Chapter 7
When Ryan and I first tied the knot, neither of us had much in terms of wealth.
In fact, the majority of our wedding expenses came from my personal savings.
Even the house we moved into after the wedding—it had been bought with my dowry.
At first, we were happy.
I used to think that marrying Ryan was the best decision I had ever made.
But somewhere along the way, things changed.
Now, as Ryan sat in his immaculate suit, lost in his thoughts, our son, Lucas, and his bride, Clara, had already completed all the formalities.
Hand in hand, they walked toward Ryan and Madeline, both of them glowing with excitement.
“Clara, this is my mom and dad. You can say hello to them now,” Lucas said.
Madeline, already holding a wedding gift, was prepared to pass it over the moment Clara called her “Mom.”
Once, she believed that avoiding marriage gave her freedom.
But with time, that freedom began to feel hollow, and loneliness crept in,
Ryan was by her side, sure, but he was still married to me.
1/4
He couldn’t always be there when she needed him.
Yet, there was still Lucas.
Even though he didn’t know she was his biological mother, it didn’t matter.
All that mattered was hearing him call her “Mom” in front of everyone.
That, in itself, was enough to make her chest swell with pride.
She smiled, eager for the moment Clara would speak, but then Ryan suddenly stood up.
“No. This isn’t right!” he declared, his voice firm.
Lucas froze. He stepped forward, trying to gently push Ryan back into his seat.
“Dad! What are you doing? Did Clara do something wrong? Is she upsetting you?”
Panic flickered in Lucas’s eyes.
Clara, too, was confused, not understanding what was happening.
But Madeline, she knew Ryan all too well. Forty years together, after all.
She saw where his gaze had fallen–toward the entrance of the wedding hall.
And in that instant, she understood.
Desperately, she grabbed Ryan’s arm and whispered, “Elise isn’t here. You promised me. You swore I’d hear Lucas call me ‘Mom‘ just once.”
2/4
“You made a vow to me, Ryan. We’ve come this far. Just let it happen.”
Her fingers tightened around his arm, cold and unyielding, like shackles.
Ryan felt the weight of the room’s gaze–Lucas’s, Clara’s, the guests‘.
Questions would soon follow.
The family would begin to murmur.
He had already given his relatives an explanation for why I wasn’t at the wedding, but even then, the looks they exchanged with him were sharp, knowing.
Anyone who knew Ryan knew how long we had been married–forty years.
So what could possibly explain my absence? And why, if I wasn’t there, would he have brought another woman to take my place?
The truth was plain for all to see, hanging in the air like an open secret. But no one spoke of it–not today. It was Lucas’s wedding, after all.
And since most of the guests were Ryan’s family–they would keep their silence.
As for Clara’s side, they had no idea. They genuinely believed that Madeline was the real mother.
So, Ryan sank back into his seat, closing his eyes as though trying to block out the weight of the moment,
Lucas must have whispered something to Clara, because the ceremony continued on.
3/4
In the end, Madeline got what she wanted.
She heard Lucas call her “Mom.” And soon enough, Clara did the same.
Her face lit up with a euphoric glow, the satisfaction radiating off her.
Once the last guest had left. Lucas pulled Ryan aside. clearly annoyed.
“What the hell was that?” he hissed, his voice low and sharp.
“If I hadn’t stepped in and explained things to Clara, she would’ve gotten suspicious. What if she freaked out and called off the wedding? You really want me to be stuck alone forever?”
Ryan sighed, rubbing his temples as the headache of the situation set in.
“Madeline’s not your mother.” he said quietly. “Clara’s going to figure out the truth eventually. You’re going to have to live with your real mom. Don’t forget—you and Clara are only staying in that guesthouse for one night. After that, you’ll be back with us.”
“And when she comes home? When she sees your mother there, plain as day? What then? You think you can keep lying to her forever?”
4/4
