Audrey put her phone back in her purse and murmured, “Okay, darling.” “Anyway, it’s almost time now.”

When it came time for me to marry Ryan, I settled down on the chaise and waited for my father to come get me. All I wanted was to hop in a car and head somewhere where I could eat a mound of fries and forget about my feelings.

When I walked up to the altar on my father’s arm, my heart was pounding so hard with rage. Ryan gave me a kind smile, sensing the fury that was building beneath my skin. Squeezing my hand, he took it.

If only he hadn’t been with someone else, it would have been dream come true.

Our priest continued by quoting passages from the Bible that discuss marriage and love. And my heart eventually calmed down as it came time for our vows, finally recognizing what was going to happen.

I mutely muttered, more to the earth than to Ryan, “I don’t.”

The priest urged Hanna to speak up more.

“I’m not!” Speaking with greater assurance, my comments echoed like a loud shockwave.

I said those two words again, and Ryan’s surprise turned to confusion.

“Hannah? How come? With a tone full of hurt and betrayal, he questioned.

My words were, “Ask your mom,” gesturing to Audrey. “Mrs. Cole, please share with everyone what you previously told me.”

At once the church fell silent, like though everyone was holding their breath. She pulled her phone out of her bag with trembling hands. She held it out to me like she had earlier.

“Observe,” I told Ryan.

Ryan retreated a step and nearly tumbled over the wedding arch.

“Hanna, that’s not who I am!” He spoke up. “You know it’s not me, Hanna!”

I averted my gaze from him.

He then went up against his mother.

“Mum, what’s going on here? What is that? How did you obtain the video?

With a shake of her head, Audrey turned to leave the church and disappeared down the aisle.

I had to endure Ryan’s excuses for too long.

“Please, Hanna,” he said. “I need your faith in me.”

And I desired to. I wanted to believe the man I loved, of course. However, it was evident—in the video, the jacket I got him was lying across the bed. He was with another person.

And how would he explain the footage if it became out that he wasn’t with someone else? And the girl who had very little on? What about the audio effects?

I said, “I can’t do this.” “I refuse to.”

Leaving the side door behind me, my parents trailed closely behind me.

For the remainder of the day, Ryan kept contacting me, so when night fell, I blocked his number.

However, two days later, Ryan turned up at my parents’ place with takeout and flowers, when I was curled up under a blanket, wondering where it had all gone wrong.

“You think this will solve every problem?” I enquired.

He said simply, “I need to talk.”

I listened in spite of my better judgment.

Ryan’s next revelation pushed me into yet another tailspin.

He’d approached Audrey following the nuptials.

He answered, “I went straight to her house.” “As if she hadn’t just ruined our wedding, she was sitting there, in her kitchen, eating toast and listening to old records.”

I yelled out, “I think you did that.”

“Hanna,” he issued a warning. “That video was masterminded by my mother. Her students are the ones that are in it. And the reason behind it all was her dislike of our marriage.

My mouth dropped to the floor.

Audrey was an English tutor for first-year college students in addition to being a high school teacher. She became really anxious when she realized that Ryan and I were going to tie the knot. Too keen to earn a little extra cash, she recruited two of her college students for the role.

I responded, tucking into the lunch Ryan had brought over, “I thought she liked me.” “She obviously doesn’t, considering that she assembled a whole video.”

Ryan laughed tensely, “She did say that the sounds were edited.” “But I have to give it to her—it was a nice touch to include my jacket.”

I was unaware of my feelings. Since leaving my own wedding two days ago, I’ve persuaded myself that Ryan was the villain in my tale. that his mother exposed him for what he was, and that he was the villain who crushed my heart.

But the truth was far worse than that.

This was a woman who had broken my heart to marry her son before claiming me as the daughter she never had.

She thought Ryan wasn’t worthy of me.

I accused Ryan of cheating on me in front of our visitors, but he immediately forgave me, and I did the same in return.

Although we’re still together, I have no idea what the future may bring. I feel misled and hurt by Audrey for the time being. Furthermore, I am aware that she will find it difficult to forgive.

How would you respond?