But on the day of the ceremony, she appeared.
Van stepped forward and offered her congratulations. Then, in a steady voice, she said something that carried years of unspoken truth.
“If I could turn back time, I would have cared for myself more. I spent too much of my youth giving everything to someone who didn’t truly value me. That is my regret.”
She began to turn away, but my bride gently stopped her with a single question.
“May I ask… who is the father of your child?”
The room held its breath.