Walton Merritt

Olga Spent All Day Preparing to Celebrate the New Year: Cleaning, Cooking, and Setting the Table for Her First New Year Away from Her Parents and with Her Beloved for the First Time—But When Her Older, Penny-Pinching Boyfriend Tolik Showed Up Drunk with His Rowdy Mates, Her Dreams of a Romantic Night Collapsed, and She Learned Some Hard Truths About Love, Family, and Herself

Olivia had spent the whole day preparing for New Year’s Evecleaning, cooking, laying out the table

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VIC, PLEASE DON’T TAKE THIS PERSONALLY, BUT I WANT MY DAD TO WALK ME DOWN THE AISLE. HE’S MY REAL FATHER, AFTER ALL. A DAD’S A DAD. AND YOU… WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU’RE JUST MY MUM’S HUSBAND. IT’LL LOOK BETTER IN PHOTOS IF I’M WITH DAD. HE LOOKS SO DISTINGUISHED IN A SUIT. Victor paused, teacup in hand. He was fifty-five, with the calloused hands of a long-haul truck driver and an aching back. Opposite him sat Alina. The bride-to-be. Gorgeous. Twenty-two. Victor remembered her at five, when he first came into their lives—how she’d hidden behind the sofa and shouted, “Go away, you’re a stranger!” But he’d stayed. He taught her to ride a bike. Sat by her bed when she had chickenpox, while her mum Vera was exhausted. He paid for her braces—selling his motorcycle to do so. Paid her university fees—working double shifts and risking his health for it. And her “real dad”, Igor, came by every few months. Brought her a teddy bear, took her out for ice cream, told tall business tales and disappeared again. Never paid a penny in support. “Of course, Alinka,” Victor said softly, setting his cup down with a clink. “Real is real. I understand.” “You’re the best!” Alina kissed his bristly cheek. “By the way, the restaurant needs the rest of its deposit. Dad said he’d send it, but his accounts are frozen for some tax reason. Could you lend me a hundred grand or so? I’ll pay you back… from the wedding money.” Victor silently walked to the old sideboard, took an envelope from under a pile of linen. It was for repairs to his battered old Toyota. The engine was knocking, the overhaul overdue. “Take it. No need to pay me back. It’s my gift.” The wedding was extravagant. At a country club. A flower arch. An expensive master of ceremonies. Victor and Vera sat at the parents’ table. Victor wore his only suit, a bit tight in the shoulders. Alina was radiant. Down the aisle, Igor led her. Igor looked dashing: tall, tanned (just back from Turkey), in a razor-sharp tux. He strode proudly, smiled for the cameras, pretended to wipe away a tear. Guests whispered, “Such elegance! She’s her father’s image!” No one knew the tux was rented—paid for by Alina herself, secretly. At the banquet, Igor grabbed the microphone. “Daughter!” his baritone dripped honey. “I remember the first time I held you—you were a tiny princess. I always knew you deserved the best. May your husband carry you through life as I did!” Applause. Tears. Victor hung his head. He didn’t recall Igor ever carrying Alina—just not turning up to collect her from the hospital. As the party raged, Victor slipped out to smoke, his heart acting up from the noise and heat. Round the veranda in the shadow, voices drifted. Igor, speaking on his phone. “It’s all good, Serge! The wedding’s a blast. Suckers are paying, we’re just partying. Daughter? Sure, she turned out cute. I already chatted up her fiancé—wealthy, dad’s in the council. Hinted I could use some backing for my business—he’s biting. After the drinks I’ll squeeze him for a couple hundred thou ‘as a loan’. Alinka? She’s a lovesick fool, hero-worships her daddy. I threw her two compliments and she melted. Her mum, Vera, is there with her loser driver. Looks ancient. Man, glad I ditched her when I did.” Victor froze. His fists clenched. He wanted to smash that smug face. But he didn’t move—because he saw, in the ivy’s shadow, Alina herself. She’d stepped outside for air. She heard every word. Standing there, hand pressed to her lips, perfect make-up running. Staring at the “real dad” Giggling on the phone, calling her “a resource” and “idiot”. Igor ended the call, straightened his bow tie, beamed, and returned to the party. Alina slid down the wall, wedding dress crumpling on the dirty tiles. Victor came quietly. He didn’t say, “I told you so.” He didn’t gloat. He just took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. “Up you get, sweetheart. You’ll catch cold on the tiles.” Alina looked up, shame and heartbreak in her eyes—so raw she wished she could disappear. “Uncle Vic…” she whispered. “Dad… Vic… He…” “I know,” Victor said calmly. “Don’t worry, come on. It’s your wedding. The guests are waiting.” “I can’t go in!” she sobbed, smearing mascara. “I betrayed you! I invited him, shoved you in the corner! I’m so stupid. God, I’m so stupid.” “You’re not stupid. You just wanted a fairy tale,” Victor held out his hard, warm, rough hand. “But sometimes the ones writing fairy tales are crooks. Come on. Wash up, fix your nose, then go dance. Don’t let him see he broke you. This is your day, not his.” Alina re-entered, pale but holding her head high. The MC announced, “And now—the father-daughter dance!” Igor gleamed and strode out, arms wide. The hall fell silent. Alina took the microphone. Her hand shook but her voice was clear. “I want to change tradition,” she said. “My biological father gave me life, and I thank him for that. But a father–daughter dance isn’t just with the one who gave you life, it’s with the one who protected it. With the one who nursed my scraped knees. Taught me not to quit. Gave up everything so I could stand here in this dress.” She turned to the parents’ table. “Dad Vic. Come dance with me.” Igor froze, smile faltering mid-step. A ripple of whispers swept the room. Victor stood, red with embarrassment. He made his way out—awkward, pigeon-toed, suit too tight. Alina hugged him and pressed her face into his shoulder. “Forgive me, Daddy,” she whispered as they shuffled to the music. “Please forgive me.” “It’s all right, little one. It’s all right,” Victor soothed, stroking her back with his heavy, gentle hand. Igor stood a moment, realising the show was over, then quietly slunk to the bar, and before long slipped out of the reception altogether. Three years later. Victor lies in hospital. His heart ultimately failed him—a heart attack. He lies beneath a drip, weak and pale. The door opens. Alina enters, holding the hand of a tiny boy, not yet three. “Grandad!” shouts the little one, running to the bed. Alina sits beside Victor, kissing his calloused hand again and again. “Dad, we brought you oranges. And soup. The doctor says things look good—you just rest and don’t worry. We’ll get you back on your feet. I even booked a place for you at the spa.” Victor smiles. He doesn’t have millions. Only an old car and a bad back. But he’s the richest man in the world. Because he’s Dad—with no “step” in front of it. Life put everything in its place. Pity that sometimes the price of seeing clearly is humiliation and regret. But it’s better to realise it late than never: fatherhood isn’t about a name on a certificate, but about the hand that lifts you when you fall. The Moral: Don’t chase pretty packaging—inside it’s often empty. Value those who are quietly there for you on ordinary days, who give their shoulder without asking anything back. Because when the music ends and the party’s over, the only one left at your side is the one who genuinely loves you, not the one who just loves being in your spotlight. Did you have a stepdad who became closer than your real father? Or do you think blood is everything? 👇👨‍👧

