“Oh no, I left my phone at home!”
“I’ll go get it,” I offered, eager to be helpful.
I drove back quickly and searched the house. No phone. I checked the kitchen, the living room, even the bedroom.
Then I spotted a small drawer near her desk. It was locked.
My stomach tightened. Why would she lock a drawer?
What was she hiding? I pulled at it, but it wouldn’t budge.
My frustration grew.
I yanked harder, and suddenly, the drawer snapped open. Papers spilled onto the floor.
I bent down, gathering them up. Then I saw the words printed on the top sheet—Debt Notice.
I flipped through the stack.
All of them were under Aaron’s name. My heart pounded. What was this?
Then I saw another document. Property papers. My mom’s name was on them, but the signature at the bottom wasn’t hers.
It was Aaron’s.
A wave of cold realization crashed over me. Forget the phone.
I grabbed the papers and ran to my car.
My hands shook as I gripped the steering wheel. I had to stop the wedding.
When I arrived, they had already started.
“Stop! Stop the wedding!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the venue.
The music cut off. Every guest turned toward me.
Eyes widened. Murmurs spread through the crowd.
“Casey?!” My mom spun around, her face red with anger. “What are you doing?!”
I took a deep breath, gripping the papers in my hand.
“I knew Aaron was only with you for the money!” I held the documents up. “And now I have proof!”
Gasps filled the room. My mom took a step forward.
“How dare you ruin my wedding?!” Her voice shook.
“I’m trying to save you!” I shouted. I rushed toward her and shoved the papers into her hands. “Look at these!
Aaron is drowning in debt! And he even bought property in your name! I don’t know how he pulled it off, but he did!”
My mom’s hands trembled as she flipped through the pages.
Her breath came out shaky. Then she covered her face.
“Casey…” she whispered. “These debts… they’re because of you.”
I froze.
“What?” My voice came out small.
“Aaron and I were planning a surprise,” she continued. “For you.”
A cold wave washed over me. “A surprise?” I repeated.
Aaron stepped forward.
“Your mom told me you’ve always dreamed of owning a restaurant. We were buying one for you with the wedding money.”
I stared at him, my brain struggling to process his words. “What?
I don’t understand…”
He nodded toward the papers. “We had to finalize the purchase earlier than planned. I didn’t have enough funds, so I covered the difference.
That’s why there’s debt.”
I swallowed hard. My hands shook. “You… were buying me a restaurant?”
Mom lifted her head.
“Yes! It was Aaron’s idea!” Her eyes burned with frustration. “He even offered to work for free as your pastry chef!”
The air in my lungs felt heavy.
My heart pounded. “I… I didn’t know…”
My mom’s expression hardened. “You were so determined to ruin everything that you didn’t even give Aaron a chance!”
My chest tightened.
“I was trying to protect you,” I whispered.
“But you ruined everything,” she shot back.
Guilt swallowed me whole. My voice barely held together. “Please forgive me.
And you too, Aaron. I’m sorry. I was too harsh on both of you.”
Mom stared at me for a long moment.
Then she looked away. “Leave,” she said coldly. “I don’t want to see you at my wedding.”
A lump formed in my throat.
“Mom—”
Aaron stepped between us. “Sandra,” he said gently, “she’s your daughter. You’ll regret it if you push her away now.”
Then he turned to me.
His voice was firm, but not unkind. “Casey, take your seat so we can continue the ceremony.”
I hesitated, then slowly nodded. My legs felt weak as I walked toward the back.
The weight of my mistake pressed down on me.
I had rushed to stop the wedding. Instead, I had nearly destroyed my family.
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