Brandon’s wedding should be one of the most beautiful days of his life, but things take a bizarre turn when a long-hidden family secret unfurls in front of everyone. As the bride’s veil is tenderly lifted to reveal her face, he finds his father screaming and begging to stop the wedding.
It all felt like a dream to Martha. The gleaming 18-carat diamond on her ring finger, the love and warmth she felt each time her fiancé’s mother, Grace, hugged her, and the way life had made her cross paths with a loving man.
Martha had been extremely nervous telling Brandon she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She was worried his mother wouldn’t accept her. But things had changed quickly, and Grace had embraced her with open arms, accepting her for who she was.
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Martha and Brandon were poles apart when it came to backgrounds, even religious beliefs.
Brandon was a 22-year-old devout Christian from a protestant family, while Martha was someone who was indifferent to God or a higher power. She had never known what love meant and came from a broken family with a deceased mother, a missing father, no money, and absolutely no love or faith in God, whereas Brandon came from wealth and had a loving mother.
So Martha was shocked at how quickly her life had turned around. Grace accepted her with love and bestowed her heartfelt blessings on her and Brandon after seeing how madly her son was in love with her.
You can’t escape the consequences of your actions.
Martha had been without faith her entire life, but Grace’s love changed her. She even decided to worship Christ because she wanted to do it for the kind family she was going to marry into. But fate had bitter, devastating plans for all of them…
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Brandon couldn’t get Martha’s words out of his mind. “You know, I sometimes wish Mum had told me about Dad. I wished he had been there when I got married. I mean, every girl wants that. Don’t they?”
Martha’s mother had succumbed to cancer six years ago, leaving her an orphan. They had a few relatives scattered across the country, but they were as good as dead. So Martha felt very lonely and sad that she didn’t have anyone by her side she could call family or a father figure to walk her down the aisle.
Brandon decided to make that dream of hers complete and surprise her. So after years of being in absolutely no touch with his father, he wrote him a message.
“Hey, Dad! I know I’m texting out of the blue, but I was hoping you could do me a favor. I’m getting married, and my fiancée wants her dad to walk her down the aisle. Could you please do it for her? Her dad and mum are no more. It would mean a great deal to both of us!
Love ya! Brandon.”
Brandon wasn’t sure if his father would respond. It had been years since they last spoke. But his father did reply. Brandon received a text the following morning from Kenneth, who was overjoyed to be a part of the wedding.
“Oh! Brandon! Congratulations!” his reply read. “This is such wonderful news! I’m so happy for you both. Would love to be there, son. But what about Grace? I bet she’d hate to see me there. She didn’t even tell me you were getting married!”
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Brandon assured his father that he would handle everything, inform Grace later, and that everything would be fine. But he didn’t tell his mother anything until the day of the wedding.
***
The wedding was in full swing. All the guests had arrived, Martha was doing her final touches in the makeup room, and Grace was sitting with her future daughter-in-law, admiring her pretty face in the mirror.
“Oh! My son has chosen the most beautiful girl in the world!” she exclaimed, wiping a tear as Martha rose from her chair.
“I’m so blessed to be a part of this family,” she said as she gently wrapped her arms around Grace. “Really. I couldn’t have asked for anything more!”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s the other way round!” Grace whispered, gently touching Martha’s face. Then she lowered the veil on her face and asked, “Shall we, darling?”
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Martha nodded, and they were about to leave when she suddenly remembered Brandon had asked her to wait until he had messaged her.
“Sorry, Mom,” she told Grace. “I think Brandon wanted me to wait for something. I’ll be out in a minute. Would that be OK?”
“Sure, my love,” Grace smiled. “Take your time. We’ll be waiting for you.”
“…I’m sorry the truth came out like this, Brandon,” Kenneth said, lowering his head. “I’m sorry.”
When Grace joined everyone in the wedding hall, she saw a familiar face in the crowd. She watched him walk to the front row where the bride and groom’s family were supposed to sit, and her blood began to boil.
“Get out of here, Kenneth!” she yelled, blocking her ex-husband’s way. “What makes you think you can crash my son’s wedding like that? And you brought your second family with you?”
