Page 108 of Before I Say I Don't
The audience murmured, chastising her openly.
“Damn shame!”
“Messy!”
“That’s low!”
“Unbelievable!”
Jayla crumbled under the weight of it. The harder she cried, the worse they cut into her.
“Where’s your dignity?!” A woman snapped. “Pregnant by somebody else’s fiancé? Your best friend’s at that? Triflin’ as fuck!”
A few boos trickled in from the back.
Jayla’s lips trembled, eyes glossing, but I didn’t let up.
“Let me leave you with this: you never win when you build your house on somebody else’s foundation. The man who cheatswithyou will cheatonyou. And when he does, you’re not a queen—you’re the punchline.”
Laughter and claps bounced off the walls.
Jayla sobbed, humiliated.
“Now, Miss Jayla. You sat at my table, drank my wine, called mesis… all while plotting behind my back. So I’m asking you, on record, for the jury to hear—how do you plead?”
“The court will remind the defendant that lying under oath comes with consequences,” Danica warned, voice cool. “One false word and I’ll hold her in contempt ofthiswedding.”
Somebody exclaimed, “Yes, Judge Danica!” from the mid-section.
“I—” Jayla started, but Danica sliced a hand through the air, cutting her off, not giving her a chance to stutter out an excuse.
“The court finds Jayla guilty on all counts—betrayal, trifling in the first degree, and emotional fraud.”
Danica let it breathe, her gaze sweeping the room, milking the silence like a seasoned judge. Then she slammed the verdict down.
“Sentence—banishment from the best-friend circle, permanent revocation of bridesmaid privileges, denial of girls’ trip access, and a lifetime of being side-eyed at every brunchwithin a fifty-mile radius. Effective immediately, her seat at the table is vacated, her group chat privileges revoked, and her loyalty card with Kamira Inc.shredded.”
Jayla dropped her bouquet, visibly trembling and mascara bleeding while whispers followed her like smoke.
“Oh,” I added one last thing. “And as for the way you’ve talked about me?” I tilted my head, letting humor find its place. “Girl, if you were hungry at my shower, just say that. But don’t eat off my plate and then lick your fingers over my name.”
Serena couldn’t help it. A tiny “Whew!” escaped her.
I turned away, fixing my gaze on Diane.
“Alright, jury… next case:Kamira vs. The Wanna-Be Bougie Mother-in-Law.”
The whole roomhowled.
I took a step closer.
Diane straightened her pearls before I reached her.
“Her charge?” I chuckled. “Obstruction of daughter-in-law happiness in the first degree. Let me finally say all the things I’ve been choking back. Diane, you wanted this day… I know you did. You and I have danced for months. You wanted satin bows; I wanted clean lines. You wanted preserves at the favor table; I wanted recipes over jars. You wanted a son to look like a man in public; I wanted one to be a man in private. Now, you might didn’t truly wantmeas a daughter, but I wanted a mother who would live long enough to sit in the front row and say she was proud of me.”
A hush fell like a blanket. I could almost feel my mother’s presence beside me for a breath.
I leaned into the mic. “You wanted photos for Facebook and status more than you wanted a daughter-in-law. Admit it. You didn’t care about truth, loyalty, or respect; you cared about how the cake matched the napkins.” I lowered my voice. “Now, I will give you grace… because yousayyou didn’t know about hischild.” I paused, let the silence burn, then delivered it. “Cause if you did, you’d just be a deadbeat mother-in-law in fake pearls.”
