“You’ve been patient, Ruth, just like I asked, but now I want you to speak. Just tell the truth. Nothing more.”
I took a deep breath and told Dad everything.
When I finished, Amanda laughed sharply.
“I don’t know why you think this is funny, Barbara, or why you dragged Ruth into your little game, but enough is enough.”
“This isn’t a game!” I yelled. “And Grandma didn’t put me up to anything. Everything I just said is true.”
Amanda turned to my father.
“I tried my best with Ruth, but she’s never accepted me.
She’s trying to ruin us out of spite. Are you really going to throw away your wedding over accusations with no evidence?”
My father stared at the floor. His hands were in his pockets.
I couldn’t read his face.
That’s when Grandma stepped forward.
Amanda smiled, relieved.
Then Grandma continued. “There is only a choice.”
Amanda’s eyes narrowed.
“You can believe that woman,” Grandma gestured to Amanda, “or you can believe the child you raised, the one sitting here in casts because no one protected her.”
She stepped closer to my father and raised one finger.
“But if you choose wrong, son, you don’t lose a wedding. You lose your daughter, and me.”
My father’s hands were shaking. His gaze flickered between Amanda and me several times before settling on her.
He took a step toward her, and my heart dropped.
I looked up at Grandma, but she was watching Dad — we all were. What he said next brought tears to my eyes.
Amanda’s face hardened. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am.” He turned to face me.
“I’m sorry. I believe you, Ruth. I didn’t want to see it, but I should have.”
Amanda stared at him, stunned.
Then she lost it. She let out an animalistic scream and stormed out of the house. Grandma exhaled slowly as she watched her go.
“That,” she said quietly, “is the beginning of fixing this.”
Dad kneeled in front of me then and leaned in for a hug.
It would take a long time to repair the damage Amanda had caused, but for the first time in a long time, I felt safe in my own home.
If this happened to you, what would you do? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the Facebook comments.
