They Framed Me, I Ruined Their Wedding

Chapter 4

The day before the wedding, Owen brought Mom's recipe tin to the guest room. On top lay a note he'd written when he was 12.

Sara's birthday cake: no nuts.

I traced the faded handwriting. Even then, I couldn't help but hope.

"Will you come with me to see Margot?"

He hesitated. Then he set a sheet of patterned stationery on the tin. A speech for me to read at the wedding.

I was wrong about Mia. I'm grateful to her and to my family for never giving up on me.

I read it twice. "I wasn't wrong about her."

"The guests know what happened. If you smooth things over, they'll stop talking."

"About her? Or will they stop calling me an arsonist?"

He sat beside me. "We'll talk properly after the wedding. Just let your sister have this."

I handed the paper back. "You've had 3 years. I'm done waiting."

His expression changed, but this time he didn't lecture me. He got up and called Colin.

*****

Colin came by that night to try his luck.

"You've always been the reasonable one. Can't you do this one thing for us?"

"If there hadn't been a fire, I'd be the one marrying you. Wouldn't I?"

His hand stayed on the doorknob.

"Would you have made someone confess to something they hadn't done just to keep me happy?"

He wasn't hearing me. All he could say, his face tight, was that I'd changed.

After he left, I turned to the first page of my calendar. During my first week in prison, Owen had written to me.

Don't be scared. I'll clear your name.

I'd copied those words and taped them beside my bed. On the nights I didn't think I'd make it through, I'd look at them.

I couldn't let go of my family. Or of the girl I'd been when they loved me. But every time I tried to take a step forward, they pushed me back to make room for Mia.

My phone rang.

Margot had found the marina owner. He'd moved away, and he was shocked to hear I'd only just gotten out.

"I gave her brother that footage years ago. He said he'd pass it on to her lawyer."

The original file was still on his computer. Margot told me to sit down before I opened the video she'd sent.

I watched it. For a long time afterward, I couldn't move.

"I've submitted the evidence," she said. "You don't have to keep putting them first."

I wiped my eyes. "Will you come with me tomorrow?"

Owen had already told the guests I'd be clearing Mia's name. People who'd known me since I was a child would be there. I couldn't let them hear another story someone else had fed them.

*****

I wore a plain dress and took a seat in the back row. My calendar and Mom's recipe tin were in the bag beside me.

White roses lined the aisle. The flowers I'd picked for my own wedding.

Owen walked Mia toward Colin. As he passed me, he murmured, "You remember your speech?"

I met his eyes and nodded.

When the officiant called me up, Mia held out her arms, tears shining in her eyes. I didn't hug her. I opened the calendar I'd kept for 3 years.

"Every month I was in prison, I waited for them to come."

Colin's smile froze.

"For Owen to tell me he'd found the evidence. For Colin to finally hear me out."

Owen got to his feet. "We're not doing this today, Sara."

Margot connected her laptop to the screen. I lowered the calendar.

"Then let's watch something my brother's had for 3 years."

The screen lit up. Colin lunged for the laptop.

"Turn it off! Owen, you said you'd deleted it!"