Betrayal at the Wedding Table
Margaret Thompson rapped sharply on her son and daughter-in-law’s front door, her heart brimming with excitement. She couldn’t wait to show off the photos from her youngest daughter’s lavish wedding the previous weekend. The door swung open to reveal her daughter-in-law, Emily, standing there with puffy, red-rimmed eyes. “Oh, it’s you. Come in,” she muttered coldly. Margaret’s cheerful expression faltered. “Emily, love, what’s happened?” she asked cautiously, stepping inside. “What’s happened? Your son and I are getting divorced!” Emily blurted, her voice trembling with anger. “Divorced? What on earth for?” Margaret gasped, clutching her chest. “You mean you don’t know what he’s done?” Emily sneered. “No! Tell me!” Margaret’s heart raced as she stared at her daughter-in-law, dread twisting in her stomach.
Two months earlier, in a cosy little town by the River Severn, a row had erupted between Emily and her husband’s sister, Charlotte. “A wedding’s a once-in-a-lifetime event! Why won’t you celebrate it properly?” Charlotte had huffed when she learned Emily and her brother, James, had opted for a quiet registry office do instead of a grand affair. “Seems a waste of money to me,” Emily shrugged. “We’d rather put it towards something useful.” “Like what?” Charlotte narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “A holiday, a car, a deposit for a house,” Emily listed. “So you’ve got the money, you just can’t be bothered?” Charlotte scoffed. Emily didn’t answer, but her silence spoke volumes.
James and Emily settled for a modest ceremony followed by a small dinner with close family. Of course, they had to invite Charlotte and her fiancé. At first, she refused—then, at the last minute, she changed her mind. She had a surprise up her sleeve, one that would hijack the entire evening.
After the vows, the newlyweds and their guests gathered at Emily’s parents’ spacious home on the town’s outskirts, where her parents had laid on a spread. Only a dozen people sat around the table, but it groaned under the weight of homemade dishes.
Just as the toasts began, Charlotte suddenly stood, glass in hand, her voice quivering but loud. “To the happy couple! But while we’re here… I’ve got news—Oliver and I are getting married too!” The room erupted into gasps and cheers. Emily’s smile froze as Charlotte basked in the attention, boasting about her upcoming extravaganza—the kind the whole county would talk about.
For the rest of the evening, Emily seethed. Her special day had been stolen. Later, she stormed at James, “Why would she do that? Just to spite us? To rub our noses in it because we didn’t throw some ridiculous circus?” “Relax, Em,” James soothed. “At least our savings are intact. We can spend it on something worthwhile.” “Let’s go to Spain then,” Emily brightened. “Somewhere far from this nonsense.” “We’ll figure it out tomorrow,” James deflected, and exhausted, she let it drop.
Two weeks later, Charlotte handed them a glossy wedding invite. “I’m not going,” Emily grumbled, flicking the envelope. “Fine, we won’t,” James agreed. “Let’s book Spain instead,” she pressed. “After that stunt, I can’t stand the sight of her.” James started sweating. “Maybe later? I can’t skip my sister’s wedding,” he mumbled. “Then why say we wouldn’t go?” Emily snapped, pulling away.
Biting her tongue, Emily attended. The wedding was obscenely opulent—a white Rolls-Royce, a five-star hotel ballroom, fireworks, a film crew. “This is ridiculous,” Emily muttered. “That dress must’ve cost twenty grand. Who spends that on one day?” James mumbled something unintelligible.
The next morning, Emily broached Spain again. “Found cheap flights—let’s go!” “We can’t,” James blurted. “Why not? We’ve got forty grand saved!” “I… lent it to Charlotte,” he admitted, avoiding her gaze. “But she’ll pay it back.” Emily went ghostly white. “You what? Without asking me? That’s our money!” “She was desperate,” James pleaded. “She’ll repay it in instalments.” “I don’t want it later—I want it now!” Emily shrieked, her world collapsing.
Just then, Margaret knocked, bursting in with wedding photos, beaming. “Did you know your son bankrolled Charlotte’s wedding?” Emily spat. “Of course,” Margaret said airily. “Family helps family.” “Unbelievable!” Emily choked. “We skipped our own wedding to save, and he blew it all on her! You traitor, James!” “Making a scene over money?” Margaret scolded, stepping between them. “Half that money was mine!” Emily snarled. “Return it by Friday, or I’ll sue!” She stormed out, leaving them stunned.
“Ungrateful shrew!” Margaret screeched after her. “Married five minutes and already throwing tantrums!” But Emily wasn’t joking. She filed for divorce—and sued for her share. The court ruled in her favour: James had to repay half.
With her money reclaimed, Emily jetted off to Spain. There, under golden sunsets, she met a man who became her second chance. By the time she returned, she wasn’t alone—and for the first time in months, her heart felt light, full of hope for a fresh start.
