Сrying Girl in Shabby Clothes Bursts into Wedding and Goes into Labor Right at Groom's Feet – Story of the Day

"The groom's my baby's father!" a heavily pregnant woman in shabby clothes crashes a wedding just moments before the vows are exchanged. Chaos erupts when the lady holds her bulging belly and collapses on the ground, going into labor right at the groom's feet.

It was a perfect fall day. The leaves were golden, and the air was crisp as the sun-kissed garden came to life with vibrant flowers and elegant decorations.

Guests were seated in white wooden chairs, and their faces lit up with anticipation and joy to see the bride.

An enchanting fragrance of rose petals wafted through the air as Mary walked down the aisle in a stunning white gown, her veil trailing behind her.

Mary couldn't stop blushing. She gently blinked her eyes at Ryan, her 16-year-old son, seated in the front row, to express her happiness.

Mary had been waiting for the day she would marry her fiancé, Mason, and it felt like a fairytale when she saw him waiting for her at the altar.

It was a picturesque setting for what should have been a perfect wedding day...until a loud voice burst through the venue and startled everyone.

"I object to this wedding!" a woman rushed, crying.

Her bulging belly caught everyone, especially Mary, off-guard. The woman was heavily pregnant…

"Wh-who are you?" Mary gasped.

The woman held her belly tight and caught her breath before pointing at Mason.

"My name is Cindy. I can't let you marry him. The groom's my baby's father!" she cried.

Mary's eyes bulged in horror, and her world started to spin. "What? Are you out of your mind? Mason, what's going on? Who is she?"

"I...I don't know her, Mary. I don't know what she's talking about," Mason was startled.

"Oh, you don't know me? Don't you give me that, Mason?" the pregnant woman barked, showing a string of text messages on her phone.

"What do you have to say about this? And this?"

"God...Mary, I don't know...I have no idea how she got these texts from my number. I swear," blood drained off Mason's face.

Mary grabbed the phone from the woman's hand and cupped her mouth in shock at the words:

'Babe, I don't know how to call off the wedding with her. Not only is she 7 years older, I don't think she and I would make a good couple...

...I want you back, darling. I love you and miss you so much. Please forgive me and just get back. I don't love this woman and certainly can't marry her.'

"Oh my God!" Mary turned to Mason. Beads of tears rolled down her cheeks, and a rumble of unsettling whispers settled among the guests.

"Mary, honey, don't trust her. She's lying. I have no idea what's going on," Mason's face grew red with worry and confusion.

"Hey, who do you think you're messing up with? Tell her it's fake. I don't know you. Why are you doing this?" Mason angrily snapped at Cindy.

"Mason, what the hell's going on? Is she really your ex-girlfriend? Is she pregnant with your baby?"

"Mary, no...I swear, no! I haven't even seen this woman before," Mason said, his tone defensive and agitated.

"Stop lying, you pervert!" Cindy barked at Mason.

"He's lying. Mason and I...we dated for two years. He dumped me after I fell pregnant. And just vanished. Then out of nowhere, he sends me this text, asking me to get back...saying he doesn't want to marry you."

"Mason, is this true?" Mary half-heartedly turned to Mason.

Although her heart told her not to blindly trust a stranger's words and suspect her fiancé, Mary's mind told her otherwise after reading the text message.

"Darling, you kidding me? You trust her and not me? I don't even know this woman. This is the first time I'm seeing her."

"Oh, really? Then what about this?" Cindy pointed at her bulging belly. "I'm pregnant with our baby, Mason. You are answerable to me, okay? Call off this wedding, or I'm calling the cops right now."

Amidst the chaos, Ryan stood beside his weeping mother and comforted her.

"Mom, I knew it. I knew Mason wasn't the right man for you. I even warned you...but you never listened. I'm sure she's one of his exes! I'm glad you saw his true colors before it was too late," he blurted.

"Ryan, no...wait. What are you doing? Mary, there's been a misunderstanding. Please, just give me a chance. We'll sort this out, okay? I'm calling the cops..."

A loud cry echoed across the wedding venue when Mason pulled out his phone to call the cops. His phone slipped from his hand, and he felt a sharp tug at his legs.

