Marissa, on the other hand, had worked through issues with her self-esteem and self-confidence, spending hours at the gym and the hair salon. She worked hard on herself, to get what she felt she deserved.“I’m telling you, Brian,” I told my husband one day. “Our daughter is too good for this man.”“I agree, she’s our little girl. But at the same time, there’s nothing we can do.” He was right, of course. Marissa adored Stefan, and I had tried to keep my reservations to myself, not wanting to spoil her happiness.But then, Stefan’s true self was revealed to me in the most unexpected way.It was the day before the wedding, and I was exhausted from a whirlwind of preparations. I had insisted that my daughter spend the day at a spa, getting a full-on pamper session, while I got my nails done, picked up both our dresses, and finalized the decorations.“It’s all good to go, Diane,” Tracy, the wedding planner, told me at her office. “I just needed you to choose which of the two back-up flowers you wanted. But now, we’re back on track. Go and rest. The mother-of-the-bride needs to be as rested as the bride.” “I’m going to do just that,” I reassured her. “I just need to grab a coffee and then I’m going right home for a bubble bath and a head massage from my husband.”“Get some carbs, too,” Tracy laughed as I walked out. So, I did just that. I decided to take a break and grab a coffee at a cute little café across the road from Tracy’s office. As I entered, I was greeted by the comforting aroma of fresh pastries and coffee.“Just what I needed,” I muttered to myself. But then, my heart nearly stopped. There, in a corner of the café was Stefan. And he wasn’t alone. A young woman was there with him, laughing and touching his arm, their heads close together.Then, right in front of the busy café, they kissed. It was a tender, intimate kiss, the kind that spoke of familiarity and affection. To the rest of the world, they looked like a cute little couple. But to me? This was the biggest betrayal to my daughter. I stood there, stunned, unable to process what I was seeing. My hands shook as I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo.Thankfully, the photo was safely in my gallery when Stefan looked up. Our eyes met for a brief, horrifying moment. He quickly pulled away from the woman, but it was too late. The damage was done. My eyes had seen the truth for itself.“Diane?” Stefan called. I just shook my head and hurried out of the café, my mind and heart racing. How could he do this to Marissa? The woman who loved him to her core and who would move heaven and earth for him.And on the eve of their wedding, no less? I knew I had to tell her, but how could I break her heart like this? As I drove home, my anger simmered. Stefan needed to learn a lesson.“Hi, honey,” Brian answered the phone. “I’ll be home soon, I promise. I just need to pick up some Thai food for Marissa. She told me that she wanted to eat our favorite family meal tonight.” “We need to talk,” I said, cutting him off. I told Brian everything quickly as the distance between me and our home got shorter.When I got home, I found Marissa in her room, surrounded by her wedding jewelry. Her face lit up when she saw me, but the look on my face must have given away that something was wrong. “Mom, what happened?” she asked, concern taking over her beautiful features. “Is everything okay?” I sat down next to her, taking a deep breath.“Marissa, I need to show you something,” I said, pulling out my phone. I showed her the photo of Stefan with the other woman. Marissa stared at the screen, her face paling. “No, this can’t be real,” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.I put my arm around her, holding her as she sobbed. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” I said. “I wish it wasn’t true.” Through her tears, Marissa looked at me, anger and betrayal flashing in her eyes.“Mom, I can’t marry him. I just can’t. I won’t. I have to call off the wedding.” I nodded. I couldn’t blame her one bit. She was devastated. The man she adored had been having an affair. But then an idea struck me. There was a way to make Stefan face the consequences of his actions in a way he wouldn’t forget.“Darling, what if we turn the tables on him? Make sure he knows exactly what he’s losing?” I asked. She looked at me, confusion mingling with her tears. “What do you mean, Mom?” she asked.I explained my plan, and slowly, a determined look replaced the hurt on her face. She agreed, and we set it in motion. We spent the rest of the evening in near silence, eating the Thai food that Brian had brought home.The next morning, Marissa and her best friend Leah headed to the resort where she and Stefan were supposed to spend their honeymoon. The reservation was in Marissa’s name because Brian and I had gifted the couple their honeymoon, so there was no issue with her using it.As for Brian and me, we went to the wedding venue, where guests were already gathering, helping themselves to drinks and canapés. They were blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding behind the scenes. Stefan spotted me as soon as I arrived. He rushed over, looking anxious. “Where’s Marissa?” he asked me, trying to keep his voice calm.I smiled, keeping my tone light. It was almost as if I hadn’t caught him cheating on my daughter just the day before. “Oh, she’ll be done soon; she had a mishap with her hair stylist.” He frowned but nodded, trying to mask his discomfort.As the minutes ticked by and the wedding band began to play, the tension grew. Finally, with all the guests present, I took the stage. Holding the microphone, I called for everyone’s attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here today. We have a slight change in plans,” I began.There were a few gasps in the crowd, but I continued. “My daughter is not here right now. She’s on her way to the resort where she and Stefan were supposed to spend their honeymoon.” A murmur of confusion spread through the crowd. Stefan shifted uncomfortably.“But Marissa did want me to show you something very important.” With that, I clicked a remote, and the photo of Stefan kissing the other woman appeared on the screen behind me. That, in itself, tugged at my heart because Marissa had wanted photos of her and Stefan to be playing in the background during the ceremony. Now, the screen was used to show his infidelity.Gasps filled the room. Stefan’s parents stood up, their faces a mixture of shock and fury. The murmurs turned into an uproar as people processed what they were seeing. “Marissa isn’t late,” I said to Stefan simply. “She deserves so much better than this, and now, everyone knows the truth.” Stefan’s parents approached me, anger across their faces.“How could you do this?” his mother hissed. “We paid for this wedding!” I met her gaze, unflinching. “Your son did this. Not me. He betrayed Marissa, and she has every right to walk away.”Everything was chaotic after that. Guests were whispering, and some were even leaving. Stefan looked defeated, slumped in a chair, while his parents tried to salvage what they could of the situation. I called Marissa to check in as Brian spoke to some of our family and friends. “Mom, I made the right decision,” she said boldly. “I’ve been thinking, and I know it now.”“You did, sweetheart,” I replied. “And now, you can move on without looking back.” After that, Brian and I helped ourselves to the wedding buffet before heading home.What would you have done?
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