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Thomas, a quietly successful finance professional, moved through life with subtle grace, while his world was defined by velvet curtains, personal chefs, and the high expectations of his mother, Liliana—a woman as sharp and polished as the heels she never seemed to remove.
The engagement brought joy, but it also drew the low hum of judgment. Hannah became “the poor girl who got lucky,” the subject of brunch-table whispers implying she had somehow trapped a man who could have “done better.” She met such barbs with practiced smiles, though they lingered in her mind like shadows. When wedding planning began, Thomas’s parents offered to cover most of the costs, resulting in a grand ballroom affair, complete with chandeliers and a live quartet. Hannah’s family, strained by her mother’s chemotherapy bills, contributed what they could: the cake, the photography, and the dress.
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