“I’m his father, Grace!” Kenneth said defensively. “And our son has invited me here! If you don’t believe me, ask him!”
“What?” Grace was shocked. “I’m not buying that story! Get out and stop making a fuss in front of my guests!”
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The guests began whispering among themselves, and Kenneth felt humiliated by Grace’s attempt to kick him out. He was about to leave when Brandon stepped in.
“Hey, Dad! You’re here!” he smiled and hugged his father, infuriating Grace. “Thanks for coming.”
“I hope you saw that!” Kenneth growled at Grace. “Please excuse my family and me now! Get out of the way!”
Brandon explained to Grace that he’d done it all for Martha because he wanted to surprise her. Grace was still upset that he hadn’t told her anything about it, but she decided to put her anger and differences aside for the sake of her son.
It was supposed to be a perfect day for Brandon and Martha. Grace would do anything to make sure she wasn’t the reason it was ruined. So she sat back in one of the front row chairs, at two arms’ distance from Kenneth and his family.
When it was time to exchange the vows, Brandon introduced Martha to Kenneth. Tears sprang into her eyes when he told her he invited his dad because she wanted a father figure to walk her down the aisle.
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“Oh! It’s… I’m at a loss for words. Thank you very much, sir. Thank you for doing this for me,” she told Kenneth.
Kenneth held her hand and smiled. “Dad,” he said. “Please call me Dad. I know Brandon’s mother and I haven’t been on excellent terms, but we are still family. And you’re becoming a part of this family! So please, don’t mention it.”
Martha pressed her lips together and nodded hastily, swallowing her tears to prevent them from ruining her makeup. Then Kenneth gently raised her veil and was about to give her hand into Brandon’s when he stopped.
Kenneth froze, staring into oblivion like he’s seen the devil. Everyone at the wedding started whispering. “What is he doing!” Grace fumed. “Is he out of his mind!?”
“What’s wrong, Dad?” Brandon asked, looking from Martha to his father. “Why did you stop?”
“Oh, Brandon!” Kenneth said worriedly. “I can’t do this! Honey, what’s your name?” he asked Martha.
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“Name? But… but why now? I mean, Martha,” she replied, confused. “I’m Martha. What’s the matter?”
Kenneth shook his head and dropped his hands to his sides. “What a lovely name! Is there a reason you were given that name?” he asked.
Martha’s eyes grew wide. “There… there is!” she cried. “I was named after my late mother because I was born in March, on the same day as her! But why do you ask? I mean, nobody has given it so much thought…other than Mum!”
Kenneth’s eyes welled up, and he looked Brandon in the eyes. “Stop this wedding!” he requested. “You can’t marry her! She’s your sister!”
Twenty years ago, Kenneth had done something wrong, very wrong, and he had never expected his one mistake would ruin his children’s lives forever…
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Kenneth had cheated on Grace with his secretary back then. He was ‘tired’ of his marriage and dated Martha’s mother, his secretary, for ‘fun.’ Things spiraled out of his control when he learned she was pregnant. She was determined to keep the child, but Kenneth did not want the responsibility of a child born out of wedlock, so he walked away from her life.
But the day Martha was born, her mom called Kenneth to tell him the news. Unfortunately for him, Grace answered the phone and was enraged by the revelation. She asked Kenneth if he had an affair behind her back, and he confessed everything.
Grace was a religious woman, and for her, there was no place for deceit in a marriage. So she kicked Kenneth out of their home and sent him divorce papers just days later. She also made sure their son did not grow up around him, so she fought for Brandon’s custody and never allowed him to see his father!
However, Kenneth never accepted baby Martha. In fact, when he discovered her mother had not terminated her pregnancy, he fled the city and began a new life. He married and had a family with another woman.
“…I’m sorry the truth came out like this, Brandon,” Kenneth said, lowering his head. “I’m sorry. Martha is my biological daughter.”
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A loud gasp rang out in the wedding hall. Martha was shocked, and so was everyone at the wedding. “I can’t believe this!” she sobbed. “You’re my biological father!? What the hell do you mean?”