"Somebody, call 911. She's started to have contractions...She's in labor...call 911..." a guest cried.

Cindy held her bulging belly tight and groaned in pain right at Mason's feet.

"We can't be late...hurry, this way," a man rushed from the crowd. "I'll drive her to the hospital in my car. Hurry. This way."

In no time, Cindy was hurried to the man's car and driven out of the wedding venue. Meanwhile, Mary was too shaken, and the wedding was called off.

"Mary, please, you gotta trust me. I swear I don't know her," Mason pleaded with Mary as she got into her car with her mother, Nina, and son.

"Nina, please tell her. I promise to clear the air. There's been a mistake. I swear. Trust me."

But the car sped away, leaving Mason with a broken heart and a haunted mind.

How dare you destroy my wedding? Who the hell are you...what do you want from me? Mason thought as he stormed to his car and ignited the engine.

Mason visited all the hospitals in town and searched for Cindy. But she was nowhere to be found until his doorbell buzzed three days later.

"Mary! Oh my God...I knew you would come back. I tried calling you several times. I even left you so many messages. I'm so glad you came by..."

Mason was so excited when he saw Mary at his doorstep. But his face fell when Mary swung the door wide open.

Cindy was standing outside, cradling her baby in her arms.

"She is moving in with you, Mason. Don't you dare abandon your girlfriend and baby. If I ever get to know that you kicked her out of your house, I'm calling the cops," Mary snapped at Mason.

"Mary, wha-what's going on? I can't...I can't let her stay here. I don't even know this woman. She's not my girlfriend. And this baby...it's not mine."

Mason watched in disbelief as Ryan shifted Cindy's luggage into the living room and grimly stared at Mason.

"Stay out of my Mom's life, do you hear me?" he barked. "I don't want you to call her. Just stay the hell outta her life, you cheater!"

"Ryan...I...please, you gotta trust me, buddy. I—"

"It's over, Mason," Mary chimed in, her eyes welled up with tears. "I regret meeting you. Everything...every dream I dreamed with you...is a nightmare. How could you cheat on me?

"…What did you think? That I would be an easy target for your stupid mind games? That you could easily live off me by pretending to love me?

"You know what? I should've listened to everyone when they told me I was making a mistake by falling for a guy seven years younger. God...I was so blind! Did you do this for money? For fame? To make a name for yourself by marrying a famous fashion designer like me? You know what, Mason? I hate you. Don't try to contact me again."

Mary's words kept ringing in Mason's head. His whole life had turned upside down in a wink, and he had no idea why this was even happening.

But the biggest question of who Cindy was and what she really wanted from him gnawed at Mason.

"Man, I tried looking for this woman everywhere on social media…but in vain," Mason vented out to his best friend, Simon, at the pub.

"I seriously have no idea where she came from or what she wants. She just ruined my wedding for God knows why. She doesn't say a word."

"Maybe you should check her phone or somethin'," Simon turned to Mason, gulping a drink. "There's got to be clues in there."

Mason thought deeply and nodded. So that night, after Cindy fell asleep, he crept to her bedroom to check her phone.

A cold sweat broke on Mason's temples when the lights suddenly flicked on.

"What are you doing in my bedroom?" Cindy shrieked.

"I...er...I was just," Mason tried coming up with a quick lie. But Cindy noticed his grasp on her cell phone.

"You could've asked me directly if you wanted to check my phone, Mason," she smirked. "Here...the passcode is 1-1-1-6. The next time you need my phone to check anything, you needn't sneak into my bedroom. You can ask for it instead, okay?"

Mason's brow shot up in suspicion. He understood Cindy was well prepared for whatever she was doing, and he realized there was no point in checking her phone.

Mason spent a long, sleepless night trying to think who Cindy was and what she wanted from him. He even tried connecting the dots with his ex-girlfriend, Marla.

But it didn't make any sense. Five years ago, Marla and he had mutually broken up. Moreover, she was now happily married to someone else.

Mason was stranded in a fog of doubts. So he decided to meet up with Mary the next day and somehow try explaining to her that he was faultless.

