Ryan and I were finally about to get married after years of dating that started with a chance meeting. But just before our wedding, Ryan’s mom showed me a shocking video of him with another woman. What I found out later was even more surprising.
Do parents love to drop bombshells right before weddings? And by right before, I mean just half an hour before the ceremony.
Because that’s exactly what Ryan’s mom did.
Ryan and I first met two years ago by accident. I was at the community theater to support my friend Mila, who was directing her first local musical. After the show, I was outside with flowers for Mila when Ryan accidentally bumped into me, crushing the bouquet.
“I am so sorry!” he exclaimed, grabbing the flowers.
“I detest crowds,” I muttered.
He laughed and motioned for us to step away from the door. “I’m not a fan either. My name’s Ryan.”
“I’m Hanna,” I replied.
Three months into our relationship, Ryan proposed to me in a pub over crispy potato skins and Guinness. We should have been saying our wedding vows last week, but our wedding took a very different turn.
My family loved Ryan. My parents were thrilled I found someone who made me happy. One evening, during family dinner, my mom said, “This is a different side of you, Hanna.”
“He makes her happy,” my dad said with a smile. “A father could only want that.”
Ryan felt welcomed and loved, and this strengthened our relationship.
His family welcomed me too. Ryan’s mom, Audrey, and I even had regular coffee and manicure dates. Everything seemed perfect—until the wedding day.
I was as calm as could be before the wedding. Ryan and I had planned every detail of our small church wedding. But then, just before the ceremony, my soon-to-be mother-in-law called me aside.
“My dear,” she said, “can we talk for a minute?”
I nodded and told her to wait until my makeup and hair were done. Her nervous behavior made me uneasy. I watched her fidget as I looked at myself in the mirror.
When I was ready, with my mom buttoning my dress, I turned to Audrey. “I’m ready when you are,” I said, smiling.
Her eyes grew misty as she saw me in my dress. “Hanna, it’s difficult for me to say this,” she murmured.
My heart pounded. I knew this talk wouldn’t end well. “Just say it,” I told her.
Audrey pulled out her phone. “I have videos on here. Hanna, I’m so sorry, but Ryan needs to be exposed.”
My mind raced. She handed me her phone, and I had no idea what I was about to see.
The videos showed Ryan with another woman—a clear betrayal. “Are you sure?” I asked. “Is this him?”
Audrey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Look at the jacket on the bed. Is that the one you got him?”
I glanced at the jacket in the video. The hotel room looked familiar; we had been there before. “But Ryan’s face isn’t in the frame,” I said, struggling to believe what I was seeing.
“Hanna, it’s right in front of you,” Audrey said slowly. “You can ignore it, but think about the man you’re marrying. Can you live with that? Can you live with him?”
I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed. “All right,” I replied.
“You’re going to call off the wedding?” Audrey asked, her voice hopeful.
“No,” I said. “I’m going down that aisle. I’ll end it during the vows.”
Audrey put her phone away. “Okay, darling. It’s almost time.”
I waited for my father to come get me. All I wanted was to run away and eat a pile of fries to forget everything. As I walked up to the altar with my father, my heart pounded with anger. Ryan smiled at me, oblivious to my fury, and squeezed my hand.
If only he hadn’t been with someone else, it would have been a dream come true.
Our priest quoted Bible verses about love and marriage. When it was time for our vows, I finally spoke. “I don’t,” I whispered.
The priest asked me to speak up. “I’m not!” I said louder, my words echoing through the church.
Ryan’s smile turned to confusion. “Hanna? Why?” he asked, hurt and betrayed.
“Ask your mom,” I replied, pointing to Audrey. “Mrs. Cole, tell everyone what you told me.”
The church fell silent. Audrey, with trembling hands, pulled out her phone. “Watch this,” I told Ryan.
Ryan stepped back, almost stumbling. “Hanna, that’s not who I am! You know it’s not me!” he protested.
I looked away from him. He turned to his mother. “Mom, what’s going on? How did you get that video?”
Audrey shook her head and left the church. I couldn’t listen to Ryan’s excuses any longer. “Please, Hanna,” he pleaded. “Trust me.”
I wanted to believe him, but the jacket in the video was unmistakable. He was with someone else. “I can’t do this,” I said. “I won’t.”
I left through the side door, my parents following closely. Ryan kept calling me for the rest of the day, but I blocked his number by nightfall.
Two days later, Ryan showed up at my parents’ house with flowers and takeout. “You think this will fix everything?” I asked.
“I need to talk,” he said simply.
Against my better judgment, I listened.
Ryan’s next revelation shocked me even more. He had confronted Audrey after the wedding. “I went straight to her house,” he said. “She was sitting in her kitchen, eating toast and listening to old records as if she hadn’t just ruined our wedding.”
“I think you did that,” I snapped.
“Hanna,” he warned. “My mother staged that video. Those were her students. She didn’t want us to get married.”
My mouth dropped open. Audrey, a high school teacher and college tutor, had hired two of her students to stage the video. “I thought she liked me,” I said. “She clearly doesn’t.”
“She said the sounds were edited,” Ryan added. “But she included my jacket to make it believable.”
I didn’t know how to feel. For two days, I had convinced myself Ryan was the villain. But the truth was worse. Audrey had broken my heart just to keep me from marrying her son. She thought Ryan wasn’t good enough for me.
I had accused Ryan of cheating in front of everyone, yet he forgave me. And I forgave him. We’re still together, but I don’t know what the future holds. I feel betrayed and hurt by Audrey, and I know it will be hard to forgive her.
What would you do in my shoes?
