She nodded. «I understand. Do you think I did the right thing? The whole public humiliation thing. The arrests.»
Sydney stared at me like I’d grown a second head. «Anna, they stole from you. They lied to you. They betrayed you in the worst possible way. And they were planning to let you marry him and spend your honeymoon not knowing that your husband was in love with your best friend and carrying her baby.»
«James’s baby,» I corrected.
«Whatever. The point is, they deserved everything they got. And honestly, you probably saved other people from being victimized by them in the future.»
«You think so?»
«I know so. Karen’s been using people her whole life. Remember in high school when she borrowed money from half our class and never paid anyone back? Or when she cheated on that scholarship exam and let Maria get blamed for it? Or when she—»
«Okay, okay,» I laughed. «I get it. I should have seen the patterns earlier.»
«Love makes us blind to patterns,» Sydney said gently. «Both kinds of love. Romantic love and friend love.»
We stood in comfortable silence, sipping our champagne and watching the fairy lights twinkle. «So what happens now?» Sydney asked.
«Well, according to Detective Rivera, they’ll both probably go to prison. I’ll have to testify at the trial, but he says it’s pretty much a slam-dunk case.»
«I meant, what happens to you? What do you do now?»
I thought about it. For three years, my entire future had been planned around Colton: our apartment, our joint accounts, our five-year plan, our dreams of kids and houses and growing old together. All of that was gone now.
«I guess I figure out who I am when I’m not half of a couple,» I said. «I haven’t been single since I was twenty-five. I don’t even remember what I like to do in my spare time.»
«You like to read trashy romance novels and eat ice cream straight from the container while watching cooking shows,» Sydney said immediately.
«Those are things I did when Colton was working late.»
«Exactly. Things you like that you never got to do because you were too busy being the perfect girlfriend.»
She had a point. «I want to travel,» I said suddenly. «I’ve always wanted to see Europe, but Colton said it was too expensive. I’ve got money saved up now that I’m not spending it on a wedding or a cheating boyfriend. Maybe I’ll take that trip.»
«Do it. And I want to go back to school, get my master’s degree in pediatric nursing, maybe specialize in trauma care.»
«You’d be amazing at that.»
«And I want to learn how to salsa dance. Real salsa, not the basic steps Colton and I learned for our wedding dance.»
Sydney grinned. «Now you’re talking. What else?»
«I want to adopt a dog, a big one. Colton was allergic, so we could never have pets.»
«Keep going.»
«I want to be someone I’m proud of. Not someone who ignores red flags because she’s afraid of being alone. Not someone who lets people walk all over her because she’s nice.»
«Anna, look at me.» I turned to face my sister. «You are someone to be proud of. What you did today—that wasn’t the action of someone who lets people walk all over her. That was the action of a woman who knows her worth and refuses to accept anything less.»
«It was pretty badass, wasn’t it?»
«It was legendary. They’re going to tell stories about today for years.»
As if to prove her point, my phone buzzed with a text from a number I didn’t recognize. «Saw your video online. You’re my hero. My husband cheated on me last year, and I wish I’d had your courage. Thank you for showing me what strength looks like.»
I showed the text to Sydney. «See?» she said. «You’re inspiring people.»
My phone buzzed again. Then again. Message after message from strangers who’d seen the video and wanted to share their own stories of betrayal and revenge, or to tell me how my courage had inspired them to stand up for themselves. «This is insane,» I said, scrolling through dozens of messages. «I just wanted justice for myself. I never expected…»
«To become a symbol of female empowerment?»
«I was going to say, to become an internet meme, but sure. Let’s go with female empowerment,» I laughed. «Both can be true.»
We finished our champagne as the cleanup crew finished packing up the reception decorations. Soon the venue would be ready for the next event, the next celebration, the next beginning.
«Ready to go home?» Sydney asked.