Kenneth did his best to narrate the story, and it left Brandon furious. He now understood why his mother hated his father. All these years, he assumed it was because their marriage didn’t work out how she’d wanted. The truth completely shattered him on the inside.
He lunged at his father and grabbed his collar. “Why the hell did you come back and ruin our lives!” he cried. “How are you going to fix everything? How will you make it up to Martha for disrespecting her and her mother and to Mom for cheating on her, huh? You ruined everything! You’ve ruined our lives!” he screamed.
Kenneth had not expected the truth to be revealed in this manner. Even his new wife and children were unaware of his past. He raised his head and turned to face the guests to apologize to everyone when he noticed disgust on his wife’s and children’s faces as they left the wedding without him.
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“I’m sorry, Grace and everyone,” he said. “And I’m sorry, Martha. I wish I could go back in time and change everything, but I can’t!” Kenneth rushed out of the hall to avoid further humiliation. He scrambled to explain to his wife that he had no choice, that he was forced to hide the truth from her. But this time, fate was not on his side.
She smacked him across the face in front of everyone.
“I’m divorcing a filthy man like you!” she cried. “I don’t want my children to grow up in your presence! Kenneth, you deserve to die alone! You do!” And she walked away from his life for good.
Grace had to be strong for her family for the second time in her life. She approached Martha and Brandon and hugged them both. “I know what has happened is devastating, but it doesn’t alter the fact that we’re still family. Honey,” she added as she looked at Martha. “We’ll get through this. It’s OK. God has strange ways of putting us to the test. And look how far we’ve come. As strong as ever.”
Unfortunately, Martha and Brandon were not as strong as Grace. They couldn’t overlook the fact that they’d been together as a couple for a long time, in love with each other, and shared dreams that only couples do…
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***
One year later…
“So, how’s life treating you?” Brandon asked Martha on the phone. She had relocated to a new city to start over and was seeing a therapist to deal with the trauma caused by the big reveal on the wedding day.
“I’m good. How are you and Mom? She isn’t upset that I left suddenly, is she?”
“Oh no, she’s cool with that. She was so happy you let her accept you as a daughter. I’m sure you knew I wasn’t happy with Mom’s wish, but you did it for her sake. Thank you, Martha.”
“Oh, don’t be silly! Mom has always given me love, and you know, I considered her my mother the day she accepted me. What about you? Are you doing alright, Brandon?”
“Well,” he said. “Some wounds take time to heal. But you know, I’m doing better. I’m seeing someone now.”
“You are!?” she chirped. “Oh, that’s great news! I mean, wonderful! Lovely!”
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“Yeah, she’s cute. Hey, would you, umm, help me choose a gift for her? You know, no pressure. I just… actually, it’s OK. I’ll ask someone else.”
“Hey, hey, brother,” she said. “It’s OK, Brandon. I know what happened was crazy, but we need to get over it. That’s basically what my therapist tries to tell me all the time!” she laughed. “So just lemme know what she likes, and I’ll make sure she is head over heels for you!”
He chuckled. “Thanks, Martha. I’ll send a list right away. Love you. Take care.”
“You too, lover boy. Please give Mom my love. Goodbye.”
That one year of Martha and Brandon’s lives was challenging, but they chose to heal rather than lament their fates. What eventually made things better was Martha and Brandon’s love and concern for Grace. It motivated them to heal and move on.
Kenneth, on the other hand, reached out to his children when his health started failing him. He was terminally ill and wanted to spend his final days with his family. But nobody ever visited him. He met his fate in solitude.
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What can we learn from this story?
- Never ever keep things from your children, for secrets have a nasty way of leaking out. Brandon and Martha’s wedding day was supposed to be one of the most beautiful days of their lives, but it was ruined when Kenneth revealed his disgusting past.
- You can’t escape the consequences of your actions. Kenneth had thought he’d take his secrets to his grave, but things unfurled when he least expected it, and he had to pay for what he’d done.
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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a groom who finds a devastating, heartbreaking note from his mother just a couple of hours before his wedding as he puts his jacket on.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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