On Mabel and Adam’s wedding day, they’re having a little adventure in a limousine, slowly making their way along the freeway due to traffic. Rather than focusing on entertaining her mother’s guests, Mabel’s daughter, Amanda, ends up taking center stage at the wedding, capturing everyone’s attention. Do you think Mabel will get back at Amanda during the wedding, or will she choose to let Amanda figure things out on her own?
Weddings are meant to be enchanting, aren’t they? A whole day filled with love, the result of months of planning, and a beautiful moment to stand beside your special someone, making a promise to be together forever…
That was the dream, at least, until my daughter Amanda turned it into an absolute nightmare.
Oh dear.
It all began with some traffic, naturally. My fiancé Adam and I found ourselves in our limousine, caught in a sea of brake lights on the freeway due to an overturned truck miles ahead. We didn’t really stress about the traditions. Since we both had previous marriages, meeting up before the ceremony was really not a big deal for us.
“Could you tell me the time, Ben?” I called for our driver using the intercom.
“I’m not quite sure, Mabel,” he replied. I’m doing my best to fit it in whenever I can! <text”I’ll make sure you and Adam walk down the aisle together!”
It looks like we might be running a bit behind schedule.
“Love, could you call Amanda?” Adam said, his jaw tight as he tapped on the seat. “Could you please ask her to take care of the guests, get the band started, and make sure everyone is having a great time?”
I called my daughter, already sensing the pressure building. She answered on the second ring.
“Hi there, lovely,” I said as soon as she picked up. “Looks like we’re caught in some traffic.” There’s been an accident, so things are on hold for now. Could you please check that everything is running smoothly at the venue? Thanks a bunch! We’ll be there in about 30 minutes or so! Adam mentioned getting the band to play.
“Absolutely, Mommy!” Amanda chirped, her voice delightfully sweet. “Just focus on getting here, and leave the rest to us!” I’ve got everything else taken care of! Take care!
I took a deep breath, feeling her reassurance ease my worries. Just a short while later, my phone buzzed. It was my sister, Jess!
Her voice was filled with urgency.
“Hey sis, you really need to come here right now!” It’s Amanda, she…” her voice faded away before the call disconnected.
“What did you say about her?” I sighed and redialed right away, but it went straight to voicemail. A heavy pit settled in my stomach, but all we could do was keep moving forward in the traffic.
What do you think Jess was trying to say? What do you think is happening? I checked in with Adam after bringing him up to speed.
“Oh, sweetheart,” he said. “I bet Amanda grabbed a mic and is having a blast singing with the band!”
When we finally arrived at the venue half an hour later, I was completely unprepared for what I saw. Amanda stood on the steps, her face beaming as she held a bouquet of ivory roses. She wore a wedding dress. It was white and simple, yet it was unmistakably a wedding dress.
Our photographers gathered around her, cameras clicking as she posed with a bright smile. Next to her was Kyle, her boyfriend of just under a year, appearing a bit dazed and uneasy in his suit.
My heart just stopped for a moment.
“What’s happening here?” I called out, making my way up the stairs.
Amanda turned to me, her face showing both surprise and a hint of amusement.
“Oh, Mommy!” she exclaimed with delight. “I really wish you could have been at the ceremony!” It was so lovely!
I couldn’t believe my eyes!
What about my ceremony? Did you have my ceremony? You took my ceremony? Amanda, are you really thinking this through?
“Well,” she said with a smile, brushing imaginary dust off her dress. “I figured that since you were running a bit late, we might as well make the most of our time together!” Everything was all set, and the officiant was ready to get started. I really dislike delays. Guess what? I married Kyle!
I was completely taken aback by it. My beautiful ceremony, the one Adam and I had dreamed of and planned for months… it just slipped away. My own daughter had taken it over.
“You’ll get married another day!” she said cheerfully, as if my heart hadn’t just taken a hit. “Kyle and I are heading down to the reception hall for the final walk.” The guests will toss the rice and confetti with joy. Would you like to join us?
I gently shook my head.
Adam approached me from behind, his expression a blend of anger and sadness. He had invested so much time in trying to connect and build a relationship with Amanda that I could tell her behavior had hurt him as well.
“Just say the word, my dear,” he said. “Just say the word, Mabel, and I’ll take care of it right away!”
I glanced at Amanda, the girl I raised, who was now looking at me with a rather cheeky smile. My fists tightened. Every nerve in my body urged me to stand up to her, to reclaim what she had taken from me.
But I let out a slow breath.
“She’s still my daughter,” I said softly to Adam. “Please don’t.” I’ll show her a different lesson.
The reception was such a unique experience! Amanda twirled through the room, embodying the charm of a fairy tale, blissfully unaware of the chaos she had left behind.
My family and friends stopped by between courses, curious about what had really happened.
“Mabel, we were under the impression it was your wedding, sweetheart,” my aunt said. “You were meant to have your happy ending.” Hey, what’s the scoop on Amanda’s wedding? We had no idea she was dating anyone!
“I’m not quite sure, Aunt Joy,” I said. “I’m just as surprised as you!”
When dessert came, Amanda had the audacity to slice into the cake we had ordered, adorned with the lovely sugar flowers.
Jess pulled me aside at one point, her eyes sparkling with intensity.
“Your daughter took my phone while I was chatting with you!” And then she playfully locked me in the bathroom during the ceremony! I really couldn’t do anything else about it! Why didn’t you stop her when you arrived?
“Because,” I said, a cheerful smile spreading across my face. “Revenge is most satisfying when it’s unexpected.”
