Rowena did not answer immediately. She looked at Ashley carefully, as if choosing each word with care. “This was never meant to hurt you,” she said quietly. The calm in her voice only fueled Ashley’s anger, making her restraint feel like dismissal rather than kindness.
“Hurt me?” Ashley laughed bitterly. “You couldn’t possibly think this wouldn’t. It feels deliberate. Like everything else.” She gestured vaguely between them. “Years of distance, and this is how you show up on my wedding day?” Her voice cracked despite her resolve.