reason?
I didn’t want divorced people at our wedding. It’s bad energy, especially for the bride! I don’t want that kind of luck in our marriage!
I didn’t invite a lot of my friends and cousins.”
Liam’s jaw clenched.
“So you excluded my sister because she got a divorce?”
Claire shrugged.
“I mean… come on. It’s not my fault she couldn’t make it work. Why bring that kind of vibe to our day?
And don’t be mad at me for just trying to stay happy? I’m superstitious, Liam! How do you not know this!?”
Liam fisted his hands at his sides, his entire body rigid with anger.
“Marriages don’t fail because of ‘bad vibes,’ Claire.
They fail because of selfish, cruel behavior. Like this!”
Claire’s smug expression faltered.
“Liam, don’t be dramatic. You’re seriously making a scene over this?
You’re lucky I even let her help. I did her a favor.”
Liam stared at her for a long, cold moment.
“You know what? You’re right,” he said calmly.
“I don’t want bad energy at my wedding either.”
Claire frowned.
“Oh, so you understand what I mean?” she asked.
“No, I don’t,” he said. “Actually, I’m done. Just completely done.”
Liam wasn’t listening anymore.
He turned on his heel and walked straight to the catering table.
Gasps filled the room as Liam grabbed the cake, but no one dared to stop him.
I was already home, curled up on the couch in stunned silence, when the doorbell rang.
I opened it to find Liam standing there, still in his suit, holding the wedding cake. For a second, neither of us spoke. His face was a mix of exhaustion and something heavier.
“I’m sorry you wasted your time and money on that wedding,” he said, his voice rough.
“I’ll make her compensate you. But more than that…”
My brother exhaled, shaking his head.
“Thank you. Because without you, I might never have seen Claire for who she really is.”
My throat tightened.
Liam had always been my big brother.
The one who looked out for me. And today, when it really mattered… he chose me.
I stepped aside, and he walked in, setting the cake down on my coffee table.
For a long moment, we just stared at it.
Then Liam let out a breathless laugh.
“You know, I haven’t eaten all day.”
I grabbed two forks.
“Then let’s fix that.”
We sat on the floor, still in formal clothes, digging straight into the wedding cake like a couple of sugar-starved kids.
Liam took one bite, then froze. His eyes flicked to mine, a soft, almost broken sound escaping his throat.
“Chocolate-peanut butter,” he murmured.
“Yeah,” I swallowed thickly.
He stared at his fork, shaking his head.
“You made this for me,” he said.
It wasn’t a question.
Just a quiet realization.
“Of course, I did, Liam.”
Liam pressed his lips together, nodding slowly. He took another bite, chewing carefully, like he was tasting more than just cake. Like he was remembering home.
After a moment, he cleared his throat.
“You know… if this was the wedding cake, I guess that means I got the best part of today.”
I blinked.
He exhaled.
“I walked away from someone who didn’t respect me. From a future that would have been miserable.”
He looked at me then, his voice quiet but sure.
“But I still have you.”
“Always,” I whispered.
I was in my office, running my fingers over the edge of a new cake design, when I heard a soft knock on the door.
For a second, I thought I imagined it.
Then, it came again. Tentative.
Hesitant.
I exhaled, already tired.
“Come in,” I called.
The door creaked open, and there she was.
Claire.
She looked… different. Not polished. Not smug.
Just pale, uneasy, and carrying the kind of sadness that weighed down her shoulders.
I didn’t stand. I didn’t offer her a seat.
I just folded my arms and waited.
“Hey.”
“You lost?” I raised an eyebrow.
She flinched but nodded, like she deserved that.
“No. I… I wanted to see you.”
I tilted my head, studying her.
“I can’t imagine why.”
Claire swallowed, staring down at her hands.
“Liam won’t talk to me.
Won’t see me… He…” Her voice caught, and for a split second, I saw genuine regret in her eyes.
But it didn’t move me.
She took a breath, trying again.
“I messed up. I…” She exhaled sharply. “I was awful to you, Dahlia.
I was selfish and cruel, and I…”
Her fingers twisted together.
“I never meant for things to go this way.”
I laughed, short and humorless.
“Really? Because it felt intentional.”
Claire winced.
“I thought…” she hesitated. “I thought I could control everything.
That if I just pushed hard enough, I’d get my perfect day. And instead? I ruined everything.”
I didn’t say a word.
She glanced at me then, eyes uncertain.
“I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness.
But I wanted to…”
“Stop,” my voice was flat. “You don’t get to want anything from me, Claire.”
She swallowed hard.
I stood.
“You used me. Lied to me.
Now, get out of my bakery.”
She hesitated. Then nodded once and turned toward the door.
She paused, her hand on the handle.
“I really am sorry.”
I didn’t answer. And a moment later, she was gone.
Source: amomama
