She stood up to give her thank-you speech. At first, she was sweet—thanking her parents, bridesmaids, and new mother-in-law. I clapped politely with everyone else.

Then her voice shifted. With a small, tight smile, she said:

“And thank you to the rest of Daniel’s family. Even those who didn’t exactly match the dress code or formality we had hoped for.”

The words cut into me.

Some people laughed awkwardly. I froze. My eyes dropped to my dress. My heart pounded. Was she talking about me?

She wasn’t finished. Still smiling, she added: