Wedding Goes Wrong when Groom's Uninvited Mom Arrives – Story of the Day

Kevin is surprised by his mother's reaction when he tells her his plans to propose to his girlfriend. When he decides to go ahead regardless, he ends up in a hospital bed.

Kevin's hands sweated, and his heart beat fast as he entered the sitting room in his mother's mansion. She was a loving parent, but she could be overbearing at times.

Kevin was nervous to tell her his news. He was confident she'd be happy for him once he told her he intended to propose to Lily, but Kevin dreaded the possibility that Mom would try to take over all the wedding plans.

Mom was seated at the piano. She was studying her sheet music and had yet to start playing. Kevin cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Kevin, darling, what a surprise!" She rose and came toward him with open arms.

"I have something important to tell you," he replied, embracing his mother.

"You do?" She leaned back and put a hand on his cheek. "It's good news, judging by the look on your face."

"Very good news." Kevin reached into his pocket and removed the diamond engagement ring he'd bought that morning.

"I'm going to ask Lily to marry me."

Mom's smile dropped. "Oh. Are you sure? You haven't known each other for very long."

"We've been dating for a year." Kevin frowned. This was not the reaction he'd expected. "I thought you liked Lily."

"Lily is a lovely young woman, but I don't see why you're in such a rush to marry her, sweetheart. You should take your time with these things." Mom put her arm around Kevin and guided him toward the couch. "Sit with me, let's talk things over."

His clothes were torn, and the skin beneath was severely grazed. He wasn't breathing.

Kevin stood his ground. "There's nothing to talk over, Mom, unless there's something you're not telling me?"

Mom waved her hand and faked a laugh. "Of course not! What could I possibly be keeping from you? I just want to ensure you take the time to consider this decision seriously."

Kevin couldn't escape the feeling that his mother was withholding a secret or lying to him. He couldn't pinpoint exactly why he felt that way, though, so he didn't know how to confront her.

"I have thought long and hard about this, and I'm certain I want to marry Lily. No other woman has ever made me this happy."

"Really, Kevin? You and I both know you've always struggled with women, which is precisely why you shouldn't be in such a hurry to get married."

Kevin's cheeks felt warm with anger and embarrassment. "Everything is planned, Mom. Lily has agreed to have a picnic by the lake with me this Sunday, and I'm going to propose to her then."

Kevin stormed from the house and stomped down the driveway to the guesthouse where he lived. Mom was right about him struggling with romance in the past, but that was why he'd thought she'd be happy to see him settle down.

He glanced back at the gleaming, white facade of the three-story mansion he'd grown up in. Maybe Mom thought Lily was only interested in him for his money.

Kevin shook his head.

"Lily loves me. She's never once asked me for money and always insists on paying for dates she plans for us. Mom is wrong if she thinks money is all Lily is after."

Kevin woke early that Sunday. He was too excited to sleep. Instead, Kevin started preparing for his picnic with Lily. He wanted everything to be perfect.

He'd paid a small fortune for a rare bottle of wine and contracted his favorite chef to prepare the meal. Now, there was just one thing left to do.

Lily adored puzzle boxes, so Kevin had commissioned a jeweler to make a simple but ornate puzzle box for him to give her. He intended to hide the ring in a secret compartment inside it, which would only be revealed once Lily solved the puzzle.

Kevin returned to his bedroom to retrieve the ring from his bedside table. When he opened the drawer, it was missing!

Kevin checked his pockets and cupboards but still didn't find the ring. He turned his bedroom and closet upside down in his search, but to no avail. He then hunted through the rest of the house, but there was still no sign of the ring.

Panicked, Kevin ran up to the main house. He hurtled from room to room, calling for his mother.

"Kevin, what on earth is the matter?" Mom emerged from the parlor.

"I've been burgled!"

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "I know you're friends with the local police commissioner. Please call him and have him send his top officers to investigate."

"Burgled?" Mom turned pale. "What was stolen?"

"The ring!"

Mom frowned then. "The only object you're missing is a ring?"

"Not any old ring, the one I planned to propose to Lily with."

"You've obviously misplaced it." Mom dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Really, Kevin. I can't believe you raised such a hullaballoo over this."

"I looked everywhere, Mom. It's gone!"

"I'm sure one of your staff picked it up and set it aside in a safe place for you. You should call them and find out."

Mom walked away, leaving Kevin staring after her. It wasn't like her to be so cavalier.

"While you're at it, you should also cancel your plans with Lily," Mom called over her shoulder. "It's not like you can propose without an engagement ring."

She was right, but Kevin couldn't bear the thought of canceling his plans. He also suspected Mom was pleased the ring had vanished. He didn't understand why Mom was so set against him marrying Lily.

Kevin made a rash decision. He snuck upstairs to his mother's bedroom and went straight to her dressing table. She kept much of her jewelry in a secret compartment, and he intended to borrow one of her rings to propose to Lily.

Kevin opened the secret compartment, and his jaw dropped. There was the ring he'd bought!

Kevin grabbed the ring and rushed back downstairs to his mother.

"You stole it!"

