My Daughter Snapped, “Please Step Back For Now!” So I Went To My Local Branch And Paused Every Card I Had Given Her. I Updated The Wedding Arrangements I Had Been Covering. The Next Morning, She Kept Calling. But Me? I Was Too BUSY TO ANSWER.

“Don’t you think this is a bit excessive?” I asked, pointing to the cost of the floral centerpieces, which was equivalent to 3 months of my pension. Emily sighed with that feigned patience adults use when explaining something obvious to a child. “Mom, it’s my wedding.

I’m only going to get married once in my life. Besides, you never had this. Don’t you want me to be happy?”

Guilt settled in my chest like a hot stone.

She was right. I never had a lavish wedding. My marriage had been a simple ceremony at the neighborhood church with a family lunch afterward, but it had been beautiful because it was filled with genuine love, not this calculated display they were presenting to me.

Daniel started showing up more and more frequently, always with new wedding ideas that required more money. “Mrs. Linda, I found the best band in the city.

They play at celebrity weddings.”

He would say, showing me videos on his phone of musicians who looked like they stepped out of a Hollywood movie. “We just need a down payment to secure them.”

His hands moved with grand gestures as he spoke, as if he were selling a dream. But I was starting to see the cracks in his performance.

His shoes were expensive, but worn. His watch gleamed, but it was a cheap imitation, and he always had an excuse for not paying for any of the expenses himself. It was a Thursday afternoon when I discovered the first real lie.

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