My fiancé and I built our wedding from scratch, refusing money from his wealthy parents. When I said I would make my own wedding cake, my mother-in-law mocked me. But on the big day, she took credit for it in front of everyone. She stole my moment… but soon karma did the work for me.
My mother-in-law, Christine, has never worked a single day in her life, and you can tell in a way that makes me grind my teeth. The first time I saw her, three years ago, she sized me up like I was a questionable purchase. Her eyes scanned my department store dress and stopped at my old shoes.
Dave squeezed my hand, offering a silent apology for his mother’s behavior. Later that night, he hugged me and whispered, “I love that you work hard and care about the things that matter.”
That was the moment I knew I would marry him someday.
Three months before our wedding, Dave lost his job when his company downsized. We were already planning to spend every last dollar on the wedding, so we decided not to start our marriage in debt.
“We could ask my parents,” Dave suggested without much enthusiasm one night while we reviewed our budget at the small kitchen table.
I looked up from the spreadsheet. “Really? Think again.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “God, no! Mom would control us for the next decade.”
“Then we cut back. We make it work.”
“Yeah, we’ll do it our way. No debt, no guilt, no strings attached.”
“And no loans from your mom!”
He laughed. “Definitely no loans from her.”
Then his eyes softened a bit. “That’s why I love you, Alice. You never take the easy way out.”
That night, while staring at the ceiling, an idea came to me. “I’ll make o
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