I looked around one more time at this place that was supposed to hold the memories of the happiest day of my life. Instead, it would always be the place where I chose myself over settling for less than I deserved. «Actually,» I said, «I don’t want to go home. Not to the apartment I shared with Colton, anyway. Can I stay with you tonight?»
«Of course. We’ll order pizza, drink wine, and plan your European vacation.»
«Sounds perfect.»
As we walked toward the parking lot, Sydney’s phone rang. She answered it, then held the phone out to me with a strange expression. «It’s for you.»
«Who is it?»
«Ellen’s show.»
I stared at the phone. «Ellen? As in, Ellen DeGeneres?»
Sydney nodded. I took the phone with shaking hands. «Hello?»
«Anna? This is Sarah from Ellen’s production team. We’d love to have you on the show next week to talk about what happened today. Ellen thinks your story is incredible and wants to celebrate your courage.»
Ellen DeGeneres wanted to celebrate my courage. I looked at Sydney, who was grinning like a maniac. «You know what?» I said into the phone. «I’d love to.»
After I hung up, Sydney grabbed my hands. «Anna Derrick, you are about to be the most famous revenge bride in history.»
«Is that a good thing?»
«Are you kidding? You’re about to become every woman’s hero. You’re going to inspire millions of people to stand up for themselves. You’re going to change your life completely,» I finished.
«Exactly. Are you ready for that?»
I thought about Colton and Karen, probably sitting in jail cells right now, realizing that their betrayal had consequences they never imagined. I thought about all the messages from strangers who said my story had inspired them. I thought about the life I’d been planning with someone who didn’t deserve me and the life I was about to build for myself. «You know what, Sydney? I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.»
And as we walked to the car, I couldn’t help but smile. This morning, I’d woken up expecting to become Mrs. Colton Wellington. Instead, I was ending the day as Anna Derrick: the woman who refused to be played, who chose justice over comfort, who turned her worst day into her most powerful moment. They thought they ruined me on my wedding day. Instead, I buried them with the truth.
I’m writing this from a café in Barcelona, sipping sangria and watching the sunset paint the Mediterranean golden. The European trip I dreamed about? I took it. Eight months backpacking through Spain, Italy, and France, staying in hostels, making friends with strangers, eating gelato for breakfast, and learning that I’m braver than I ever knew.
The Ellen Show appearance led to more interviews, which led to a book deal, which led to speaking engagements at women’s conferences. Apparently, my story resonated with people all over the world who knew that standing up for yourself could be so revolutionary. Colton and Karen were both sentenced to four years in prison. They’ll be eligible for parole in eighteen months. I won’t be attending their parole hearings.
The baby was born seven months after the wedding. James stepped up and is actually being a decent father, according to Rachel, who somehow forgave him and is helping raise the child. People are complicated. Michael’s wife divorced him and took half of everything he owned. She sent me a thank-you card.
I sold the apartment Colton and I shared and bought a little house with a garden where my new dog, Luna, likes to chase butterflies. I did go back to school; I start my master’s program in pediatric trauma nursing next month. And yes, I learned to salsa dance. I’m terrible at it, but I love it anyway.
Sometimes people recognize me on the street and ask if I regret what I did, if I wish I’d handled things differently, if I ever think about forgiving them. The answer is always no. I don’t regret choosing truth over comfort. I don’t regret demanding justice instead of accepting betrayal. And I certainly don’t regret discovering my own strength in the process.
The woman who walked down that aisle eight months ago was hoping to find happiness by attaching herself to someone else’s life. The woman writing this has learned that true happiness comes from building a life you’re proud of, with or without someone else. I’m not looking for my next relationship. I’m not trying to replace what I lost. I’m creating something entirely new.
And if someone wants to be part of that life, they’ll have to earn it. They’ll have to prove they deserve the love of a woman who knows her worth, who won’t ignore red flags, and who won’t settle for less than she deserves. Because I learned something important on my wedding day: the person who matters most in your love story is you.