"Mary, please, just give me one chance to make things right. I'm sure something's seriously wrong," Mason met Mary at the parking lot of her office.

"What more do you want to explain, Mason?" she fumed. "I don't understand. You post photos of you and the baby on social media, saying how happy you are now. How beautifully your life has changed over the past few days. And how blessed you are to be a father!"

"What posts? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't you pretend again. I'm talking about this...and this..." Mary then showed photos of Mason holding the baby.

"Mary, oh my God...I don't know how these pictures landed on my social media...I didn't post them. I was just holding the baby because he was crying like crazy…and his mother was taking a shower."

"Oh, really. So, what...a ghost posted them, Mason? You know what? Leave me alone."

Mason was so confused after seeing the pictures. Mary stormed away in her car as Mason took out his phone and logged into his social media account.

"Christ! How on earth did these pictures get posted here in my account without my knowledge?" he gasped and immediately stormed home to confront Cindy.

Deep down, Mason suspected it was Cindy's doing.

"Cindy, hey...what the hell do you think you're doing?" Mason barked at Cindy.

"You asked me to hold your baby yesterday...and you took pictures of that secretly? You posted those photos of me holding your baby online? How did you even get access to my social media account? Did you hack it?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about, Mason. Stop yelling at me. I didn't do it."

"Oh, really? You expect me to believe that? Hey, listen...who are you? What do you want from me?"

"Mason, stop...you're hurting me...let me go," Cindy frowned.

"Let you go? You ridiculous woman! You sabotaged my wedding. You walk into my life from nowhere and live in my house. Now, you're making it appear like I am your child's father. What the hell is happening? Why are you doing this to me?"

The baby started bawling. Cindy pushed Mason aside and rushed to the room without answering him.

Later that evening, Mason visited his friend Simon at the bar and unleashed his frustrations.

"Man, she's getting on my nerves, she and her baby that cries nonstop. I wish I could just kick them out of my house. You know what? I'm gonna call the cops."

"Pal, you're not thinking with a clear head," Simon turned to Mason. "I don't think that's a good idea. Instead of kicking her out of your house or reporting her to the cops, why don't you play along...and find out what she really wants from you?"

Simon's words resonated deeply in Mason's mind as he nodded and left for home.

"Cindy, darling, I'm home!" he cheerfully shouted. "Honey, I'm home!"

Mason heard the staircase creak and looked up. Cindy was standing there, her face as white as a sheet.

"C'mon...over here! Look what I got for you."

"What?" Cindy suspiciously asked, her tone low and confused.

Mason handed her a bouquet of red roses, startling her.

"You like them? Oh, they smell sweet. And I'm starving...shall we eat? I bought us pizza!"

Mason's sudden change in demeanor shook Cindy. But she dared to question him and dined silently. She knew Mason was up to something.

Once dinner was over and Mason washed up, he looked flirtatiously at Cindy and advanced towards her. He ruffled her hair from behind and gently kissed her on the shoulder.

"You smell lovely, babe. It's been so long...you know...why don't we put the baby to sleep in the next room...and..."

"What?" Cindy turned around with a start and pushed Mason away.

"No...I mean...no...I can't. Back off."

"Why not!" Mason gently grabbed her hand and kissed it. "You are so gorgeous in this dress, Cindy. You're driving me wild. Besides, this is not our first time! I mean...we have a baby together, remember? I'm the father of your baby, aren't I? Then what's wrong?"

"Th-The baby is crying. I gotta go..." Cindy jerked Mason's hand and rushed to the bedroom, locking herself inside.

A sly smile lit up Mason's face, and an eerie glow sparkled in his eyes. He knew Cindy would turn down his advances.

"This is just a sneak peek, Cindy. Stay tuned for the big show," Mason wickedly grinned.

The next day, Mason was reading his morning newspaper when he saw Cindy walking downstairs and putting her baby in the stroller.

"Where are you taking the baby?" he stopped her, staring into her frightened eyes.

"I'm just going to the grocery...to buy diapers," Cindy stuttered.

"Oh, don't you worry, honey! I will order them online. They should be delivered in an hour, okay?"

"No, no...I mean, it's okay. I wanted to go on a walk...with baby Jeremy."

