Excluded From My Sister’s Wedding, I Booked a Vacation. When the Wedding Fell Apart…

Poetic Justice

The following morning I awoke to the sound of waves breaking on the shore.

The aroma of sea and tropical flowers wafted through my open balcony doors. I stretched and yawned.

For one lovely minute I almost forgot about the pandemonium at home. Almost.

Then I looked at my phone. Even though I blocked the majority of my family, I still had more than 20 missed calls from random numbers.

They tried everything to contact me. Several voicemails had slipped through.

Despite my better judgment I pressed play on the first one. My mom’s voice was frantic.

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but this is not the time for one of your tantrums. Your sister is devastated and we need you here.”

“This family needs to stick together right now.”

I rolled my eyes before deleting it. Next voicemail.

“Emily is crying. I don’t understand why you’re doing this. You’re my brother, I need you. Please just call me back.”

Click. Deleted.

The following one had me laughing. Jake whispered as if he were hiding in a closet.

“Dude, mom and Aunt Lisa are planning to show up at your apartment when you get back. Just a heads up.”

“Also, grandma keeps saying the wedding was cursed because you weren’t there. It’s hilarious.”

Was that a voicemail I’ve saved?

No Responsibilities

I tossed my phone on the bed and stepped out onto the balcony.

The sun had just begun to rise, creating a golden glow over the ocean. I took a deep breath, allowing the warmth of it to sink in.

Back at home, my family was scrambling to perform damage control.

Meanwhile, I was here sipping espresso while wearing a bathrobe, enjoying the best decision I’d ever made.

And the best part? They were now feeling what I had felt when they cut me out.

Unwanted. Forgotten. Left out.

It was rather poetic, actually. But I wasn’t finished yet.

I grabbed my phone. I took a photo of my breakfast which included fluffy pancakes, fresh fruit, and a mimosa that was so brilliant it might blind someone.

I posted it with this caption:

“Starting my day stress-free. Hope everyone back home is doing okay.”

Then just for fun I went through my blocked messages, grinned at all of the missed calls, and ordered another mimosa.

I didn’t intend to call them back. Allow them to clean up their own mess.

I was on vacation.

The Insider Report

By midday I was relaxing under a secluded cabana, sipping a tropical drink with an umbrella when my phone vibrated again.

This time the message came from Cousin Melissa.

“Okay, I know you’re mad and honestly you deserve to be, but you have to hear what happened after the wedding. Call me, you’re going to love this.”

I raised an eyebrow. Melissa has always been the only cousin with a brain.

If she mentioned that I needed to hear anything, it was probably worth the time.

So despite my better judgment I called her. She answered the first ring.

“Oh my god, you’re finally answering,” she said, unable to contain her joy.

“Okay, are you sitting down?”

I gazed about in my shaded cabana, the vast ocean in front of me and the chilled beverage in my palm.

“Yeah, I think I’m in a good place for whatever this is.”

Melissa let out a breathless laugh.

“Okay, after the groom left, Emily had a complete meltdown. And I don’t mean a few tears. I mean yelling, wailing, and throwing objects at the wedding party.”

I smirked.

“Sounds about right.”

Melissa continued, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.

“Everyone was attempting to calm her down. Mom overheard Aunt Lisa suggest that the disaster could have been avoided if you’d been there.”

I blinked.

“Wait, what?”

Melissa giggled.

“Yes, she was saying that you’ve always been the one to mend problems when Emily spirals. That if you were present you would have talked sense into the groom or handled everything like you normally do.”

I burst into laughter.

“So let me get this straight. The same family that barred me from the wedding is now blaming me for not being present to preserve it?”