My sister died on my wedding day. A week later, her coworker called: ‘She left you a phone and a note, come to the office immediately’
A week after my wedding ended with my sister dead, one of her co-workers phoned me informing me that Claire left a phone for me at the office. Little did I know that picking up this phone would mean getting the last thing from her, only to realize that whatever was in there would change my life forever.
That morning, Ryan kissed me good-bye before going to work, placing a bakery box on the table saying he would stick by me no matter what. People always commented about how lucky I was to have him by my side; he was the type of husband who bought flowers. He prepared meals for me and went with me to arrange everything at her funeral, looking like the rock that everyone wished me. Still, somehow, I was not at peace since all I could see was my sister in front of me when closing my eyes.
My sister had always been complicated, vocal when all others were silent, and brave when the rest of us opted to play it safe. She would call me the family brochure because I was forever smiling in order to keep the peace, and I called her impossible since debating with her was akin to standing inside a hurricane. But despite all this, there existed an uncompromising, intense love for one another; she would know something is wrong whenever I had missed lunch or seemed fatigued.
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It was Christmastime when Ryan first came home to meet my family. Everyone fell in love with him within the span of twenty minutes, except for Claire, who entered the dining hall and locked eyes with Ryan for a few silent moments. The whole night was spent with her quizzing him about his past experiences, numerous move-ins, and different job positions he held. Finally, after confronting her in the kitchen, demanding her not to bother him any further, she just turned towards the dining room and asked me to consider asking myself what made her do so.
As my wedding approached, things became progressively worse. At a Sunday dinner at my parents’ home, Claire suddenly laid down her fork and told me that I should not marry him. Actually, I thought she was joking because I could not believe she could be serious. Mom berated her, Dad told her to stop, and when she looked around the table, she knew that no one wished to hear her say anything else. Before dessert, she left the room and said things that made everyone uncomfortable.
On the night of my bachelorette party, a few days later, Claire came in a hurry late in her business attire. Her appearance was frantic and desperate as she begged me to call off the wedding. Under the stares of my friends and burning with shame, I told her that she was simply being jealous and ruining my night. Her face fell with profound hurt, but she tried one final plea claiming she was trying to protect me. I demanded to know from what. She shook her head and said she couldn’t, so I pointed to the door and told her to leave. Those were the last words I ever spoke to my sister.
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