"Hmmm...the weather's rough...I don't think you should take our baby out on such a cold morning," Mason smirked.

He knew Cindy was prepared to flee with the baby after the previous night's incident. But he was not willing to let her go yet...not without learning why she'd ruined his wedding with Mary.

"I'm fine...I mean, the baby's going to be fine. He's clothed warm, you see. So let me just go. I'll be back soon," Cindy feigned a smile.

"Alright...in that case, I'll go with you," Mason rose from the couch. This was the least Cindy had expected.

"No, no...I want to spend time alone with my baby," she reasoned.

"Your baby?" Mason shrugged. "He's our baby! You know what? Just give me ten seconds. I'll quickly grab my jacket, and we're all set for our morning walk!"

Cindy watched in disbelief as Mason pushed the baby stroller forward. They grocery-shopped together and, after walking along the park, returned home.

Cindy was so close to escaping but couldn't do it yet. Meanwhile, Mason knew she would stop at nothing to run away. So he devised another plan.

The next day...

"Hey, aren't you going to work today?" Cindy approached Mason, who was sitting on the couch and engrossed on his phone.

"Ah, I just called in sick!" he said. "Get ready...I want to take you somewhere."

Cindy's stomach started to churn with fear and anxiety. "Where?" she asked.

"Questions, questions! Just get ready...you'll see for yourself. Time's ticking...so you gotta hurry."

Ten minutes later, Mason drove Cindy and her baby to a high-end fashion emporium.

"What are we doing here?" she asked him, only to turn pale with shock when Mason led her into a bridal boutique.

"Let's not delay it any further," Mason gently cupped Cindy's hand. "Let's get married!"

"Married?" Cindy's eyes bulged in horror.

"Yes! I feel my little world is complete now that I found you...and our son, Jeremy. So, let's just get married and start fresh. Let's put our past in the backseat and move on!"

"No…I can't do this...I mean...I need time to think. This is so rushed," Cindy stuttered.

"Of course. You have a day to think...coz surprise! The wedding's in two days. I went ahead and planned the whole thing, honey. But before that, I want my bride to pick her perfect wedding dress!"

Cindy hesitated and shakily marched across the aisle. Mason watched the anxiety and fear in her eyes. This was what he'd wanted.

"Just give me the phone. I'll hold the baby while you try on the dresses!" he said and stepped away to call someone.

"Is everything ready?" he asked on the phone.

"Yes! It's all set...all you have to do is just bring her home!"

Cindy was nervous as she vaguely picked a dress and approached the checkout. She grew anxious to get home soon.

"You're going to look so gorgeous in that dress, honey," Mason said as they drove home.

"Can you please hurry? I'm starting to feel a bit queasy," Cindy gasped.

Mason watched Cindy rush to her bedroom and lock herself inside as soon as they arrived home. He knew she would call someone now and sat in the living room, waiting for her to make the call.

As he had expected, Cindy's voice appeared on his headphones.

While Mason was away shopping with Cindy, Simon had crept into the house and planted a secret hearing device under the lampshade in Cindy's bedroom.

"...no, you don't understand. He wants me to marry him. You know I can't do that. I'm already married!" Cindy spoke on the call.

"God...I had no idea he would do this. You told me it would be for just a few days...I'm running away with the baby once Mason falls asleep tonight. I can't do this anymore."

Just then, a loud bang on the door startled Cindy. She hung up, and her heart started racing.

"Cindy, open the door. I heard and recorded everything. You better come out and explain yourself before I call the cops."

"Mason?"

"Open up, Cindy. I heard everything. You can't hide or escape. Out...now!"

The door creaked open, and out walked Cindy, her eyes downcast and her face bearing an eerie fear.

"Tell me...who are you? Why did you do this? Speak up...or I'll call the cops."

Cindy looked up at Mason and teared up. "Please don't...He made me do it."

"Who?"

"It happened a few weeks ago…My husband and I were at the daycare center...with our oldest daughter, Phoebe," Cindy began…

A few weeks ago...

Cindy and her husband Josh were parents to two beautiful children, a 5-year-old daughter, Phoebe, and a newborn baby boy, Jeremy.

