Do parents enjoy dropping shocking news right before weddings? And when I say “before”… I mean thirty minutes before the ceremony?!
Because that’s exactly what Ryan’s mother did.
Let me start from the beginning.
Ryan and I met two years ago, and it was one of those rom-com kinds of moments. I was outside the local community theatre after watching a play—my friend Mila had just made her debut as a director, and I was waiting with flowers to give her.
Then, bam! Out of nowhere, Ryan literally walked into me. The crowd was big and pushy, and the bouquet in my hands was crushed.
“I’m so sorry,” he said quickly, bending down to pick up the squashed flowers.
I laughed. “I hate crowds.”
He smiled and gently nudged me away from the door.
“I’m not a fan either. I’m Ryan.”
“Hanna,” I replied.
And just like that, we started talking. Then dating. And then—three months later—Ryan proposed to me in the most unexpected place: at a pub, over pints of Guinness and a plate of greasy, delicious potato skins.
I remember laughing through tears as he pulled out the ring. It wasn’t the fanciest proposal, but it was so us.
Fast forward to last week. Our wedding was supposed to be the day we sealed that promise with vows in front of our closest friends and family. But that day didn’t go the way we planned. Not even close.
From the very beginning, both of our families supported our relationship. My parents adored Ryan.
“This is a different side to you, Hanna,” my mom told me one night after Ryan had dinner with us.
“He makes her happy,” my dad said with a big grin. “That’s all a father could want.”
Ryan felt at home with my family, and I felt the same with his. His mom, Audrey, took a special liking to me. We had coffee dates, got our nails done together, and she often said things like, “You’re the daughter I never had.”
So imagine how shocked I was when, on my wedding day, Audrey suddenly turned into someone I didn’t recognize.
While I was getting ready—hair curled, makeup done, butterflies in my stomach—Audrey walked in.
“Darling,” she said softly, “can we talk for a moment?”
“Sure,” I said, though something about her tone made me nervous.
She kept glancing at my wedding dress. Her eyes were darting all around the room like she was searching for an escape.
Once I was ready, and my mom had just finished buttoning up my gown, I turned to Audrey.
“I’m ready when you are.”
Her eyes watered as she looked at me in my full wedding outfit. But instead of smiling or giving me a hug, she sighed.
“Hanna… there’s no easy way for me to say this.”
My stomach dropped. I knew whatever came next would not be good.
“Just say it,” I whispered.
She pulled her phone out of her sparkly clutch and held it out. “There are videos on this phone. They’ll explain everything. I’m sorry, Hanna… but Ryan needs to be exposed.”
I stared at the phone. I didn’t want to touch it, let alone watch anything on it. But I took it from her and hit play.
And there it was.
Ryan. With another woman.
They were in a hotel room. There was laughter. Kissing. Intimacy. My throat closed up.
“Are you sure?” I asked, barely able to speak. “This is him?”
Audrey nodded. “Look at the jacket on the bed. Isn’t that the one you bought him for his birthday?”
I paused the video. And there it was—his jacket. The exact one I bought him from that fancy little shop we found during a weekend trip.
The hotel even looked familiar. We had stayed there once.
“But… his face isn’t in the frame,” I said. My brain was spinning. “You can’t prove it’s him.”
“Hanna,” Audrey said, her voice serious. “It’s right in front of you. You can choose to ignore it, but if you marry him today… can you live with that? Can you really live with yourself knowing what he’s done?”
I felt sick. I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to cry.
“Fine,” I finally said.
“Wait—are you calling off the wedding?” she asked, eyes wide with hope.
“No,” I said. “I’m walking down that aisle. I’m going to look him in the eye. And when it’s time for vows, I’ll end it there.”
Audrey just nodded and said, “It’s almost time now, anyway.”
I sat on the chaise, completely numb. I didn’t want to be there anymore. I wanted to run far away, crawl into a blanket, and drown my pain in a sea of fries and ice cream.
When my dad came to escort me, I smiled weakly and took his arm. My heart was pounding as we walked toward the altar.
Ryan stood there, looking so handsome, smiling at me like nothing was wrong. He gently squeezed my hand.
The priest began. He read from the Bible about love and commitment. I couldn’t hear much—just my heart pounding in my ears.
Then it was time for vows. My moment.
“I don’t,” I whispered, eyes locked on the floor.
The priest blinked. “Speak louder, Hanna.”
“I don’t!” I said louder. My voice echoed through the church.
Gasps. Silence. Confusion.
Ryan’s face crumpled. “Hanna? What?!”
“Ask your mom,” I said, pointing at Audrey. “Mrs. Cole, tell them what you told me.”
Everyone turned to her. She looked like she’d seen a ghost. Slowly, she opened her bag, took out her phone, and held it up.
“Look,” I told Ryan.
He stepped forward, then stumbled back like someone punched him.
“That is not me, Hanna!” he yelled. “You know that’s not me!”
I refused to meet his eyes.
Then he turned to Audrey. “Mom?! What is this? Where did you even get that video?!”
Audrey didn’t say a word. She just turned and walked out of the church, leaving everyone in stunned silence.
I turned to Ryan.
“I can’t do this,” I said. “I won’t.”
I ran out of the side door. My parents followed close behind.
Ryan kept trying to call and text me the whole day. I ignored every message. That night, I finally blocked his number.
Two days later, I was in my pajamas, wrapped in a blanket, replaying everything in my head for the hundredth time—when there was a knock at the door.
Ryan stood there. Holding flowers and takeout.
“You really think this fixes everything?” I said coldly.
“I need to talk,” he replied.
Against my better judgment, I let him in.
Then he dropped another bombshell.
“I went to my mom’s house after the wedding,” he said. “She was sitting in the kitchen, eating toast and listening to music. Like she didn’t just ruin our lives.”
“I think you did that,” I snapped.
“No, Hanna. My mother made that video.”
“What?” I froze.
“She got two of her college students—she tutors first-years in English—to pretend to be us. The video was fake. She didn’t want us to get married, and she went to that extent to stop it.”
I couldn’t even speak.
“She edited the sound. Used my jacket. Picked a hotel she knew we’d been to. She planned everything.”
I slowly started eating the food he brought, my appetite suddenly coming back.
“I thought she liked me,” I muttered. “Clearly, she doesn’t if she staged a fake affair.”
“She told me she didn’t think you were the right one for me,” Ryan said quietly. “She said she was protecting me.”
I forgave him. Right there. Of course I did. I’d accused him of cheating in front of everyone.
But I didn’t forgive Audrey.
We’re still together, Ryan and I. We’re trying to move forward. But I don’t know what the future holds.
What I do know is this: betrayal hurts the most when it comes from someone who called you family. And forgiveness? That’s going to take a long, long time.
