Probe
"Mark?" I asked the phone, my calm unnerving. "He treats you well. Defers to you completely." "Mhm!" Lia chirped, dripping sweetness. "He’s amazing! Thoughtful, accommodating. But…" She hesitated. "But what?" My fingers froze. "Well… sometimes he seems distant? Preoccupied?" Confusion tinged her tone. "Blames work stress. Maybe all men do that?" Distant? Preoccupied? So his ease with me was also an act. "Sister Amy, is this… normal pre-wedding jitters?" She’d found a confidante. "Perhaps," I evaded. "His plans for your future… like… a home?" My heart hung.
Bomb
Lia brightened instantly: "Ah! Meant to share! We chose a place! That new downtown complex—‘Cloud Haven’! Stunning!" Cloud Haven. The complex Mark and I picked. Our appointment to sign was next month. He called it our future home. Promised his family would cover most of the down payment, mine could chip in later.
That "home" was for Lia. "Mark says the down payment’s set! His family’s backing us!" Her voice dreamy. "Moving in post-wedding! I’ve planned the balcony—filled with hydrangeas!" Each word stabbed the same wound. His family supported them? His parents’ "like-a-daughter" embraces with me were rehearsed? Hydrangeas… my balcony idea from our chats. Plagiarizing even dreams.
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