When Kathy’s son, Michael, and his fiancée, Vanessa, got engaged, she was over the moon. The couple had been together for a long time, and marriage was the next step. Except that Vanessa tries to seduce Kathy’s husband during the wedding reception. Will Michael find out?
When I think about my life, I’m filled with pride. My husband, Robert, built a business empire from the ground up, and while we live a comfortable life, we’ve never let money turn us into snobs.
A smiling older couple | Source: Midjourney
Our family is known for being kind, fair, and good-hearted, and I like to think we’ve earned our respect in the town by staying humble and helping others where we can.
Our son, Michael, takes after us in that way. He’s a hardworking and loyal young man, and he’s been with his fiancée, Vanessa, since high school. They were one of those couples who just seemed destined for forever.
“I love her, Mom!” Michael exclaimed one day. “She’s just everything I see in my future wife one day. And I think she fits in well with our family. Don’t you?”
A smiling couple | Source: Midjourney
“I do, honey,” I said, cutting us slices of freshly delivered chocolate cake. “I think Dad likes her too, which is always a good thing. We’re both on board if you want to take things further.”
Vanessa came from a modest background. Her mother was a single parent who worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, but that never mattered to Michael. He loved Vanessa, and when he proposed six months ago, I thought my heart would burst with joy.
A man holding a ring | Source: Midjourney
Their wedding was set to be the event of the year, and the day arrived in a whirlwind of flowers, laughter, and endless dancing. I was having the time of my life, twirling around the dance floor with Michael while Vanessa chatted with guests.
Everything seemed perfect. Until it wasn’t.
I hadn’t seen Vanessa for about half an hour when Robert came to me, his face tight with tension.
A smiling bride | Source: Midjourney
“We need to talk. Now, Kathy,” he said, his voice low but firm.
My stomach dropped, and I was suddenly very aware of his discomfort. My husband wasn’t one for dramatics, so whatever this was, it had to be serious. We stepped outside the reception hall, and he wasted no time telling me what had happened.
“I ran into Vanessa in the hallway when I was coming back from the bathroom,” he began, looking both angry and bewildered. “I congratulated her again and told her how much we love her. How happy we are that she’s joining our family. But apparently, she took it differently.”
A man in a suit | Source: Midjourney
“What do you mean?” I asked, frowning. I had no clue what Robert was getting at.
My husband let out a frustrated sigh.
“She said she loves me too,” he said.
“Honey, that’s not so bad,” I said, almost laughing.
A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney
“That’s not all. She said that she loves me more than Michael. Her words, not mine. And then, she tried to kiss me. On the lips, Kathy!”
My jaw dropped.
“You’re kidding!”
“Oh, I wish I were,” he said. “I pushed her away, and she said she understood there might be witnesses here. So, she told me to meet her in her hotel room on the third floor in 20 minutes.”
A shocked older woman | Source: Midjourney
I stared at him, utterly speechless.
“I think we should both pay her a little visit,” Robert said, placing a hand on my arm.
The anger that boiled up in me was unlike anything I’d ever felt. Vanessa Sweet and unassuming Vanessa. Vanessa, who I had come to love as my daughter. The same young woman who was wearing my wedding jewelry right now? Vanessa, trying to seduce my husband on her wedding day?
A man in a suit | Source: Midjourney
What the hell?
It took everything in me not to storm straight to her while she was dancing with my son and confront her then and there. Instead, Robert and I waited until the song was over.
“I’m just going to take some photos with my bridesmaids,” Vanessa called out to Michael, who had walked over to me. “I’ll be back soon! Dance with your mom!”
A smiling bride with her bridesmaids | Source: Midjourney
Michael smiled and nodded and made his way toward us. Robert looked at me, frowning slightly. This was Vanessa’s tell. After taking a few photos with her bridesmaids, she would most likely slip away, ready to meet Robert in her room.
Robert and I calmly gathered Michael and our closest relatives, quietly explaining the situation. Michael’s face turned ashen, but he nodded resolutely.
A groom talking to guests | Source: Midjourney
“We’re handling this now,” he said.
We made our way to the third floor, the tension palpable in the air. When we reached her room, Robert gestured for the rest of us to hang back while he stepped forward and knocked.
“Finally, you came,” Vanessa’s voice purred through the door. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
A hotel room door | Source: Midjourney
I couldn’t see much from my position, but I could see that she was sitting on the edge of the bed, her shoes already kicked off.
“Come in, Robert, darling,” she added, her voice dripping with seduction. “Take off my clothes, and let’s make this a night to remember. You’re lucky that my dress is easy…”
Every word was like a slap to my face. I clenched my fists, my body trembling with rage. Michael stood beside me, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might crack.
A bride sitting on a bed | Source: Midjourney
Robert pushed the door wider and stepped inside, leaving it slightly ajar so Vanessa couldn’t see us. But we could hear everything loud and clear.
“Vanessa,” he said, his voice steady but cold. “What exactly are you trying to do here?”
