“This is the worst ‘joke’ you could have come up with,” Ryan said loudly. “You humiliated your new wife in front of her family and friends on one of the most important days of her life.”
Ed was sputtering, trying to wipe cake from his eyes and mouth. Frosting dripped from his hair onto his ruined tuxedo jacket.
But Ryan wasn’t finished. He looked down at Ed with disgust. “Does it feel good now? Having your own face shoved in cake? Because that’s exactly how you just made Lily feel.”
Then Ryan turned to me, his expression softening when he saw my face.
“Lily,” he said quietly, “think carefully if you really want to spend the rest of your life with someone who shows zero respect for you or our family.”
Ed finally managed to stand up straight, cake still clinging to his suit. His face was red, either from embarrassment or anger. I couldn’t really tell.
“You ruined the wedding for your sister,” he muttered, pointing an accusing finger at Ryan.
That was it.
Without another word, Ed stormed toward the exit, leaving a trail of cake crumbs behind him. The heavy doors slammed shut, and he was gone.
Ryan immediately came to my side. “Come on,” he said gently, “let’s get you cleaned up.”
He escorted me to the women’s restroom, somehow managing to find hair ties and wet towels. While I scrubbed frosting from my face and hair, he stood guard outside the door.
“I won’t ever let anyone treat you like that,” he said quietly when I emerged. “And you know, if Dad were here, he would have done the exact same thing.”
At that point, I looked at Ryan. His knuckles were still clenched, and his jaw was still tight with protective anger. This was my brother, trying to save my wedding day from getting ruined. This was my brother trying his best to protect his little sister.
“Thank you,” I whispered, meaning it more than I’d ever meant anything. “You did the right thing, Ryan. Despite everything that just happened, you stood up for me when I couldn’t stand up for myself. I’ll never forget what you did for me today. Thank you so much, really.”
But then reality hit me. “I still have to decide if this marriage is worth continuing after it started like this.”
The reception limped along without the groom.
Our family and friends tried their best to keep the mood light, but everyone was talking about what had happened.
My aunt kept shaking her head and muttering, “In my day, men knew how to treat ladies.”
Meanwhile, Uncle Joe kept patting Ryan on the back, saying, “Good for you, son.”
Ed didn’t come home that night. I sat in our apartment, still in my ruined wedding dress, wondering if my marriage was over before it had really begun.
