As I made my way to the altar, the weight of what I’d seen felt unbearable. Ryan smiled at me, unaware of the storm brewing inside. When it was time for our vows, I looked him in the eyes and said, “I don’t.” The room fell silent. Ryan, confused and hurt, pleaded for an explanation. “Ask your mom,” I replied, pointing to Audrey.
Audrey handed over her phone, but instead of bringing clarity, it only deepened the confusion. “That’s not me!” Ryan exclaimed, his voice filled with desperation. He confronted his mother, but she left the church without saying another word. I couldn’t bear to stay any longer and left with my parents.
For the next two days, I was consumed by heartbreak. Ryan tried reaching out, but I couldn’t face him. Finally, he showed up at my parents’ house with flowers and takeout, desperate to explain. What he revealed left me speechless.
Ryan had confronted his mother after the wedding. “She made the whole thing up,” he said, his voice heavy with disbelief. “The people in the video are her students. She didn’t want us to get married.”
Audrey, a high school teacher who also tutored college students, had orchestrated the entire video. She had paid her students to stage the scene, adding Ryan’s jacket for authenticity. She had gone to extreme lengths to stop our wedding because she didn’t believe I was worthy of her son.
I was stunned. Audrey, the woman who had treated me like family, had gone behind my back in the worst possible way. The betrayal was more than I could handle.
But in that moment, I realized that Ryan wasn’t the villain. We had both been victims of a cruel lie. I forgave him, and he forgave me for doubting him. We had been through so much, but together, we found the strength to move forward, leaving Audrey’s deceit behind us.