I Yelled ‘I Don’t!’ at My Own Wedding after Conversation with Groom’s Mother Whose Plan Almost Worked Out

Ryan’s mother did precisely that. My first encounter with Ryan occurred two years ago by sheer chance. I was at the community theater to support my friend Mila, who was directing her debut local musical. After the show, I stood outside holding a bouquet for her when Ryan inadvertently bumped into me, knocking the flowers out of my hands amidst the bustling crowd. Quickly picking them up, he apologized, “I’m so sorry.”

“I really hate crowds,” I said.

He chuckled and gestured for us to step away from the entrance. “I’m not a fan either. I’m Ryan.”

“Hanna,” I introduced myself.

Three months later, over crispy potato skins and Guinness in a pub, Ryan proposed to me.

We should have celebrated that commitment with our wedding vows last week, but things didn’t go as planned. Initially, my family adored Ryan. My parents were thrilled to see me so happy, being their only daughter. During a family dinner, my mother remarked, “You’re different with him, Hanna.”

My father smiled, adding, “As long as he makes her happy, that’s all a father could wish for.”

Ryan felt embraced by my family’s warmth, which brought us closer. Similarly, his family welcomed me with open arms. Audrey, his mother, even started a routine of coffee and manicure dates with me. Everything felt perfect—until it wasn’t.

In the days leading up to our wedding, I was surprisingly calm. It was a small church ceremony, meticulously planned to reflect our preferences. But on what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, things took an unexpected turn.

Just before the ceremony, Audrey pulled me aside.

“My dear,” she began hesitantly. “Can we talk for a moment?”

I nodded, instructing her to wait until my hair and makeup were finished. Her uneasy demeanor made me apprehensive. I watched her movements in the mirror as she frequently glanced at my wedding gown hanging nearby. Once I was ready, with my mother buttoning up my dress, I turned to Audrey.

“I’m ready now,” I said, smiling faintly.

Her eyes welled up as she looked at me in my dress. She had been present at my fittings, but seeing the final look seemed to overwhelm her. “Hanna,” she said with a somber tone, “this isn’t easy for me to say.”

My heart raced. I could sense the weight of her words even before she spoke them. I urged her to go on.

Audrey took her phone out of her bag and handed it to me. “There’s something you need to see.”

As she unlocked her phone, a video began playing. A woman’s voice narrated as the footage revealed Ryan with another woman in a hotel room. My mind reeled.

“Are you sure this is him?” I asked, my voice trembling.

Audrey pointed to a jacket on the bed in the video. “Isn’t that the one you bought him?” she asked.

It was undeniable. The jacket was unmistakable, and I recognized the hotel room. Despite my disbelief, the evidence seemed irrefutable.

“Hanna,” Audrey said softly, “this is your choice. You can ignore it, but think about the man you’re marrying. Could you live with this?”

I shook my head, overwhelmed. “I’ll go through with the ceremony,” I said. “But I’ll end it during the vows.”

Audrey nodded, putting her phone away. “Alright, darling. It’s almost time.”

When the moment came, I walked down the aisle with my father. My heart was pounding with anger and betrayal. Ryan smiled warmly, oblivious to the storm brewing within me.

As the priest began the ceremony, I waited until the vows. Then, instead of repeating my lines, I whispered, “I don’t.”

The priest asked me to speak louder. I declared firmly, “I won’t.”

The room fell silent. Ryan stared at me, confused and hurt. “Hanna, what’s going on?” he asked.

“Ask your mother,” I replied, gesturing to Audrey. “Tell everyone what you showed me.”

Audrey hesitated but eventually handed me her phone. I played the video for everyone to see. Ryan was visibly shaken.

“Hanna, this isn’t me!” he exclaimed. “You know it’s not me.”

I turned away, unable to face him. Audrey, on the other hand, fled the church without another word.

That evening, Ryan tried to reach me repeatedly, but I ignored his calls. Two days later, he showed up at my parents’ house with flowers and takeout.

“You think this fixes everything?” I asked.

“I need to explain,” he said.

Reluctantly, I listened. What he revealed left me speechless. After the wedding, he confronted Audrey, who admitted to orchestrating the video. She had hired her students to stage the scene, driven by her disapproval of our marriage.

I was stunned. Audrey, who I thought welcomed me like family, had gone to such lengths to sabotage us. Ryan assured me he had no part in it and begged for forgiveness.

I’m still grappling with the betrayal—not just from Audrey, but from the entire situation. Though Ryan and I are still together, I don’t know what the future holds. For now, I feel hurt and deeply mistrustful of Audrey. Forgiving her seems impossible. How would you handle such a situation?