Page 84 of Four Weddings to Fall in Love
Finally, one bridesmaid speed-walks out of the room, but everyone else remains put, including Yvonne’s parents.Some people’s faces are still frozen in shock, and others start whispering, a mix of English and Cantonese slowly growing in volume.
“How could she do this to him?”someone asks.
My hands clench in my lap.I’m uncomfortable with how they’re speaking about Yvonne when they probably don’t know the whole situation.Carl has always been my least favorite cousin, and it isn’t hard to believe that he wasn’t a great fiancé.
“Aiyah,” my mother says, and then, to my surprise, she gets up and heads to the door.
Kim scrambles to her feet.
“Where are you going?”I whisper, reaching for her hand.
She shakes her head and follows my mother.
Chapter 32
Kim
I’mnotentirelysurewhy I’m following Lynne, but I am.
“Poor girl,” Lynne mutters when I catch up to her.
“Do you know her well?”I ask.“Do you know why she ran?”
Lynne says nothing as heads to the staircase that leads to the basement.Though I suspect Yvonne has already left the building, I go with Lynne.She checks the rooms on the left side of the hallway; I check the rooms on the right.
Yvonne’s not in the women’s washroom.She’s not in the men’s washroom.The next door is locked, but I think I hear a noise from the end of the hall.I push open the door to a room that looks like a Sunday school classroom, children’s art decorating the walls.
And there she is.
The bride is sitting down.I think she’s on a small chair meant for a child, but I can’t see the chair with the poof of her dress.I gesture to Lynne, and we enter the room together.
“I’m not going back,” Yvonne says when she lifts her head.
Lynne pulls out another small chair and sits next to Yvonne.“Are you sure you don’t want to get married?”
“Yes.”Yvonne’s response is instant.Confident.
I can’t imagine getting this close to marriage and not doing it.
“Are you here to change my mind?”Yvonne asks.“For your nephew’s sake?To save face?”
Lynne snorts.“What happened?If you want to tell us.”She looks at me, then turns back to Yvonne.
Yvonne doesn’t immediately reply, and my pulse quickens as I wait for an answer, as I wait to understand what happened.I’m not sure we’ll get all the details, but I sense she wants to talk.I take a seat.
“I couldn’t sleep at all last night,” she says, “and as I was walking down that aisle, I felt like I was marching toward my doom.I know that sounds dramatic, but it felt like…my life was over.I don’t want any of this.”She gestures to her bouquet on the table beside her, then her big skirts.“I only went along with it because it’s what I was supposed to do.I’ve always done what I’m supposed to, but I just…can’t.Not anymore.Gladys is probably in hysterics upstairs.My mom must be wondering how I could do such a thing.The truth is…I don’t give a shit.”
Lynne chuckles and pats Yvonne’s hand.
“Let them talk.I don’t care.”Yvonne speaks self-assuredly, but then she bursts into tears.“How did I let it get to this point?”
My heart squeezes.It seems like she’s spent her life being the perfect daughter, the one who made her parents proud.I have no idea what she does for work, but I suspect she has a good job.
“What about Carl?”Lynne asks gently.
“Fuck Carl.”Yvonne swipes at the tears streaming down her face.
I reach into my purse and hand her a tissue.