Ben, please dont take this the wrong way. But I want my dad to walk me down the aisle. After all, hes

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A Parent’s Unbreakable Love: An Emotional Taxi Ride, a Heartfelt Family Gathering, and the Fierce Instinct to Protect When Danger Strikes

Ellie let out an exhausted yet contented sigh as she bundled her two little ones into the back seat of the taxi.

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I Miss Him—I’ve Never Missed Anyone Like This Before, Even Though I Wasn’t Truly Happy With Him and There Were Things I Didn’t Like: From a Facebook Encounter, Late-Night Messages, and a Park Hug That Felt Like Home, to Unraveling Truths, Financial Strains, and Painful Goodbyes—My Honest Story of Loving, Learning, and Letting Go

I miss him. Ive honestly never missed anyone in this way before, and I cant put my finger on why especially

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My Mother-in-Law Called My Children Rude, So I Banned Her from Ever Setting Foot in Our Home

And those elbows? Who told you to rest your elbows on the table like that? In polite company, youd be

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The Mother-in-Law’s Unexpected Arrival: A Visit That Turned Everything Upside Down

The Mother-in-Laws Unexpected Arrival: A Visit That Turned Everything Upside Down I walk into my sons

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The Mother-in-Law’s Unexpected Arrival: A Visit That Turned Everything Upside Down

The Mother-in-Laws Unexpected Arrival: A Visit That Turned Everything Upside Down I walk into my sons

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“You’re Better Off Than Others, So Your Gifts Should Reflect That—Grumbled the Mother-in-Law: An Evening in London Turns Tense as Wealth, Gifts, and Family Expectations Collide”

Youre better off than most, so your gifts ought to reflect that, my mother-in-law grumbled.