Everything was going fine in their cozy little lives when, one day, Josh returned home with a piece of heartbreaking news. His company laid off some employees, and unfortunately, Josh was on the list of people who were fired that day.

It bore down on the parents so heavily, considering they had a lot of debt and were still overdue with their bills and rent. Moreover, they had two children to raise and couldn't imagine child services taking their kids away.

"What are we going to do?" Cindy expressed her anxiety one night.

"For now, we can manage a bit from whatever money you make babysitting. Meanwhile, I'll look for a new job," Josh squeezed Cindy's hand.

The following day, Cindy returned from her babysitting gig and approached Josh at the daycare center, where he usually watched over Phoebe and Jeremy.

It didn't take Cindy too long to notice that their daughter was missing.

"Josh, where's Phoebe? Don't tell me you were engrossed on your phone again," Cindy barked.

"Oh, she was just here, honey. Phoebe? Phoebe sweetie...Phoebe?"

Josh and Cindy anxiously looked around for their little daughter everywhere.

"Hey, excuse me, did you see my daughter?" Josh showed Phoebe's picture to the other parents at the center. But nobody had seen the girl.

In the next few minutes that followed, people ran around frantically, searching for the missing girl.

Suddenly, everyone was startled by Phoebe's voice.

"Mommy!" she emerged from the ball pit near the slide.

"Phoebe...what on earth...where were you? You scared us!" Cindy hugged her daughter and cried with relief.

"I was just hiding in there...I thought Daddy and you would find me."

"Don't do that again, okay? You almost gave me a heart attack...and your Mom would've almost eaten me alive!"

The couple heartily laughed and headed home with their kids. But a shocking piece of news awaited them.

"God, we're out of power? Josh?" Cindy turned to Josh. "Didn't I ask you to pay the bill on time?"

"I forgot, honey. I'll do it right now."

Just as Josh finished paying the electricity bill online, their doorbell buzzed.

"Mrs. Hewitt! I'm so glad to see you," Cindy smiled as she greeted their landlord.

"But I'm not glad to see you two living in my house for free…without paying the rent. You're already two months overdue," Mrs. Hewitt gave a cold reply.

Josh and Cindy exchanged glances and tried to convince the landlord to give them more time.

"I'm sorry, I can't," Mrs. Hewitt said. "If you're not able to pay the rent in three days, you better move out."

"But Mrs. Hewitt...please, give us just a few more days...we have two little children…where will we go?"

"Not my problem! Three days is all you've got!"

Mrs. Hewitt disappeared down the stairs as Josh and Cindy retired to their living room, disheartened and hopeless.

That's when a weird idea struck Josh.

"Babe, remember I told you about this poor couple whose little son fell ill?" Josh turned to Cindy.

"Yeah, vaguely. What about it?"

"They raised funds to treat the boy... through an online fundraiser campaign. And three months later, they managed to pay for their son's surgery," Josh added, a cunning spark in his eyes.

"Josh, I'm clearly not in the mood for random details now. What exactly do you want to say? Get to the point."

"Look, it's simple. Why don't we do the same thing? We will start a fundraiser for our daughter's surgery...in a few months, we will raise a grand sum of money...and all our problems will be over!"

"Josh, you gotta be kidding. We can't lie about our daughter needing surgery when...she's perfectly healthy."

Josh slyly rolled his eyes. "Ah, c'mon, Cindy. It's our chance to make a few grand without breaking a sweat. How long are we gonna live in poverty? Heard what Mrs. Hewitt told us? We have three days to pay the rent, or she'll kick us outta here..."

"Josh, stop being crazy. It's risky...and I'm scared."

"Babe, look, all we gotta do is set up a fake campaign online and ask people for help…We won't take Phoebe anywhere out frequently. She'll be home with me. And nobody will know!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Josh. What if somebody finds out?"

"Babe, trust me, okay? All you gotta do is pretend our daughter is sick on the camera. We'll post a picture of her looking sad…We have a couple of pictures of her looking gloomy after our cat Tabby died. And just give people a glimpse of Phoebe's fake medical records...Just do this…I'll take care of the rest!"

