**Betrayal at the Wedding Feast**
Margaret Harrison rapped briskly on her son’s front door, excitement bubbling inside her. She couldn’t wait to show off the photos from her youngest daughter’s lavish wedding, which had taken place the previous weekend. The door swung open to reveal her daughter-in-law, Emily. Her face was drawn, eyes red from crying. “Oh, it’s you. Come in,” Emily muttered coldly. Margaret immediately sensed something was wrong. “Emily, what’s happened?” she asked cautiously as she stepped inside. “Happened? Your son and I are getting divorced!” Emily blurted out, her voice trembling with hurt. “Divorced? Why?” Margaret gasped, unable to believe her ears. “You really don’t know what he’s done?” Emily sneered bitterly. “No! What’s he done?” Margaret stared in bewilderment, her chest tightening with dread.
Two months earlier, in a cosy town near the Thames, Emily had clashed with her husband’s sister, Charlotte. “A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event! Why won’t you celebrate it properly?” Charlotte had huffed when she learned that Emily and her brother James had opted for a simple ceremony. “Seems like a waste of money to me. Better to put it toward something meaningful,” Emily had replied calmly. “Like what?” Charlotte narrowed her eyes, suspicion lacing her voice. “A holiday, a car, or a house deposit,” Emily listed. “So you *have* the money—you just don’t want to spend it on a wedding?” Charlotte scoffed. Emily didn’t answer, but her silence spoke volumes.
James and Emily settled for a modest registry office ceremony and a small dinner with close family. Reluctantly, they invited Charlotte and her fiancé. At first, Charlotte claimed she wouldn’t attend—until the last minute, when she changed her mind. She had a surprise in store, one that would overshadow the entire evening.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests gathered at Emily’s parents’ spacious home on the town’s outskirts. Her parents had prepared a feast, and though there were only a dozen guests, the table groaned under the weight of homemade dishes.
When the toasts began, Charlotte suddenly stood, glass in hand. Her voice shook with nerves but carried clearly. “To the happy couple! But I have news of my own—Oliver and I are getting married too!” The room fell silent before erupting in congratulations. Emily forced a smile as her heart sank. Charlotte beamed, boasting about the grand celebration she’d planned, one the whole town would talk about.
Emily spent the rest of the evening swallowing bitterness. What should have been *her* special day had been stolen. Once the guests left, she rounded on James. “Why did she have to announce that? Just to spite us? To rub it in that we didn’t throw some ridiculous party?” “Just forget it, Em,” James tried to soothe her. “At least we’ve still got our savings. We can spend them on something worthwhile.” “Let’s book a holiday,” Emily brightened. “Somewhere far from all this drama.” “We’ll decide tomorrow,” James hedged, and Emily, too drained to argue, let it drop.
Two weeks later, Charlotte handed them an invitation to her wedding. “I’m not going,” Emily muttered, turning the envelope over in her hands. “Fine by me,” James shrugged. “What if we went abroad instead?” Emily suggested. “After what Charlotte pulled, I can’t stand the sight of her.” James shifted uncomfortably, sweat breaking on his brow. “Maybe another time? I can’t skip my sister’s wedding.” “Then why pretend otherwise?” Emily snapped, pulling away.
Grudgingly, Emily attended Charlotte’s wedding. The extravagance was staggering: a limousine, a banquet at the finest restaurant in town, fireworks, and professional photographers. “What a waste,” Emily muttered. “That dress must’ve cost thousands. Who blows that much on one day?” James mumbled something unclear, his expression unreadable.
The next day, Emily brought up the holiday again. “I found cheap flights—let’s go!” “Em, we can’t,” James admitted awkwardly. “Why not? We’ve got £20,000 saved—remember?” “I… lent it to Charlotte for the wedding,” he confessed, avoiding her gaze. “But she’ll pay it back.” Emily paled. “You lent it—without asking *me*? We saved that together!” “She was desperate,” James pleaded. “She’ll repay it in instalments.” “I don’t want it later—I want it *now*!” Emily shouted, her world tilting.
Just then, Margaret knocked, bustling in with wedding photos, glowing with pride. Emily, seething, confronted her. “Did you know your son paid for Charlotte’s wedding?” “Of course,” Margaret said airily. “What’s family for?” “Unbelievable!” Emily choked. “We skipped *our* wedding to save money, and he handed it all to Charlotte! You traitor, James!” “Getting hysterical over money?” Margaret scoffed, pulling James back. “Half that money was mine!” Emily spat. “Return it by Friday, or I’ll sue!” Storming off, she left them speechless.
“Ungrateful shrew!” Margaret called after her. “Married five minutes and already making scenes!” But Emily wasn’t bluffing. She filed for divorce and sued for her share. The court ruled in her favour—James had to repay half of what he’d given Charlotte.
With the money, Emily booked a beach holiday. There, under warm sun and lapping waves, she met a man who became her second chance. Returning home, she wasn’t alone anymore—and her heart, at last, found peace.
