Tell me honestly—would you have stayed?

I squeezed her hand and spoke, my voice steady and clear.
“I will not marry into a family that disrespects my mother. We may not have wealth, but we were raised with dignity. And that matters more than any of this.”

Whispers rippled through the guests. The coordinator looked horrified. The violinist lowered his bow. Ethan’s parents stared at me as though I had shattered something priceless.

Without hesitation, I turned and led my mother down the aisle—past the roses, the luxury décor, and the people who believed they were superior to us. My heels struck the marble floor sharply, echoing through the heavy silence.

Before we reached the doors, Ethan’s voice rang out.
“Emily! Please—wait!”

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