When my brother announced he was engaged, I was thrilled\u2014until he said he was marrying Nancy, the girl who made my childhood hell. She thought the past was forgotten. I had the perfect wedding gift to remind her it wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Nancy wasn\u2019t a typical bully. She never hit or shoved\u2014just whispered cruel words behind smiles. Teachers adored her. My parents told me to ignore her. But Nancy was relentless. By high school, I was invisible, counting the days until I could leave.<\/p>\n
Years passed. I built a life far from her\u2014until my brother called.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m engaged! To Nancy,\u201d he said, too cheerfully.<\/p>\n
I was stunned. \u201cShe bullied me,\u201d I told him. He brushed it off. \u201cPeople change.\u201d<\/p>\n
I went to the engagement party anyway. She hadn\u2019t changed. Her smile was fake, her compliments sharp-edged. \u201cStill single? So freeing, right?\u201d she purred. Later, in a low voice only I could hear: \u201cStill the same little loser.\u201d<\/p>\n
That night, I remembered something: her phobia of butterflies from freshman biology class. She’d screamed and fled the room. Some fears don\u2019t fade.<\/p>\n
I ordered 200 live butterflies, scheduled to be delivered to their home after the wedding\u2014with strict instructions they be opened indoors. Filmed, of course.<\/p>\n
The wedding was all about her, as expected. Toward the end, she loudly noted I hadn\u2019t given a gift.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I did,\u201d I said sweetly. \u201cIt\u2019s at your house.\u201d<\/p>\n
That night, she opened the box. Butterflies swarmed. She screamed, panicked, and sobbed in full-blown terror. The handler caught it all on camera.<\/p>\n
The next day, my brother called, furious. \u201cYou traumatized her!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd how many nights did I cry because of her?\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was high school!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo was her behavior\u2014yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh,\u201d I added, \u201cthere\u2019s a video. Maybe I\u2019ll post it. People love wedding fails.\u201d<\/p>\n
He never called again.<\/p>\n
And that night, for the first time in years, I slept like a baby.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When my brother announced he was engaged, I was thrilled\u2014until he said he was marrying Nancy, the girl who made my childhood hell. She thought the past was forgotten. I had the perfect wedding gift to remind her it wasn\u2019t. Nancy wasn\u2019t a typical bully. She never hit or shoved\u2014just whispered cruel words behind smiles….<\/p>\n