CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Emily
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Emily
“K araoke?” Bon says skeptically as we enter the car after the fitting. “You want to go to a KTV Bar?”
Haley, Kate, and I agreed that a private KTV bar is the best place to hold Bon’s bridal shower. Since it’s only an intimate event with just the four of us and a few of Bon’s close friends, we figured it would be nice to eat and drink and belt out some 90s Britney Spears.
“Don’t you?” I ask. “Come on, it’s been ages since I went to one. I don’t really have many friends in New York, you know. Just wanna sing my heart out.”
“I’m not surprised about that,” she says, apparently convinced. She starts the car and we drive off. “There’s this great KTV down the block from here.” Perfect. That’s exactly where we’re going.
The air tonight is surprisingly cool, so we drive with the windows down, the soft hum of the engine blending with the distant sounds of the city. My thoughts drift back to the atelier.
Earlier, at the shop, I slipped into the most beautiful baby blue dress—soft fabric cascading like water against my skin. And then there was Bon’s wedding dress. I nearly cried when she stepped out of the dressing room, she looked like something straight out of a fairytale. The look on her face was radiant. Even now, as I sit in the car, I can still feel the glow of that moment.
“Did you love your dress, by the way?” Bon asks, glancing over at me as she slows for a turn.
“Love is an understatement,” I say, grinning. “It was gorgeous. And don’t get me started on your wedding dress.”
She laughs, light and easy, like she knows exactly how breathtaking she looked.
When we arrive, Bon parks her car in front and we make our way inside. The KTV bar is a modern, chic space bathed in ambient blue and purple lights. Soft neon accents give it a high-end feel, though there’s just enough retro charm to make it feel like a throwback. We go into the hallway lined with private rooms, and when we finally reach the room number Haley texted me, I let Bon go first.
“SURPRISE!” a chorus of women screams.
“Oh my god!” Bon says, then she turns to me. “Just want to sing your heart out, huh?”
“I still do,” I say, grinning. “Congrats, Bon.”
Bon takes it all in, eyes wide, and then shakes her head with a smirk. “Well, you’ve outdone yourselves.”
She barely has a second to adjust before Kate rushes forward, thrusting a plastic tiara and sash toward Bon. “For the bride-to-be!” she cheers, draping the sash over Bon’s shoulder while placing the tiara on her head. It’s gaudy in the best way, rhinestones glittering under the lights. Bon laughs, rolling her eyes but clearly loving it.
With everyone settled in, we order an assortment of drinks and plates of food to pick at throughout the night. As I take a bite of nachos, the room fills with the sounds of laughter, clinking glasses, and the unmistakable strains of ‘Genie in a Bottle.’ Haley grabs the mic first, effortlessly belting out the lyrics with exaggerated dance moves that make us all crack up.
“Perfect score, thank you very much,” she says with a bow when the TV flashes a giant 100 and fills the room with applause. Karaoke bars in the Philippines always have that score at the end. Nobody knows how you get a perfect 100, but when you do, it really is an opportunity to be smug.
“That’s unfair, you sing for a living,” Kate says.
“Don’t worry, hun, next time there’s a bake-off or a contest on how to make crying kids stop, you’ll have your moment,” she pats her sister’s head.
When Haley takes her seat, I stand up. I select Hit Me Baby One More Time and throw everything I have into it, channeling my inner 90s diva. It’s also worth mentioning that I’m three glasses of sangria in, and I’m starting to feel a bit woozy.
“MY LONELINESS IS KILLING ME,” I sing—no, scream—onto the microphone. Bon laughs so hard that she nearly spills her drink, and Haley records the whole thing on her phone, promising blackmail material for later.
I finish with a dramatic mic drop (which is really just me nearly tripping over a table), and plop down on the couch, grabbing a chicken lollipop to reward my musical efforts.
Someone refills my glass and slides onto the couch next to me. I glance up to see a pretty girl I haven’t met before. She’s tall, tan, and wearing a sequined dress that rides up to her thighs. She’s wearing a friendly, yet slightly hesitant, smile.
“The look of confusion on your face is unsettling,” she says, her tone easygoing. “I’m Denise. I kind of got invited last minute when Haley ran into me on her way here. To be honest, I feel like I’m crashing a close friends’ thing… but I’ve never really been part of a friend group before, so… here I am.” She shrugs, a bit nervously.
That clears up nothing for me, and she picks up on it immediately, flashing a sheepish grin. “Oh, right! Sorry, I’m Denise… Rob’s new girlfriend.”
Oh. My stomach clenches a little, though I don’t quite know what to feel—hatred? Annoyance? Hurt?
Before I can fully process, she leans forward, keeping her voice low. “I just wanted to tell you… I didn’t know about you two. I mean… I kinda knew, but he told me you’d already broken up. I just thought you should know… it’s been bugging me for weeks.”
I take a sip of my drink, watching her carefully. Her dark brown hair falls to her shoulders, and her tan skin glistens even in the dark room full of neon lights. She’s really beautiful. In a way, I get it. I’m waiting for the anger or hurt to bubble up, but instead, there’s only a soft wave of relief. I’m a little pissed off, to be honest. Not at her, but more at Rob. It was entirely his choice. I don’t have to waste time resenting Denise—she’s as much a bystander in his mess as I am.
“Thanks,” I say, after a moment. “I appreciate that, really. And… you’re pretty cool.”