“Oh, come on,” she said with a laugh. “We both know Michael is great and all that, but he will never be the man you are. I’m doing us both a favor.”
A man standing in a hotel room | Source: Midjourney
Before Robert could respond, Michael pushed the door open.
“What the hell, Vanessa? This wedding is over. I’ll get our marriage annulled in the morning.”
Vanessa whipped around, her eyes wide with shock.
“Michael, wait! You don’t understand!” she gasped.
An upset groom | Source: Midjourney
“I understand perfectly,” he said, cutting her off. “You’re a liar and a manipulator, and you don’t deserve to be part of this family. And to think that my parents let you into our home… into our lives for years. And it’s all been for what? This?”
The rest of us had followed Michael into the room, our presence making Vanessa shrink back. But just as the gravity of her actions seemed to hit her, the door burst open again.
Vanessa’s mother stood there, a camera in her hands.
A woman standing in a hotel room holding a camera | Source: Midjourney
“Vanessa?” she said, looking confused as her gaze darted between her daughter and the rest of us.
“What are you doing here, Mom?” Vanessa snapped.
“What am I doing here?” her mother retorted, holding up the camera. “You told me to come film everything! Don’t act like you didn’t plan this!”
The room fell silent as the realization sank in.
A shocked bride | Source: Midjourney
“You were going to blackmail me?” Robert gasped.
Vanessa’s mother paled.
“That’s not… I mean, we didn’t… Vanessa, say something!”
My daughter-in-law glared at her mother, kicking her legs in the air.
“You weren’t supposed to say anything, you foolish woman!” she shouted.
A shocked man in a suit | Source: Midjourney
My blood ran cold. They had plotted this. They had planned this. The woman who had raised Vanessa had helped orchestrate a plan to seduce and extort my husband.
“Get out,” I said, my voice low and dangerous.
Vanessa blinked at me as if not comprehending the words coming out of my mouth.
“What?” she asked. “Kathy…”
An upset older woman | Source: Midjourney
“You heard me,” I said. “Get. Out. Both of you!”
“Kathy, please,” Vanessa’s mother begged, clasping her hands together. “We were desperate. V doesn’t have anything, literally nothing to her name other than her degree. And as for Michael…”
“Stop right there,” I said, holding up a hand. “Michael loved Vanessa. We all welcomed her into our family with open arms. And this is how she repays us?”
A shocked woman holding a camera | Source: Midjourney
Vanessa opened her mouth to speak, but I silenced her with a glare.
“You are nothing but a con artist,” I continued. “Did you even love Michael? You lied to my son. You lied to all of us. And now you think you can play the victim? Not a chance. You’ve embarrassed yourself, and you’ve shown exactly who you are. Now get out before I call security.”
A bride holding her head | Source: Midjourney
Vanessa’s mother tried to argue, but Vanessa grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the door.
“Let’s go, Mom,” she muttered, her bravado gone.
The room fell into an uneasy silence as soon as the door slammed behind them.
Michael sank onto the edge of the bed, his face buried in his hands.
An upset groom sitting on a bed | Source: Midjourney
“How could I not see this?” he whispered.
I sat beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
“This isn’t your fault,” I said gently. “Because you loved her, you wanted to believe in her. That’s not a weakness — it’s who you are. You love deeply and see the good in people, and those are qualities you should never lose.”
Robert stepped forward, placing a hand on Michael’s other shoulder. “We’re proud of you, son,” he said. “You handled this with integrity. You deserve someone who loves you for who you are, not what you have.”
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Word spread quickly among the guests, and by the end of the night, everyone knew the wedding was nothing more than a party. Michael made sure the marriage was annulled the next morning.
While it was a humiliating day for our family, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. Michael deserved better, and now he had the chance to find it.
Paperwork on a table | Source: Midjourney
As for Vanessa and her mother, we heard that they left town shortly after the wedding fiasco. Rumor has it they tried similar schemes in the past, but we didn’t care to follow up.
In the weeks that followed, Michael leaned on us for support as he healed from the betrayal. Of course, it wasn’t easy, but he grew stronger every day. And one day, when he came into the kitchen to help me bake, he actually smiled.
And I knew we’d all be okay.
A mother and son baking duo | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
If you’ve enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you |
I Found a Wig in My Husband’s Car — I Went Speechless Upon Finding Out the Truth Behind It
When Isobel uses her husband’s car, she finds a blonde wig in it. Not wanting to disturb the peace, Isobel decides that she doesn’t want to confront him. So, she follows him… right up to her mother’s house. What secrets are being kept, and why isn’t her husband telling her the truth?
Honestly, I don’t even know where to start. I’ve replayed the last two weeks over and over, and it still doesn’t feel real. So, here I am, sitting on a rocking chair in my son’s nursery, trying to understand what has been going on in my life.
Jack and I have been married for six years. I thought we were solid, the type of couple who told each other everything. I mean, we’re expecting our first child in three months, and life should’ve been simple, exciting even.
But then, I found the wig.
Let me tell you everything.
Read the full story here.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