He held the ring up. "Why would you do this?"

Mom pursed her lips. "To stop you from making a mistake. Find another girl to marry, Kevin."

Kevin couldn't believe what he was hearing. What was wrong with Mom? How could she go to such extremes to prevent him from marrying Lily? He left for his date and proposed to Lily.

When she accepted, he convinced her to set a date for the following month. Lily was doubtful they could get married on such short notice, but Kevin didn't want to wait.

Kevin hid his plans from his mother. He was so disgusted by her behavior that he didn't even invite her to his wedding.

Everything went ahead smoothly on the wedding day. Lily looked radiant in her ivory silk dress. Kevin couldn't stop thinking he was the luckiest man in the world to have met such a kind, intelligent, and beautiful woman.

"Should anyone present know of any reason this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony," the priest declared, "speak now or forever hold your peace."

"I do."

Kevin recognized that voice. He turned and stared as his mother walked up the aisle.

"Lily does not love you, Kevin," Mom said. "I tried to dissuade you from marrying her but you won't listen. It's time you heard the truth."

"I paid Lily to date you."

Mom sighed. "You had such difficulty finding dates, and a friend of mine suggested I hire someone to help you build your confidence."

Kevin looked at Lily. "Is that true?"

Lily hung her head. "I'm sorry, Kevin, but it is true. I wanted to tell you—"

"It's over." Kevin turned to leave, but Lily grabbed him.

"Wait, please!" Her eyes filled with tears.

Kevin shrugged her off and ran from the church. Lily dropped to the floor and put her head in her hands. The guests whispered to each other in confusion, and the priest seemed uncertain about what to do next.

The roar of a motorbike engine echoed into the church from outside. It was soon followed by an awful crash and screeching of metal on metal.

Kevin's mom ran outside. She found her son lying in a crumpled heap a few yards away from his wrecked motorbike. His clothes were torn, and the skin beneath was severely grazed. He wasn't breathing.

"Call an ambulance!"

Kevin was rushed to the hospital. His mother ensured he had the finest doctors working on his case. They treated his lesions and gave Kevin multiple scans to ensure he didn't suffer any serious head injuries.

When Kevin woke up, the first thing he saw was Lily. Her eyes widened when she noticed Kevin was awake.

"I'm so happy you're okay," she sobbed, tears springing to her eyes. "I've been so worried."

"Don't lie," Kevin groaned painfully. "You were only with me for my mother's money."

"No. Your mom did pay me to date you, but I fell in love with you for real. Remember when you took me to the fair? How you held me tight when we were on the Ferris wheel? That was when I first developed true feelings for you, Kevin."

Lily sighed. "But it was wrong of me not to tell you the truth. Being with you has shown me what true love is, and I didn't want to lose you."

"How can I believe anything you say, Lily?"

Lily hung her head. "I guess you can't. I don't blame you for not wanting anything more to do with me after all this." She stepped back and moved toward the door.

"I'm very sorry for everything, Kevin, and for whatever it's worth, I really do love you."

Kevin stared at the ceiling for hours after Lily left. He now understood why his mother hadn't wanted him to marry Lily and why he'd felt his mother was keeping a secret from him.

It all made sense, but knowing the truth did not bring Kevin peace. Pain wracked his body, and his heart was in turmoil. Despite what he'd learned about Lily, he still loved her.

"Kevin, darling, I'm so sorry about everything!"

Kevin looked over as his mom swept into the room with a bouquet of fresh flowers.

"I should never have hired Lily to date you. It was a terrible mistake. Please say you'll forgive me? I only wanted to help you build confidence with women. I never expected it to end like this."

Kevin saw genuine remorse on his mother's face, but he didn't know how to respond.

"You were always so offended when I attempted to introduce you to suitable young ladies, and I was desperate!" Mom continued. "It doesn't excuse my behavior, but I hope my explanation makes my choices more understandable."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I was afraid to. I knew you'd be upset and didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"Well, my feelings are hurt, and my body too. I'm tired, Mom, and I need time to think."

Mom nodded and set the flowers on Kevin's bedside table.

"If it makes any difference, you should know that I was wrong. Lily genuinely loves you. She has spent every minute here in the hospital, and she returned all the money I paid her to date you."

Mom paused in the doorway and met his gaze. "I made a lot of mistakes, Kevin, but you can still get the girl of your dreams."

Kevin thought hard about everything Lily and his mother said. Eventually, he decided to meet with Lily and discuss everything. She was delighted to have a chance to make amends.

As time passed, Kevin saw that however misguided her actions, his mother had genuinely believed she was helping him. He forgave her. He also realized that his love for Lily didn't disappear despite everything.

Kevin and Lily reconciled and were married a year later. They went on to live a long and happy life together.

What can we learn from this story?

• Never be afraid to speak the truth. If Lily had been honest with Kevin, then they could've worked things out without him getting into an accident.
• Sometimes people do the wrong thing for the right reasons. When people make mistakes or do bad things, we should try to understand their intentions before we react.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a groom who discovers his fiance removed his foster mother's name from the guest list.

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