A bride-to-be’s mother embarrassed her in front of her future in-laws by making unfounded claims meant to cause a rift between her and her fiancé. However, the truth eventually emerged about why the older woman made the accusations.

My name is María, and I am a young woman set to marry the love of my life, Gabriel. Let me tell you about my fiancé. He’s the sweetest, most caring, and loving man I’ve ever met! Being in a relationship with him for the last five years has been blissful!

I am a very self-conscious person, and Gabriel always goes out of his way to tell me how beautiful and sexy I am. He’ll say such things in the morning when I’ve just woken up, thinking I am not looking my best. To prove the truth of his words, he’ll even take pictures of me on his phone and show me how he sees me.

Honestly, this has been the best and healthiest relationship I’ve ever been in, and I’ve slowly started to believe him about my looks. Gabriel has been so good for my self-esteem that when he suggested we have a family dinner, consisting of both family members, to celebrate our upcoming wedding, I happily agreed.

My mother and father both seemed to be extremely happy for me when I told them I, their only daughter, would be marrying my dream guy. The family outing was arranged last week, and everyone in attendance was brimming with excitement as we discussed wedding details.

Despite my parents being divorced, they were both present, including my younger brother, Afonso. As the night unfolded, wrapped in the warmth of shared anticipations and joyful recollections, my mother, without warning, suddenly stood up and walked over to my fiancé. A grip that silenced the room descended as she gave him one reason not to marry me, saying:

“Don’t marry her because she won’t bear any children for you.”

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Her words dripped with disdain, her gaze fixed on me with a familiarity that chilled me to my core. Gabriel’s mother, embodying both shock and defense, retorted, “I’m sorry, what did you just say to my son?”

Without a hint of remorse, my mother doubled down, “What? It’s true, and you should be concerned too.” The echo of her laughter reverberated with cruelty, casting a long shadow over the evening. All I could do was stare in disbelief as my fiancé looked into my eyes.

“What is she talking about?” Gabriel asked me softly, not wanting to make a scene. I was at a loss and didn’t even know what my mother was talking about. Continuing her speech, my mother added, “Plus, she’s also not the best-looking girl out there, is she?”

But it was Gabriel’s voice, steady and firm, that anchored me. “That’s enough. We will not stand for this,” he declared, his hand finding mine under the table, a silent vow of unity and support. My father stood up and apologized to everyone before leaving the restaurant with my brother in tow.

In the days that followed, the comfort I found in Gabriel and his family’s embrace was a balm to my wounded spirit. My father, ever the diplomat, gently suggested, “Maybe give her a chance to apologize? She was drunk, and you know how she gets.”

“How could I ever forgive her after all the mean things she said?” I asked him, trying to suppress my tears. “Do you know how badly she’s treated me since you guys divorced?” I questioned my father. “What are you talking about?” a tinge of pain evident in his question.

Sighing, I opened up to my father like never before. I told him how my mother always put me down and told me no one would ever love me because of my looks. She constantly berated me in everything I did and made me feel like I was never good enough.

I told him how she insisted I’d never amount to anything and always seemed jealous whenever I achieved something meaningful in my life. My father was left speechless, and all he could do was apologize for what I’ve gone through in silence.

But the absence of remorse from my mother, coupled with her dismissive messages urging me to reconsider my overreaction, only served to cement my resolve. “She meant every word, dad. I can’t just pretend she didn’t,” I replied, seeking to protect the fragile peace I’d built around me.

Besides my father, I found support and reassurance from Gabriel and his parents, who extended their familial embrace, offering me a place within their hearts. “You are our daughter now, and we stand with you,” my future mother-in-law assured me, her words a testament to the unwavering support I had found in them.

My brother surprised me with a call a few days after the restaurant incident. “Hi, sis, I just wanted to check in on you,” he said. I was happy to hear from him since he now lived with my mother, and because of the type of person she is, I generally avoided being around her.

“I wanted to ease yours and Gabriel’s minds about the stuff mom said the other day, which were all lies, by the way.” “It wasn’t because she was drunk; she confided in me that she didn’t think you deserved him or the happiness you’ve been experiencing over these past few years.”

According to Afonso, our mother blamed me, her firstborn child, for her marriage to my father ending. Due to that resentment, she couldn’t help but mistreat me and wish me badly. Our mother confessed this in another drunken state, another habit she’d adopted over the past two years.

Afonso noted how she needed help and, in the meantime, he advised me to cut contact with her to keep my sanity and peace, allowing my marriage to have a fighting chance. I thanked him for being the wonderful person he’s always been and for having my back.

Talking to him made me at ease as I relayed everything to Gabriel that same evening. We both decided to cut my mother out of our wedding if she didn’t agree to seek therapy and start healing and changing her toxic behavior.

Despite all the drama and pain, I look towards a bright future with the love of my life. I also carry with me the lessons of the past, the strength of the present, and the hope of a brighter, more loving tomorrow.