The real surprise came later that evening. Amanda knocked on our hotel room door, her smile bright and cheerful as if nothing had happened.
Adam and I were cozy on the bed, enjoying all the delicious treats from the room service dessert menu.
“So,” she said, casually leaning against the cupboard in the room. “Hey there! Kyle and I would love to get your tickets to Chile for our honeymoon.” <text”I mean, it seems like there’s really no reason for you all to use them after all.”
Adam stood still. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It looked like his hand was twitching toward the night light, almost as if he was about to toss it.
But I smiled, maintaining a calm voice.
Absolutely, dear. Feel free to take the tickets! You and Kyle totally deserve to have some fun!
Amanda squealed with excitement, gave me a warm hug, grabbed a strawberry from one of the plates, and cheerfully made her way out.
“What on earth, Mabel?” Adam inquired. Oh, really? Is she joining us for our honeymoon as well? We put in a lot of effort for all of this. Our wedding, our honeymoon, everything about it. And for what reason? Is Amanda really acting like a brat?
“I understand that you’re feeling upset,” I said. But sweetie, believe me. She’s about to learn something important. In just two days, you’ll see!
Just as expected, Amanda called two mornings later, but her voice was far from cheerful.
“Why would you do this to me, Mom?!” she exclaimed.
I smiled, holding the phone close to my ear.
“Amanda, sweetie, is everything okay?”
“What do you mean by wrong?” she exclaimed. Wow, you got me tickets to the Arctic! We’re in the middle of nowhere, feeling a bit chilly, and it seems like there’s not much to do!
I held back a giggle. The tickets were actually for Chile, you know. They were just a quick stop on our journey to the exciting Arctic expedition ahead! Glacier hikes, chilly waters, and polar bear sightings.
We had the most amazing trip ever! But Amanda! She really didn’t like the cold. She preferred luxury resorts and tropical beaches.
Amanda at her finest! She had never taken the time to look over the complete itinerary.
“Amanda, you asked for the tickets,” I said.
“But what should I do?” she asked with a hint of frustration.
“You’re a married lady now!” Let’s figure it out together!
She hung up on me, already mumbling a few choice words. I just couldn’t help but smile.
In the meantime, Adam and I came up with some new plans. My sister and our closest friends came together to host the most beautiful wedding celebration at Jess’s house a week later.
They took care of everything, from catering to decorations, and it turned out even more perfect than I could have imagined.
This time, Amanda didn’t get an invitation. Do you know what made everything feel so special? The presents.
Since Amanda took over my original wedding, all the gifts ended up with us. An exciting new espresso machine, luxurious linens, and a fabulous all-expenses-paid spa weekend from Adam’s older brother.
It felt like karma had wrapped itself up just for us.
When Amanda discovered the news, she had another meltdown.
“Mom, did you really take my wedding gifts?” she asked, her voice raised over the phone. “We planned to leave everything at the wedding venue until we returned from our honeymoon.”
“Maybe it’s time to take a little break from chatting,” I said.
“Mom, you really messed things up for me!” she cried. “I can’t believe you took my gifts!”
“Amanda,” I started, chuckling. What are your gifts? You took my wedding away. Think of this as a nice exchange.
Adam, standing by the espresso machine, bent over with laughter.
What do you think about Amanda’s new marriage to Kyle?
I’ve heard that things aren’t going so well already. Jess mentioned to me later that Kyle seemed really unhappy during the wedding ceremony. I got to see that for myself during the reception. He had completely steered clear of Adam and me.
“That boy’s in for a tough time with her,” Jess said when she stopped by for tea and cake a few days later.
Amanda may have taken the spotlight from my fairy-tale wedding, but her happily-ever-after was already a bit shaky.
What about Adam and me? We’re doing great! We went on our Arctic honeymoon, and it was absolutely breathtaking!
Some lessons, I suppose, are often learned through experience. Amanda may not say it out loud, but I like to believe she understands that entitlement has its price.
What if that’s not the case? Well, I can definitely say it brings me a bit of joy knowing she outsmarted herself.
Karma has a unique way of balancing things out, doesn’t it?
What would you have chosen to do?
If you liked this story, I’ve got another one for you:
My cousin purposely sewed my wedding dress 2 sizes smaller – she was so surprised when she saw what I did with it!
When Jess and Michael got engaged, her cousin Sarah chose to sew her wedding dress as a special gift. During the final fitting, Jess finds out that the wedding dress is two sizes too small. Do you think Sarah will fix her mistake, or will Jess need to step in and handle it herself?
My cousin Sarah and I have always had a bit of a tricky relationship. She’s vibrant and full of energy, always seeking a chance to shine. So, our whole family showered her with the attention she was looking for. It felt better to focus the spotlight on Sarah instead of on ourselves.
When Michael and I got engaged after being together for four years, my whole family seemed really happy for me.
Sarah gathered all our girl cousins and my best friends for a fun night out. We ended up at an Airbnb where we kept the celebration going, since I was the first among us to get engaged.
That night out, Sarah approached me with a glass of champagne in her hand.
Hey Jess! “I’ve got an awesome idea!” she exclaimed.
“What did you say?” I asked. “What would you like to do?”
Check out the complete story here!
This work draws inspiration from real events and individuals, though it has been creatively fictionalized. To ensure privacy and make the story even more engaging, names, characters, and details have been altered. Any similarity to real people, whether they are alive or have passed away, or to real events is purely coincidental and not meant by the author.
The author and publisher don’t guarantee the accuracy of events or character portrayals and aren’t responsible for any misunderstandings. This story is shared “as is,” and any opinions expressed belong to the characters and don’t represent the views of the author or publisher.
