After dating for a few years, Ryan and I were finally ready to say “I do” and start our lives together. Everything was set for our wedding day, but just 30 minutes before the ceremony, Ryan’s mother, Audrey, dropped a bombshell that nearly tore us apart.

Let me take you back to how we first met. It was one of those random encounters that could easily be a scene from a movie. I was at the local community theater, there to support my friend Mila, who was making her directorial debut. After the performance, I was standing outside, holding a bouquet of flowers for Mila, when Ryan walked out of the theater. The crowd was thick, and in the chaos, he accidentally bumped into me, crushing the flowers I was holding.