At 25, Tessa, a marketing coordinator, reflects on how her childhood was shattered by her parents’ divorce — a heartbreak sparked by her father Evan’s affair with a coworker named Dana. Her younger brother Owen, once full of life, changed drastically after their mother walked in on Evan and Dana together. Tessa remembers the chaos vividly — a broken flowerpot, her mom’s sobs, the endless arguments, and her desperate attempts to mend their 22-year marriage. Despite counseling and emotional letters, Evan served divorce papers and moved in with Dana three weeks later. One of the most painful moments was when Owen asked, “Does Dad love her more than us?”
About a year after the divorce, Evan extended a casual invitation to his wedding with Dana — to be held in her sister’s backyard. Tessa was stunned by the request, but Evan insisted it was a “fresh start” for everyone. Owen initially refused to attend, calling Dana “the woman who tore our family apart.” But under relentless pressure from their grandparents, who preached forgiveness and family unity, he eventually gave in — though Tessa sensed something deeper stirring beneath his quiet acceptance.
Two weeks before the wedding, Owen asked Tessa to order itching powder online, saying it was for a harmless school prank. Busy and emotionally drained, Tessa didn’t question him — even though part of her suspected there was more to it. Looking back, she admits, “I didn’t say no. I didn’t ask questions. I didn’t stop him.” Her silence was fueled by the helplessness she’d felt watching their mother suffer, and a desire — however unspoken — to see someone else face a taste of that humiliation.
On the day of the wedding, Owen appeared polished and oddly composed. An hour before the ceremony, he offered to hang Dana’s wedding jacket. She thanked him, and he disappeared briefly before returning empty-handed. During the ceremony, Dana’s bright smile faded as she began scratching and fidgeting. By the time vows were being exchanged, she was visibly distressed — pulling at her jacket, red-faced and overwhelmed, before fleeing the scene. Owen watched quietly, later remarking, “She didn’t cry, but she’ll always remember feeling humiliated and out of control — just like Mom did that day.”
Dana eventually returned in a plain dress, but the magic of the event was gone. The rest of the ceremony was awkward and rushed. Evan, confused, asked Tessa about Dana’s sudden reaction, and Tessa played coy — offering vague explanations but never revealing the truth.
Within two weeks, Evan stopped speaking to them. Dana’s family labeled the siblings “spiteful,” and their grandparents demanded an apology. Tessa refused. Though she didn’t orchestrate Owen’s act, she knowingly let it happen. In a world that dismissed her mother’s pain, letting Dana feel a fraction of that suffering didn’t feel wrong — not to her. Even now, she questions whether it makes her a bad person, but admits: she still feels no regret.