"I'm still not okay with this plan...but let's give it a shot," Cindy sighed.

So that night, Cindy got on camera as Josh recorded her pleading with the public to help her raise money for her 'sick' daughter's treatment.

"...please help me. My fundraiser link is below. Please do whatever you can to help me afford my little daughter's treatment. Her life is in your hands. Please help me save my little angel."

Soon, Cindy's video was shared online, and shortly after, funds started flowing into her fundraiser account that Josh had set up.

As days rolled on, Josh and Cindy started living a luxurious life behind the closed doors of their rented apartment. They managed to settle their bills and pay the rent. Everything appeared to be back on track.

"How long are we going to keep up this act, pretending our daughter is sick? What if somebody decides to step in and get her examined or starts questioning about the hospital she's supposedly getting treated at?" Cindy voiced her concerns.

"Relax, will you? Just a few more weeks of this drama...and we'll post another video with Phoebe happily sitting on your lap...thanking all those kind souls who contributed to her surgery fund. Besides, people will have their own lives to worry about...and they won't dig into one girl's story."

A few weeks went by. While Josh was home, busy hoarding the funds online, Cindy decided to pamper herself and the entire family with some shopping and an extravagant dinner.

"Honey, why don't we go shopping today? It's been a while since we hung out together," she told Josh.

"Oh, that's a great idea, babe. Let's do it!"

So the excited bunch left for the high-end shopping mall in town, and Cindy busied herself with shopping for branded dresses and shoes.

"Mademoiselle, how about these chic embellished sandals for the gorgeous lady?" the salesman approached Cindy with a pair of expensive footwear and said in a thick French accent.

"$7,500?! That's so expensive," Cindy exclaimed, seeing the price tag.

"Tis nozzing compared to 'ow pretty it would look on your lovely feet, Mademoiselle!"

Just as Cindy was examining the sandals, a woman shopping nearby was taken aback when she looked closely at Cindy and Phoebe and recognized them.

"Hello there, you're Cindy, right? How is your daughter? Did she undergo her surgery yet?" the woman asked as she stared at little Phoebe standing beside Cindy.

Cindy's eyes grew wide when she realized the woman recognized her from the fake online campaign.

"Sh-she's still undergoing her treatment," Cindy lied. "She's doing pretty well...er...all thanks to everyone out there. Her surgery is due in a month."

The woman nodded while suspiciously staring at the expensive pair of footwear Cindy was holding.

"Uh, this is actually for a friend," Cindy returned the sandals to the salesman. "She's not very good at picking out shoes...so I thought I'd lend her a hand."

"Oh, I see," the woman pursed her lips suspiciously. "I hope your daughter gets well soon."

"Thank you so much. If you can, please consider making a donation!" Cindy added as the woman walked away.

Panic surged into Cindy as she rushed to Josh in the men's toilet.

"Cindy...what the hell? This is the men's bathroom?"

"Josh, you better listen to me now. People have started recognizing me. I just ran into a lady who enquired about Phoebe. If we don't stop this...we'd land in huge trouble."

"Oh, not again, Cindy!" Josh brushed it off. "Almost half the million people who saw that video would obviously recognize you. But nobody will find out about our little scheme...

"...Unless you open your goddamn mouth and let it slip that we posted a fake video online saying our daughter needs surgery...started a fundraiser...and are living off that money!'

Just as Josh finished saying that, one of the stall doors swung open.

"I heard everything...If you two don't do as I say, I'll call the cops. I recorded your confession on my phone," Ryan's menacing voice startled Josh and Cindy.

Present day...

"...he just gave me orders," Cindy finished recounting. "Josh and I...we were scared. We didn't want to go to jail. So we agreed to the boy's plan. He told us he wanted to get rid of you from his mother's life."

"RYAN??" Mason gasped.

"But why would he sabotage my wedding? Did he tell you anything else?"

Cindy shook her head. "All he told me was to crash your wedding with my baby and claim it was yours. But I didn't want to involve my baby in all of this at the wedding...

