It all began when Chris, my boyfriend of only six months, asked me to marry him on the beautiful beaches of Hawaii. I agreed, even though I knew that six months wasn’t enough time to really know someone before getting married. I was caught up in the magic of the moment.
As soon as I got close to my groom at the altar, a woman in a white dress stepped out from behind him.
I’ve never been one of those girls who dreamed about getting married. So when Chris’s family took charge of planning the wedding, I didn’t speak up. It was simpler to make them more excited than to try to stop them.
Chris’s family planned for me to close my eyes and walk down the aisle on my wedding day. Even though it seemed like an odd custom, I did it. When I opened my eyes at the altar, I thought I saw my loved fiancé. Instead, there was a woman in a white dress standing behind him. Stephanie, Chris’s first wife, was there.
When everyone in the room understood what was going on, there was a lot of confusion and murmuring. Julia brought up a boy named Eli, who turned out to be Chris’s son. Eli’s presence was a surprise to me, and I couldn’t say anything.
As I learned the truth, I couldn’t hide how sad and let down I felt. Chris had given up on his son when he learned he had autism. It was too hard for me to marry someone who was so careless and uncaring.
Christopher’s mother, Leeanne, planned the whole thing to teach him a lesson in public. I discovered that I had just barely escaped a life full of lies. But when I left the aisle, I wasn’t a bride. I was a woman who had found the truth.
I learned that I deserved better after going through something painful. I made the choice to spend time with myself, travel, and enjoy life to the best. It wasn’t right for me to be with Chris. I wished to discover someone who would genuinely honor and love me.
When I think about what happened, I’m not mad about it. Leeanne did everything she could to keep me and that boy safe. Thank goodness I only had to pay for my wedding dress, which was sent back right after the fake wedding.
Have you ever felt like something you knew wasn’t real?
