“Stop!” Her voice cracked like a whip. “You can’t marry her, Declan. Not after you texted me last night saying you still love me.”

The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating. It felt as if the air had been sucked out of the clearing. One hundred and sixty guests froze. My mother’s hand flew to her mouth in the front row. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. I looked at Declan. His face had drained of all color, his eyes wide with a mixture of horror and confusion.