When I entered, I saw Brian, my father, and my father’s solicitor in the same room. Because of the soundproof windows, I couldn’t hear what they were talking about. Instead, I watched as my father’s solicitor handed Brian some papers, which he signed, and then shook hands with the other men in the room.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but burst in. ‘What is this?! What are these papers and why are you here?!’ I shouted.
My father had a smug look on his face, as if he knew this would happen. ‘Your fiancé just agreed to never see you again in exchange for money,’ he told me.
I looked at Brian with the most painful expression of betrayal. ‘Is it true?’ I said, trying not to choke on the lump in my throat that had formed after hearing what my father had said.
“I’m so sorry, Jane. It’s Maxine. She’s dying, and she needs an expensive operation to save her life,‘ Brian cried. ’Yesterday I asked your father for help, and he said he would help me if I didn’t attend the wedding. I’m so sorry, Jane. I can’t bear to lose my niece,” he sobbed.
‘He just signed an agreement that he will never appear in your life again. If you hadn’t shown up, the papers stated that he was also not allowed to tell you the truth. But now that you’re here, I think you should know that he traded your relationship for money,’ my father said, slamming the papers on the table.
‘How could you do this to me?!’ I yelled at my father. ‘My life is not a toy you can just play with! You ruined my relationship and ruined what should have been the best day of my life!’ I cried.
‘What kind of father are you?! I never want to see you again,’ I said before leaving his office.
I felt my knees weakening, and before I could reach the lift, I collapsed on the floor, sobbing. ‘Why?’ I cried, addressing no one in particular. Then I felt Brian’s arms wrap around me.
‘Forgive me, Jane,’ he cried. ‘I love you with all my heart, but I couldn’t let Maxine die either. I couldn’t live with myself.’
‘You’re the kindest, most selfless person I know,’ I said to Brian. “I know you only wanted to do good. But I wish you had told me instead of going to my father. Then we could have gone through with our wedding and helped Maxine together.”
Brian nodded and sighed, realising his mistake. “I didn’t know what to do. You weren’t at the church yet, and your father was the first person I saw when I heard the news. I’m sorry, Jane,” he apologised to me.
‘I understand if you never want to see me again, but I would like you to give me a chance to prove how much I love you. I really love you, Jane,’ he tried to assure me.
‘I know you do, Brian, and I love you just as much,’ I replied.
That day, we decided to talk about our lives and what to do next. We visited Maxine in the hospital and paid for her surgery with the refund we received from our wedding vendors. Maxine’s surgery was a success, and she was once again the lively, loving girl we all knew.
Three months passed, and Brian and I decided to start a new life together. We moved to another city to start with a clean slate, and I decided to cut my father out of my life forever.
‘I hope you understand why I had to do this, Mum,’ I said, telling my mother about my decision to stay away from my father. ‘It’s for my own good. He was too toxic for me, and I just couldn’t take it anymore.’
It hurt my mother to hear this, but she completely understood what I was getting at. ‘I will always be there for you, dear,’ she assured me. ‘Please visit me and always keep in touch. I can’t bear to be apart from you for long.’
With my mother’s blessing, Brian and I got married in a simple ceremony. Only my mother, his parents, a few of our close friends, and his sister and niece were present.
Before leaving town, Brian and I sent the cheque my father had written back to him. I never heard from him again. After quitting his job at the family business, he blocked my credit cards and any chance of receiving my inheritance.
With the money I had saved over the years, and Brian’s money too, we were able to buy a small house in the suburbs. I got a job at another company, and together we worked hard to raise our three children in a loving environment.
What can we learn from this story?
- Never let money get in the way of your relationships. Jane’s father thought that giving her money would be an easy way to drive Brian away from her. However, when Jane found out the truth about her father’s actions, she was more angry with him than with Brian, because she knew that Brian was in a difficult situation and had no choice but to agree to her father’s wishes.
- Always be honest with your spouse and overcome life’s difficulties together. When Jane learned the truth, she wished Brian had told her the truth from the beginning. Then they could have avoided what happened at the wedding and moved on with their lives. In the end, they managed to resolve their issues, save Maxine together, and start a new life without her father.
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