Jake left soon afterward.
I felt terrible for what I’d done, but also lighter, as though a tremendous weight had lifted from my shoulders.
Then, I got hit by the backlash.
The thing is, some people in our family think I’m being dramatic.
My sister called me yesterday and said I was “destroying their big day over one mistake.” Alice’s mother suggested I was overreacting and that young couples go through rough patches all the time.
Maybe they’re right.
Maybe I am overreacting. Maybe Jake and Alice will grow from this experience and build something beautiful together despite this rocky start.
But right now, I can’t bring myself to write another check for this wedding.
It’s not about punishment or spite. It’s about values.
I raised Jake to be honest and faithful.
I taught him that trust is the foundation of any good relationship.
How can I celebrate a marriage that began with both partners betraying that trust?
“You’re making a mistake, Mom,” Jake said as he was leaving that day. “Alice and I love each other. That’s all that matters.”
Love.
Such a simple word for such a complicated thing. I love Jake more than life itself, which is exactly why I can’t pretend to support something I don’t believe in.
They can still get married. They can still have their beautiful garden wedding with string lights and perfect flowers.
I just won’t be the person funding it anymore.
And if that makes me the villain in this story, if that means I’m the mean future mother-in-law who ruined everything, then so be it.
I’d rather stand by my principles than throw money at a marriage built on secrets, traps, and betrayal. Because at the end of the day, I have to live with myself.
And I have to believe that sometimes love means saying no, even when it breaks your heart.
Source: amomama
