Brandon’s wedding, meant to be a day of great beauty, turns bizarre when a long-kept family secret is unveiled in front of everyone. Amidst the tenderness of lifting the bride’s veil to reveal her face, Brandon’s father unexpectedly screams and pleads to halt the wedding.
***
Martha couldn’t believe it all wasn’t just a dream. The sparkling 18-carat diamond on her finger, the warmth she felt every time her fiancé’s mother, Grace, hugged her, and the way her life had led her to a loving man.
It was nerve-wracking for Martha to confess her love for Brandon, fearing that his mother wouldn’t accept her. But to her surprise, Grace welcomed her with open arms, accepting her for who she was.
Martha and Brandon had very different backgrounds, including religious beliefs.
Brandon, a 22-year-old devout Christian from a Protestant family, stood in stark contrast to Martha, who was indifferent to God or any higher power. She had never experienced love and came from a broken family with a deceased mother, a missing father, no money, and no faith in God. On the other hand, Brandon came from wealth and had a loving mother.
Despite their differences, Grace accepted Martha with love and showered her blessings on her and Brandon after seeing how much her son adored Martha.
Grace’s love even brought Martha to embrace Christianity, something she had never experienced before, as she wanted to do it for the kind family she was going to be a part of. However, fate had devastating plans for all of them…
Brandon couldn’t shake Martha’s words from his mind: “Sometimes I wish Mom had told me about Dad. I wish he had been there when I got married. Every girl wants that, don’t they?”
Martha’s mother had passed away from cancer six years prior, leaving her an orphan with no family or father figure to walk her down the aisle. She felt lonely and sad.
Determined to fulfill Martha’s dream, Brandon decided to surprise her. Despite not having any contact with his father for years, he sent him a message.
“Hey, Dad! I know it’s out of the blue, but I have a favor to ask. I’m getting married, and my fiancée wants her dad to walk her down the aisle. Could you do it for her? Her parents are no longer with us. It would mean a lot to both of us! Love ya! Brandon.”
Uncertain if his father would respond, Brandon was delighted to receive a text from Kenneth the following morning. Kenneth was overjoyed and eager to be part of the wedding, but he was concerned about Grace’s reaction.
Brandon assured his father that he would handle everything and that he would inform Grace later. However, he didn’t tell his mother until the day of the wedding.
***
The wedding was in full swing, with all the guests present. Martha was putting the finishing touches on her makeup in the preparation room, while Grace sat with her future daughter-in-law, admiring her reflection in the mirror.
“Oh, my son has chosen the most beautiful girl in the world!” exclaimed Grace, wiping a tear from her eye as Martha stood up from her seat.
“I feel so blessed to be a part of this family,” Martha replied, wrapping her arms around Grace. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
“I’m sure the feeling is mutual,” Grace whispered, gently caressing Martha’s face. She then helped her lower the veil and asked, “Shall we go, darling?”
Martha nodded, but before they left, she remembered that Brandon had asked her to wait for a message. “I’m sorry, Mom,” she told Grace. “Brandon asked me to wait for something. I’ll be out in a minute. Is that okay?”
“Of course, my dear,” Grace smiled. “Take your time. We’ll be waiting for you.”
When Grace entered the wedding hall, she saw a familiar face in the crowd. She watched as he walked to the front row where the families of the bride and groom were seated, and her anger began to rise.
“Get out of here, Kenneth!” she shouted, blocking her ex-husband’s path. “What gives you the right to crash my son’s wedding like this? And you brought your second family with you?”
Kenneth responded defensively to Grace’s demand that he leave the wedding. “I’m his father, Grace!” he protested. “And our son invited me here! If you don’t believe me, ask him!”
Grace was shocked by this revelation. “What?” she exclaimed. “I find that hard to believe! Leave now and stop creating a scene in front of my guests!”
As the guests began to whisper among themselves, Kenneth felt humiliated by Grace’s attempt to eject him. He was about to depart when Brandon intervened.
“Hey, Dad! You made it!” Brandon said, embracing his father and irritating Grace. “Thanks for coming.”
“See that, Grace?” Kenneth growled. “Excuse me and my family. Step aside!”
Brandon explained to Grace that he had arranged for his father to attend as a surprise for Martha because he wanted to give her the fatherly support she lacked. Grace was still upset that he hadn’t told her about his plan, but she decided to set aside her anger and differences for the sake of her son.
It was meant to be a perfect day for Brandon and Martha, and Grace was determined not to be the cause of its ruin. So she sat in one of the front row seats, keeping a two-arm distance from Kenneth and his family.
As it came time to exchange vows, Brandon introduced Martha to Kenneth. Tears welled up in her eyes as Brandon explained that he had invited his father because Martha had expressed a desire to have a father figure walk her down the aisle.
Martha was overwhelmed with emotion as Kenneth handed her a small gift. “Oh! It’s…I’m at a loss for words. Thank you very much, sir. Thank you for doing this for me,” she said, gratefully.
Kenneth took her hand and smiled. “Please, call me Dad,” he said. “Although Brandon’s mother and I haven’t been on excellent terms, we are still family, and you’re becoming a part of this family too. So please, don’t mention it.”
