Chapter 74-the party

The day was bright and lively, sunlight streaming into every corner of our cottage as preparations for the engagement party got underway. Harrison wanted to celebrate us----celebrate our love and the promise we'd made to each other. I was still floating in a haze of happiness, his proposal replaying in my mind like a perfect memory. The party was set to begin in the late afternoon, and as the day went on, our home transformed. Harrison had gone all out, arranging a beautiful setup in our garden, complete with twinkling lights, delicate flowers, and tables decorated with fresh linens. It felt like a dream----a day I'd never imagined but always hoped for deep down. As I finished getting ready, slipping into a light lavender dress Harrison had picked out, a wave of nerves hit me. Not about Harrison----I knew he was my forever. But I'd soon be seeing my stepsister, Victoria, and her boyfriend, Alex. My relationship with Victoria was complicated, to say the least. She'd always been... diffi