Priest Asks Bride to Step Aside as Groom Proposes to Her Sister—Her Reaction Stuns Everyone
She sat for hours, knees drawn to her chest, tears soaking into the fabric of her gown—until the fading daylight gave way to the orange glow of streetlights.
A knock rattled the door—sharp at first, then gentler.
“Clara? It’s me. Please open up.”
Phoebe’s voice.
Clara dragged herself upright, wiped her face with the back of her hand, and opened the door.
Her friend stood there, eyes red, expression stricken.
Without a word, Phoebe pulled her close, and Clara broke again—sobbing into her shoulder.
They clung to each other in the doorway, as though holding on was the only way to survive.
Before they could move inside, headlights swept across the drive.
A car door slammed, then another.
Clara stiffened, bracing herself.
When her parents appeared at the gate, fresh grief surged through her chest.
“Sweetheart,” her mother said softly, hurrying up the path.
Her father followed, his face drawn and pale.
Clara shook her head, shame flooding her.
“I couldn’t stay. I—I had to leave.”
Her father placed a hand on her shoulder, steady and warm.
“So did we,” he admitted. “We walked out not long after you. We couldn’t stand to watch what was happening there. It wasn’t right.”
Her mother’s voice cracked as she added,
“Seeing Stephanie up there, seeing Liam say those words—it broke something inside me. No parent should watch one child destroy another like that.”
She pulled Clara into a trembling embrace, and Clara clung to her as if she were a lifeline.
Together, they stepped into the living room.
Phoebe closed the door gently behind them.