Martha nodded, feeling touched by his kind words. She tried to compose herself and held back her tears, but her eyes welled up as she looked at Kenneth. He gently lifted her veil and was about to give her hand to Brandon when he suddenly froze.
Everyone at the wedding started whispering, wondering what was happening. “What’s going on?” Grace fumed. “Is he out of his mind!?”
Brandon noticed his father’s distress and asked, “What’s wrong, Dad? Why did you stop?”
Kenneth looked worried as he asked Martha, “Honey, what’s your name?”
“Name? But…but why now? I mean, Martha,” she replied, confused. “I’m Martha. What’s the matter?”
Kenneth shook his head and dropped his hands to his sides. “What a lovely name! Is there a reason you were given that name?” he asked.
Martha’s eyes widened, surprised by his question. “There…there is!” she exclaimed. “I was named after my late mother because I was born in March, on the same day as her! But why do you ask? I mean, nobody has given it so much thought…other than Mum!”
Kenneth’s eyes filled with tears, and he looked at Brandon with a sense of urgency. “Stop this wedding!” he implored. “You can’t marry her! She’s your sister!”
Turned out Kenneth had made a grave mistake twenty years ago that he never expected would have such far-reaching consequences on his children’s lives.
He had an affair with his secretary, Martha’s mother, because he was feeling dissatisfied with his marriage to Grace. When Martha’s mother became pregnant, Kenneth tried to walk away from his responsibilities, but Grace found out about the affair when Martha was born and kicked him out of their home.
Grace was a devoutly religious woman and believed that deception had no place in a marriage. She filed for divorce and made sure that their son Brandon did not grow up around his father.
Meanwhile, Kenneth fled the city and started a new life with another woman, refusing to acknowledge Martha as his daughter.
At Martha’s wedding, Kenneth finally revealed the truth to Brandon and Martha. “I’m sorry the truth came out like this, Brandon,” he said, remorseful. “Martha is my biological daughter.”
Martha was stunned by the news, and so was everyone else in attendance. “What are you talking about?” she cried.
Kenneth tried to explain, and Brandon’s anger only grew as he finally understood why his mother had kept his father away from him. “You ruined our lives!” Brandon shouted, grabbing his father by the collar. “How are you going to make it up to Martha and Mom for everything you’ve done?”
Kenneth had never anticipated the revelation of his past in such a public way. Not even his new wife and children knew about it. He lifted his head to apologize to everyone, but as he glanced at his family, he noticed the disgust on their faces as they left the wedding without him.
“I’m sorry to everyone, Grace, and Martha,” he said. “I wish I could change everything, but I can’t go back in time.” Kenneth rushed out of the hall to avoid further humiliation. He scrambled to explain to his wife that he had no choice but to hide the truth from her, but fate was not on his side this time.
In front of everyone, she slapped him hard across the face. “I’m divorcing a despicable man like you!” she cried. “I don’t want my children near you! Kenneth, you deserve to die alone!”
And with that, she walked away from his life for good. Grace had to be strong for her family for the second time in her life. She approached Martha and Brandon and hugged them both. “I know what has happened is devastating, but it doesn’t change the fact that we’re still family. Martha, my dear,” she said, “We’ll get through this. It’s okay. God has a way of testing us, and look how far we’ve come. As strong as ever.”
But Martha and Brandon were not as strong as Grace. They couldn’t ignore the fact that they had been in love for a long time, sharing dreams that only couples do.
***
One year later…
“How’s life treating you?” Brandon asked Martha over the phone. Martha had moved to a new city to start afresh and was receiving therapy to overcome the trauma of the wedding day revelation.
“I’m good. And how are you and Mom doing? She’s not mad that I left abruptly, is she?”
“No, she’s fine with it. She was ecstatic that you allowed her to accept you as her daughter. I know I wasn’t thrilled about it, but you did it for her happiness. Thank you, Martha.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Mom has always shown me love, and you know I already considered her my mother the day she accepted me. And how about you? How are you doing, Brandon?”
“Well,” he hesitated. “Some wounds take time to heal, but I’m getting better. I’m actually seeing someone now.”
“Really?” Martha exclaimed. “That’s fantastic news! I mean, wonderful, lovely!”
“Yeah, she’s great. Hey, would you mind helping me pick out a gift for her? No pressure, of course. Actually, it’s fine, I’ll ask someone else.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it, brother,” she reassured him. “What happened was insane, but we need to move on. That’s basically what my therapist tells me all the time!” she laughed. “Just let me know what she likes, and I’ll make sure she falls head over heels for you!”
He chuckled. “Thanks, Martha. I’ll send you a list right away. Love you. Take care.”
“You too, lover boy. Give Mom my love. Goodbye.”
That year had been challenging for Martha and Brandon, but they chose to focus on healing instead of dwelling on their past. What ultimately helped them was their love and concern for Grace. It pushed them to move forward.
On the other hand, Kenneth attempted to reconnect with his children when he fell ill. He was terminally ill and wished to spend his last days with his family. Unfortunately, nobody ever visited him. He met his fate alone.
