My wife’s sister Jenna was always difficult, and even as a bridesmaid she complained nonstop about the heat, her dress, the photos — turning our perfect wedding day stressful. When the photos arrived, stunning and joyful, we shared them with the bridal party. An hour later Jenna called, furious, demanding we delete every photo she appeared in or she’d never speak to us again.
She was in almost every shot, often looking annoyed. Angry and resentful, I spent days editing her out of the photos and shared the results with close friends, who loved them.
Then Jenna called, screaming. My wife’s mom later revealed the truth: Jenna had been quietly suffering a miscarriage during the wedding. She’d forced smiles while in pain and agreed to be in photos because she didn’t want to ruin the day. By erasing her from the pictures, I had unknowingly wiped out the only visual record of her last moments carrying her child. What I thought was justified revenge became an act of unbearable cruelty.