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I Will Prove I Can Stand on My Own – When My Husband Mark Told Me, “You Can’t Make It Without Me!”, I Decided to Reclaim My Independence, Find a Job, and Build a Life That’s Truly My Own

I will prove that I can make it on my own. When my husband, Peter, turned to me and said, Emily, Id get

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Anna parked her car a street away from her mother-in-law’s house. The clock read 5:45 p.m.—she’d arrived earlier than planned. “Maybe she’ll finally appreciate my punctuality this time,” Anna thought, smoothing the creases from her new dress. The gift—an antique brooch she’d spent months hunting down from collectors—rested carefully wrapped on the backseat. As Anna approached the house, she noticed the ground-floor window was ajar. Her mother-in-law’s voice rang out clearly from inside: “No, Beatrice, can you believe it? She didn’t even bother to ask what kind of cake I like! She went and ordered some trendy dessert… Our son has always loved classic Victoria sponge, and she—” There was a pause. “—doesn’t even understand. Seven years of marriage!” Anna froze. Her feet felt glued to the pavement. “Of course I’ve told you before—she just isn’t right for David. She works day and night at that clinic, barely home at all. What sort of housewife is that? I popped by yesterday—dirty dishes everywhere, dust on the mantel… Naturally, she was off performing some complicated operation!” Inside, Anna went numb. She leaned on the garden gate, feeling her knees tremble. For seven years, she had tried to be the perfect daughter-in-law: cooking, cleaning, remembering every birthday, popping in when her mother-in-law was ill. And all for this… “No, no, I’m not saying anything really, but is that the kind of woman our David needs? He deserves a proper family, warmth and care… and she’s always away at conferences or working nights. She doesn’t even think about children! Can you imagine?” Family Games Anna’s head buzzed. Mechanically, she pulled out her phone and dialed her husband. “David? I’ll be a bit late. Yes, everything’s fine, just… traffic.” She turned and walked back to her car. Sitting down, Anna stared blankly ahead. The harsh words echoed in her head: “Maybe a little more salt?” “In my day, women stayed home…” “David works so hard, he needs extra attention…” Her phone vibrated—a message from her husband: “Mum’s asking where you are. Everyone’s here.” Anna drew a deep breath. A strange smile crept onto her face. “Right,” she thought, “if they want the perfect daughter-in-law, they can have her.” She started the engine and drove back to her mother-in-law’s house. The plan had formed in an instant. No more trying to please. It was time to show them just what the “ideal” daughter-in-law could really be like. Anna burst through the door wearing her brightest smile. “Mummy dearest!” she exclaimed, wrapping her mother-in-law in an exaggeratedly enthusiastic hug. “Sorry I’m late—I went to three different shops to get the exact candles you love!” Her mother-in-law froze, startled at the display. “I thought…” she began, but Anna was already barreling on: “Oh, and guess what—I ran into your lovely friend Beatrice on the way! Such a delightful woman, always so honest, isn’t she?” Anna gave her mother-in-law a knowing look, watching her face pale. Through dinner, Anna laid on the performance: heaping the choicest bites onto her mother-in-law’s plate, loudly admiring every comment, endlessly seeking advice about running a home. “Mummy, do you think borscht should simmer for five or six hours? And carpets—best cleaned morning or night? Maybe I should give up my job—after all, David needs a proper family, doesn’t he?” David stared in shock; the relatives exchanged glances. Anna kept going: “I was thinking—maybe I should sign up for housekeeping classes? This silly surgery business, perhaps it’s not for me… A woman should be the heart of the home, shouldn’t she, Mummy?” Her mother-in-law began tapping her fork nervously against her plate. Her poise crumbled with every minute. And what happened next? Well, some stories are best read all the way to the end…

Monday, 5th June I parked the car one street away from my mother-in-laws house, glancing at the dashboard clock.