My Sister-in-Law Wore My Wedding Dress and Now No One in My Family Talks to Me (2025)

Emily contactedus through anemail inwhich she opened her heart toget some advice, guidance and help during avery difficult time inher life.

She decided toshare her story asfollows, “Hello Bright Side! Inever thought adress— even one assymbolic asawedding dress— could have somuch power. But here Iam, with myheart inmythroat, trying toprocess the fact that mysister-in-law wants todivorce mybrother...and partly because ofme.

But I’d better start atthe beginning.

Myname isEmily. Iam 32years old andI live inWisconsin. Igot married four years ago. And one year laterI got divorced. Idon’t want togointo details about itbecauseI think I’m past that stage. All Ican say isthat there was betrayal, screaming, and astory worthy ofanovel. Oh, and suffering...yes, alot oftears, ice cream and romantic movies, you know how itgoes. Myfamily, friends and loved ones were very worried aboutme. They were afraidI would never makeit, andI understand why, becauseI was really broken. They never brought upthe subject again, never mentioned myex-husband oranything like that. And Idecided tostop, too, after many therapy sessions and realizing thatI still had many wonderful adventures left inmylife. Inafit ofrebellion, one dayI put everything that reminded meofhim inabox and donated ittoathrift store where itcould beput tobetter use than Icould.

Ikept just one thing, just one thing: mywedding dress. IthoughtI kept itout ofpity because the thing had cost meabundle. But inreality, Ikept itbecause itwas the only happy memoryI had left ofthat dark episode inmylife. And itstayed there, inthe back ofthe closet, just like mymemories ofmyfailed marriage.”

Emily continued, “Atsome point, Istopped thinking marriage was agood idea. But when mybrother Noah announced his engagement toHailey, his fiancée, Iwas really happy. She was beautiful, charismatic, one ofthose people who always seemed tohave acloud ofsunshine around them. She loved crystals, cards, tarot, and was convinced she had alucky star protecting her. She said itall the time: that life was smiling onher, that things were falling into place effortlessly.

One fall afternoon she came home, and inbetween coffees westarted talking about mymarriage. Itwas actually cathartic, because itshowed methatI had healed enough toapproach the subject without tears, tosee itfrom adifferent perspective. Itwas actually avery nice, positive experience. Wehad such agood time thatI even showed Hailey some photos that had mysteriously been saved from deletion and were still making the rounds onsocial media. She fell inlove with mydress, ofcourse, because itwas areally beautiful piece. And since wewere home and had nothing better todo, Idecided togouptomyroom, take the dress out, dust itoff abit, and show ittoher. She stroked itwith amixture ofawe and enthusiasm. She leaned against itand then, half joking, half serious, she tried iton. Itfit her perfectly. She said itlooked asifithad been made for her. Welaughed, wecelebrated, Itold her how happyI was for her wedding and mybest wishes for her and mybrother. From the bottom ofmyheart, Iwished them all the best.

But that’s when everything started togowrong.”

The mail continues, “First, Hailey lost the schedule with all the wedding planning. Then the flower girl got sick and canceled atthe last minute. The cake maker screwed upthe date. The dress she had made inNew York was held upbecause ofaproblem with the fabric. Suddenly, everything that had flowed sonaturally began toclog. She insisted itwasn’t acoincidence. That something strange was goingon, that itwas asign offate and all that. Weall tried toconvince her that this kind ofthing happens atbig events like weddings, but she wouldn’t acceptit. Itall started toget too stressful, tothe point where noone was enjoying the experience.

Inanattempt tohelp alittle, Ihad anidea, akind oflifeline inthe midst ofsomuch despair: Idecided tooffer Hailey mywedding dress. Itried toconvince her inevery possible way. Ittook alot, but she finally accepted. Resigned, ofcourse, but atleast she looked alittle less worried. Itold her tobehappy, that the problems would besolved soon. Itried toreassure her and myself. But the relief was very, very short lived.”

Weall pretended itwas nerves. But the honeymoon was worse.

Noah called meaweek later, more tired than I’d ever heard him. Hetold mehehadn’t slept all week. That Hailey woke upcrying. That she wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t talk, wouldn’t look inthe mirror. And when they came back, she refused togointo the apartment. She said something was there. That the dress had followed her. Ididn’t know whether tolaugh orcry. The whole situation seemed too bizarre tobetrue.”

Emily ended her message this way, “Afew days later, mybrother came tomyhouse. Hewas crying, but not with sadness: hewas crying with anger. Hetold mesomething that chilled mybones: Hailey was considering adivorce. Hestarted screaming atmyself that itwas all myfault. That Ihad driven Hailey crazy. That ifI hadn’t shown her that dress, her life would still bethe way itwas. That she was broken. That Ibroke her.

And then, his eyes red and his voice ashen, hescreamed atmewhat hurt memost: -You’ve always been jealous. Ofher happiness. Ofour happiness. That she would have what you lost. That’s why you did all this.

Itried todefend myself. Ireminded him that she was the one who agreed towear the dress. That Iwas only trying tohelp. But hewouldn’t listen tome. Helooked atmelike hedidn’t knowme. Noah left without even listening tome, leaving meinasea oftears and afeeling ofguilt that doesn’t even belong tome.

Idon’t know ifI believe inbad luck. But ever since that day, Idream about Hailey every night. Mybrother doesn’t talk tomeanymore, Idon’t know what’s going oninhis life because Noah forbade myfamily togive meany information aboutit. And I’m just here, not knowing what todo. Idon’t feel the need toexplain myself orapologize for somethingI clearly didn’t do, but I’m lost. Icould use some advice onwhat todoatthis point, whether towait for everyone tocome totheir senses and understand that there isnosuch thing asajealous sister and acursed dress, orwhether tobend over backwards toapologize inorder toget mybrother back, even thoughI never intended for that tohappen. Idon’t know what todoatthis point, and there aren’t too many places toturn for help.”

Emily said that she still has the dress instorage, but isseriously considering getting rid ofit. Doyou think this was all just aseries ofunfortunate coincidences? Oristhere more toit? What would you doifyou were her? Would you talk toHailey and Noah? Would you burn the dress?

Letus know inthe comments what you think, what you would tell Emily, and ifyou’ve ever experienced anything this weird. And ifyou like stories with mysterious and familiar overtones, check out this article about abride who faced anot-so-pleasant situation ather own wedding.