"So I wore a fake silicone belly prop under my shabby dress...to show that I was heavily pregnant and abandoned by you. When you mentioned calling the cops, I was so scared. So, as part of Ryan's alternative plan, I pretended to go into labor to divert everyone's attention...and to prevent you from calling the cops…

…The guy who 'drove me to the hospital'...it was Josh. Then I visited Mary with my real baby three days later and told how desperate I was to get back to you and start over."

"Oh my God...it's unbelievable!" Mason exclaimed. "Why would Ryan do something like this?"

Tears sprang into Mason's eyes when he understood how much Ryan had hated him all this while but was pretending to like him on the outside.

Then, he decided to play along with Ryan's plan to connect the dots and get to the truth behind his motive.

A week later...

"Mom, you gotta see this," Mary teared up as she grabbed her phone and rushed to her mother, Nina.

"What is it, darling? Oh, Jesus...Mary, please, honey...don't cry. It's okay...come here," Nina hugged Mary, who was broken beyond measure after seeing a wedding invite on Mason's social media account.

"Darling, I thought you moved on. What is wrong? Mason was not perfect. You will get over him..."

Mary broke into silent sobs. "I'm trying to forget him, Mom. But it's not that easy. I know what he did was unfair...he deserves to go to jail. But...he has a baby. I don't want to punish the little one for Mason's mistakes...and betrayal."

"Sweetie, I think it would be wise to forget that jerk and move on," Nina added just as Ryan entered the room after eavesdropping on their conversation.

He quickly feigned sympathy and hugged Mary.

"Mom, I just checked that cheater's social media post. He's getting married! I know it hurts, but he doesn't deserve you...or your tears. He's such a jerk."

"Oh, sweetie! Thank you so much for being there for me...I love you."

"I love you too, Mom. More than you know," Ryan wickedly grinned.

Deep down, Ryan's heart fluttered with joy, and he assumed he had finally gotten rid of Mason from his mother's life once and for all.

Soon, the day Mason was set to tie the knot arrived. Ryan was shocked when he saw his grandmother and mother were getting ready to attend the wedding despite not being invited.

"Mom...Grandma? You guys kidding me? Why do we have to go to that jerk's wedding?"

Nina and Mary exchanged a glance. "Darling, it's okay! I'm alright...and Mason was a good friend, no matter what. So let's at least show all our faces at his wedding. Give him a little present, and you know...just congratulate him on his big day."

"But Mom—"

"Sweetie, get ready. Wear that suit...you're going to walk the bride down the aisle!"

"What? Me? But why me? I am not gonna walk anybody down the aisle. Mom, c'mon...this is utterly ridiculous. I'm not doing it. And why should I?"

"Ryan, sweetie," Mary pressed her son's shoulders. "You have to do this for Mom. Besides, it was Mason's request...his bride has nobody to walk her down the aisle."

"He...he reached out to you? And you never told me?"

"He didn't reach out to your mother, Ryan. He called me instead. And I thought it was a great idea," Nina interrupted.

"But Granny...that man hurt Mom. He cheated on her with that woman...and you want me to walk her down the aisle? No...I'm not doing it."

"Please, sweetie. We're getting late. Hurry up...get ready," Nina pressed Ryan.

Soon, Ryan accompanied his mother and grandmother to Mason's wedding at the church.

On the way, he kept fidgeting with his phone, trying to reach out to Cindy and ask her what was going on and why she agreed to marry Mason instead of running away with the baby.

But his calls and texts went unanswered.

The family arrived at the church gates when Mary got an unsuspecting call. "Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes..."

"Guys, I'm so sorry. I have an important meeting with a client from Tokyo. I have to go. I'll join you guys at the reception. Excuse me."

"But, Mom—"

"Sweetie, be a good boy and listen to your Grandma, alright? And no mocking Mason or making a scene at the wedding. We're just guests...so we have to behave appropriately and not hold onto any grudges, do you hear me?"

Ryan frustratingly nodded and followed Nina to the wedding.

The wedding mass commenced, and soon, it was time for the much-awaited moment.

"May I invite the bride to join us as we begin this joyous celebration? Please, bring the bride down the aisle," the priest announced.

Ryan's eyes seethed as he slowly walked the bride down the aisle.

