Margaret recognized the box on her doorstep as soon as she saw it—it had Anita written all over it. The elegant wrapping was unmistakable. With a mix of curiosity and unease, she tore through the paper to reveal a stunning white maxi dress. Then she spotted the note: “Please wear this to the wedding. Love, Anita.”
Love, Anita? Really? Margaret thought, her skepticism immediately rising. Their relationship had always been strained, especially since Anita started dating Margaret’s son, James. At first, Margaret found Anita charming—confident, modern, and clearly intelligent. But as time went on, their differences surfaced, particularly when Anita excluded Margaret from the wedding planning. Now, this white dress felt like yet another calculated move.
Margaret grabbed her phone and called her best friend, Linda. “You won’t believe what Anita did now,” Margaret fumed.
“What happened?” Linda asked, her voice a calming presence.
“She sent me a white dress to wear to her wedding! Can you imagine?” Margaret paced around her living room, growing more agitated by the second.
“Hmm,” Linda pondered. “It could be a setup. Or maybe it’s a misunderstanding. Have you thought about talking to her?”
The thought made Margaret’s stomach churn, but Linda had a point. The next day, Margaret found herself sitting across from Anita in a cozy café, her hands trembling as she tried to sip her coffee. Anita, however, appeared as calm and collected as ever.
“You don’t like the dress?” Anita asked, her brow furrowed.
“It’s a beautiful dress,” Margaret conceded, “but I don’t understand why you’d want me to wear white to your wedding.”
Anita leaned in, her eyes sincere. “This wedding is about bringing our families together, and I wanted to honor you, Margaret. That’s why I chose the dress. It’s important to me that you wear it.”
Margaret studied Anita’s face, searching for any hint of deception, but found none. Could Anita really mean it?
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