“I don’t want to ruin her wedding.”
“You’re not,” Megan replied with a shrug. “She did that all by herself.”
My phone pinged with a payment notification. $1,200 from Camille, with a note attached:
“I hope you’re happy.
You made this so much harder than it had to be.”
I showed the others, who erupted in cheers.
“Don’t respond,” advised Tara. “It’s exactly what she wants.”
I nodded, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders. “So what now?”
Leah grinned wickedly.
“Now we drink this wine and I tell you about how we’re going to botch that ridiculous choreographed entrance she’s been drilling us on.”
Two days after the wedding, a package arrived at my door. Inside was the lavender dress, still in its original packaging with tags attached.
There was a note from Jake: “The replacement bridesmaid’s dress never arrived. Thought you should have this back.
I’m sorry for everything.”
I texted the girls on our usual group chat, the one without Camille.
“Got the dress back. Apparently the emergency replacement never showed.”
Megan replied first: “Karma working overtime!”
Leah: “You should have seen her at the wedding. Half of us showed up late, nobody did the dance right, and her mom kept asking where you were.”
Tara: “She told people you had a “personal emergency.” I made sure to correct that narrative.
You should’ve seen her face… it was epic!”
I smiled, looking at the dress. Once, I had imagined wearing it beside my friend on her special day. It now represented something different: the price of standing up for myself.
“What should I do with the dress?” I texted.
Megan’s response came immediately: “Donation bonfire at my place.
Saturday. Bring marshmallows.”
I laughed out loud, then paused, struck by a better idea.
“Actually… I’m thinking of donating it to that organization that gives formal wear to patients undergoing treatment. My doctor mentioned it.”
The responses flooded in immediately with heart emojis, applause, and enthusiastic approval.
As I laughed, I realized something important: I hadn’t just lost a friend.
I discovered who my real friends were all along. And even with my new haircut and lighter bank account, I felt more like myself than I had in months.
Sometimes, the most beautiful moments come after the ones that break you. Sometimes, standing up for yourself costs exactly $1,200.
And sometimes, karma doesn’t need your help at all… it just needs you to step aside and let it work its magic.
Turns out, that’s worth every penny!
Source: amomama