"Why didn't you run away with your baby? This was not a part of my plan...what about your husband? Is he okay with you marrying another man?" Ryan whispered.

But his questions went unanswered, and he annoyingly led the bride to the altar.

"Thanks, Ryan!" Mason smiled.

Ryan smirked, and just as he approached his Grandma in the front row, his phone buzzed.

"I gotta take this, Grandma. I'll be right back," he said and hurried outside the door.

When Ryan returned a few minutes later, the bride and groom had already exchanged their wedding vows and rings. And it was time for the wedding kiss.

"As a symbol of your love and commitment, I invite you, Mason, to seal your vows with a kiss. You may kiss the bride," the priest declared.

Mason leaned and lifted the veil, and Ryan was electrified.

"MOM??"

"Mom, what's going on?" Ryan froze as he watched Mason and Mary seal their wedding with a kiss.

Meanwhile, Cindy emerged from the row of bridesmaids with the baby cradled in her arms and smiled.

It was only now that Ryan understood he had been tricked. He was furious and turned around to storm out of the church. Just then, Mason's voice on the mic stopped Ryan in his tracks.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention for a moment? Today is a day of love...not just between two people or two families...I want to take this opportunity to tell someone very special to me...how much I love him...

...Ryan...you're not just my stepson. You are my son in every sense of the word. I'm so grateful for the bond we share. I'm so sorry if I didn't meet your expectations of being your father. But I promise I'll try. I may not be the best Dad in the world...but for me...you're my sunshine. The most amazing son I could've ever asked for."

Warm streaks of tears rolled down Ryan's face. He flushed red with embarrassment and could not bring himself to face Mason or his mother.

Suddenly, he felt a hard press on both his shoulders. He turned around and saw Mason and Mary standing behind him.

"Mom! I'm...I'm so sorry...I...I had no idea what came over me," Ryan confessed.

"I was afraid Mason would snatch you away from me forever. I didn't like it when he grabbed your attention. I was afraid of losing you. I feared you'd start your new family with Mason and stop loving me…

"…And I couldn't imagine another man in Dad's shoes. I couldn't bring myself to accept Mason as my...Dad."

"Oh my God, Ryan!" Mary fumed. "How could you do this? This is not how I raised you. You've disappointed me today...I want you to apologize to Mason...and Cindy and her family for making their lives miserable. Apologize, now!"

Embarrassed and teary-eyed, Ryan stood frozen.

"If it hadn't been for Cindy and Mason's call last night, then your Mom and I would've never known what went wrong," Nina interrupted.

"Ryan, I totally understand how you must've felt when you saw your mother and Mason together. It upsets me to have doubted him owing to this little misunderstanding you created. But the truth is...your stepfather is a wonderful man...and you're so blessed to have him in your life."

Ryan turned to Mason and Cindy and stood speechless for a few moments.

"I...I'm so sorry, Mason...and Cindy, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you and your family into this," Ryan turned to Mason and Cindy, his eyes downcast with shame.

"I know I shouldn't have done that. Mason, I hacked your social media and posted stuff about you...and Cindy...I sent those text messages to her from your phone. I was being so awful...and selfish. I'm so sorry."

Mason sighed deeply and approached the boy.

"Hey, buddy, it's okay! You know, sometimes, it takes a little bit of roller coaster rides to really get to know each other better...and to strengthen our bonds!" he pressed Ryan's shoulders and looked into his eyes.

...I had planned to give you this at the wedding, which got canceled earlier. But it's never too late, and the wedding's back on! So, here you go, champ!"

Ryan's eyes widened in surprise as he tore open the envelope and saw its contents.

"It's a cash deposit for $400,000…you'd be getting it on your 18th birthday!" Mason said as tears sprang into Ryan's eyes.

"...This is for your college...so that you have every opportunity to chase your dreams and succeed in life. I believe in you, champ...and I'm here to support you every step of the way."

Ryan spoke no more. He gently grabbed Mason's hand and pulled him into a tight embrace.

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"Please, stop the wedding!" a woman barges into a church and crashes a wedding just as the bride and groom are about to finish exchanging their vows. She claims to be the groom's ex-girlfriend and accuses him of being a con man. Here's the full story.

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