Pay the entire bill if you want to do something meaningful.”
Sienna gasped and looked at me.
I stood there, looking at Samantha, dressed in a stunning gown but feeling anything but bridal.
Before I could retaliate, my Mom stepped through the adjoining room door.
I had forgotten she went in to steam her dress one last time.
“Enough, Samantha. That’s not how you speak to my child, let alone the woman marrying your son,” Mom said.
I had always suspected that Samantha didn’t like me — that there was some hidden agenda to every interaction between us — but I always thought she tried her hardest to get along with me because of Liam.
“Olivia,” Samantha said firmly, as though disciplining her child.
“No,” my mother replied. “Let me speak.
I love your son as if he were my own.
And I am genuinely so happy that they found each other. But you cannot barge into my daughter’s room and demand that she pay your bill.
She already gave you money as a gesture of love and appreciation. How is that not enough for you?”
I watched my mother in awe, holding onto my shoes.
She was never one for confrontation, and even as a child — if my father were disciplining us, Mom would always be on the other side of the house, not wanting to see or hear anything.
“Jessica owes you nothing.
You will apologize to my daughter, or I will personally kick you out of their wedding.”
Samantha stared at my mother. I almost felt the dislike taking over the room, blanketing the joy.
“Do you want me to call Liam?” I asked sweetly. “Were you expecting me to call off the wedding?”
Samantha turned to look at me; then, I saw the shape of Liam’s nose on her face.
I saw that his eyes were the same color as hers.
I didn’t know how long Samantha disliked me.
I didn’t know when she decided she didn’t want me to marry him.
“So, what will it be?” Mom asked her, taking a sip of champagne I had arranged for our dressing rooms.
Then, Samantha, seeing that she was cornered and exposed with no way out, stammered an insincere apology.
“I’m going downstairs,” she said. “I’ll just ensure the flowers and everything are in place.”
She ran out of the room, leaving her envelope behind.
“Are you okay, honey?” my mother asked, buttoning my dress.
“Yeah, Mom.
I’m ready to get married,” I said.
In truth, I wasn’t sure how I felt. But I knew Samantha’s stunt wasn’t enough to make me walk away from Liam.
And I knew he was waiting for me at the end of the aisle.
Liam and I just got back from our honeymoon, and we’ve barely seen or heard from Samantha.
I was honest with him and told him exactly what happened. He was horrified and made no excuses for his mother’s behavior.
I don’t know what will happen next, but I will keep my distance from her.
If you were in my shoes, what would you have done?
Here’s another story for you. A woman wished to design a beautiful dress for her wedding.
Meanwhile, her fiancé’s mother didn’t support her decision.
She wanted the bride-to-be to wear something else.
