My first instinct was to call Ethan.
My second was to confront Vanessa.
My third was to cry.
I did none of those things.
I knew Vanessa well enough to understand what would happen if I confronted her without a plan. She would deny everything, accuse me of being jealous, and turn the other women against me before breakfast. By the time I could explain myself, she would have convinced everyone that I was an unstable bride who had misunderstood an innocent conversation.
And if she had truly been manipulating Ethan, I needed to know how far she had gone.
So I sat at the desk, opened my laptop, and began changing my wedding.
At 2:13 a.m., I messaged my older brother, Ryan.
At 2:18, I contacted Chloe, my cousin and one of the few people who had never been particularly impressed by Vanessa.
At 2:20, I booked a second bridal suite under Chloe’s name.