“Isn’t she, though?!” Haley materializes out of nowhere, throwing her arm around both of us. “Sorry I didn’t mention anything sooner,” she says, glancing at me with a wince.
“It’s fine.” I give Haley a quick nod. “She did nothing wrong.”
We’re interrupted by a high-pitched screech from the front of the room. We look up to find Bon attempting one of Mariah Carey’s legendary whistles, giggling with Alexa beside her. They’ve become close friends, apparently—who would’ve thought the girl Bon helped Ryan try to date would end up being one of her close friends?
“Cheers?” Denise says, holding up her glass. I clink mine against hers, a small smile passing between us. It still doesn’t quite make sense to me why she’s chosen to stay with him, knowing he’s lied. But that’s not my problem anymore. And I really have to stop creating problems out of thin air. Sure, it’s a useless talent I’ve had since childhood, but it gets tiring. Denise didn’t deliberately choose to be part of what happened, and I’m not about to blame another woman for one man’s terrible choices. Society has done enough of that.
I look at my drink and contemplate if I’m going to finish this fourth glass. There’s about ten women in this room, and I have to know if they will all get home safely. As the mom of the group, I have to. I ask Haley and she says that they all have arranged rides for later and that the four of us can take a taxi or book a car back to Magnolia Heights.
Denise takes the mic, and I take one more look at her. She’s wearing a sequined short dress. I wonder what Rob thought of that. He was the epitome of ‘by the book.’ Upright, meticulous, and maddeningly proper. Like me, he planned everything down to the smallest detail—dinners, vacations, even lazy Sundays. But where my plans came with a little flexibility, his were carved in stone. Rules were rules, and Rob had a lot of them.
He’d never do something impulsive like getting a tattoo. And then my mind flashes to Joshua’s ink, the way it curves just below the sleeve of his shirt. I catch myself remembering what it looks like, fully visible— Whoa, hold up , where did that come from? I shake my head as if I can physically rid myself of the thought.
Rob and Joshua couldn’t be more different. Rob wouldn’t have dared to step out of line, but then again, Rob also turned out to be the one who cheated. I never saw it coming, not from someone so... rigid.
One memory surfaces, unbidden: the time I wore a short dress to his office party. I’d felt good in it, confident for once. But Rob had pulled me aside the moment we arrived.
“Are you trying to embarrass me?” he’d whispered harshly. “You can’t dress like that. It’s unprofessional.” I spent the entire night tugging at the hem, feeling smaller and smaller under his critical gaze.
He was like that about everything. What I wore, what I ate, how I spent my weekends. Every suggestion came wrapped in a bow of condescension. Looking back, I don’t know if I was in love with him or the idea of him—the stability he offered, the safety of his rules.
The memory churns in my stomach, leaving behind a simmering anger. I glance at the drink in my hand. Why am I even letting myself think about him tonight? He’s not here.
I take another sip of my drink, the warmth spreading through me like liquid courage. Rob isn’t here to stop me, to judge me, to drag me down. For the first time in a long while, I feel like the weight of his expectations—–and frankly, the weight of him—is gone for good.
I walk over to the center as we proceed to the gift-giving. Bon raises an eyebrow, bracing herself. “Should I be worried?”
“Only a little,” Haley winks, handing Bon the bag.
Bon reaches inside and pulls out a pair of fuzzy handcuffs. She lets out a shocked laugh, holding them up as we all burst into laughter.
“For when he makes you Juno ,” Haley says, smirking, referencing the Sabrina Carpenter song that’s been stuck in everyone’s heads for months.
“Good to know you’re looking out for my marriage,” Bon jokes, setting them aside. “But they’re surprisingly…cute?” She shakes her head, amused.
Next up, Kate nudges a neatly wrapped, pastel-colored box toward Bon. “My turn! This one’s a little more...sophisticated.” Kate’s cheeks turn pink, which makes us all lean in, curious.
Bon unwraps it to reveal a soft, silk robe in a lovely blush shade. She runs her fingers over the material, a soft smile on her face. “Kate, this is perfect. Thank you.” She stands up to give Kate a hug.
“Just a little something for those cozy mornings,” Kate says, looking pleased. “You deserve something to unwind in.”
Haley rolls her eyes. “Leave it to Kate to bring the only non-scandalous gift.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I thought a silk robe was rather risqué,” Kate counters with a smile, making us all laugh.
Then it’s my turn, and I pass Bon a red box. “Okay, so... mine’s a mix of both.”
Bon eyes it suspiciously, then opens it to reveal a bottle of massage oil and a small book titled 101 Ways to Spice Up Date Night. Her eyes widen, and she laughs, giving me a playful shove. “Are you guys trying to get me arrested?”
“Why did you think there were handcuffs?” Haley says.
“Hey, it’s practical!” I defend, grinning.
Bon laughs, holding up the book for the group to see. “Ladies, this is all the sexual wisdom you will need. We’ll have this book on rotation.” She laughs one more time before setting it down.
Everyone else proceeds to give Bon provocative trinkets, and I find myself enjoying the night. It’s good to be surrounded by women who just want to have fun in each other’s company.
So, I finally decide to keep enjoying it. The worst that can happen is that I get drunk. But then, there was someone who offered to help me during times like these. Would it be too early to cash in on that offer?
I don’t think about that. Instead, I dance through the night. And as ‘Wannabe’ blares through the speakers, I unwind.