My Wedding Invitation Couldn't Buy One Glance From My Mother

Behind me, my mother's furious voice went on and on. "I broke my back raising her, and this is how she thanks me. An ungrateful wretch who'll never come to heel!" Jocelyn's voice came soft and coaxing. "Mom, she's just in a mood. She'd never actually cut ties with you." My mother let out a scornful little laugh. "The way she disobeys me, I'd honestly be better off pretending I never had a daughter like her…" I didn't stay to hear the rest. That afternoon I went to the wedding venue for the final walk-through. Only the setup wasn't being done from my plans at all. The manager handed me the design sheet in his hand. "This is the layout we've been working from." I looked at the drawing, and I couldn't help the anger rising in me. "This isn't my design at all!" At that, the manager hurried off to make a call and check. When he came back, his face was pained. "Ms. Morrison, this venue has already been reserved by your mother." "And this design came from her too. We assumed you'd simply switched the layout…" He kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. Just then Jocelyn walked in on my mother's arm. She saw me and put on a face of surprise. "Sis, this is the fanciest venue there is. Mom booked it just for me." I couldn't help clenching the fingers hanging at my side. "But I'm the one who reserved this place first!" My mother looked at me with pure contempt. "You never paid for it, so it isn't yours!" "And your sister's engagement needs a better hall. The man you found comes from an ordinary family. It makes no difference where your wedding is held!" But I'd told her more than once that my husband's family was well off. She never took it to heart. Jocelyn always came first. Just like when I was little and ate peanuts by mistake and went into an allergic reaction, collapsing on the floor, my throat swelling shut. And all my mother cared about was getting Jocelyn to eat one more bite, dreaming up new tricks to coax her. She never even noticed the state I was in. Afterward there was no guilt from her, only blame. "Serena, you knew perfectly well your sister had no appetite. I finally got her to eat one more bite, and you had to pull this act!" My allergy, in her eyes, was a stunt to steal attention from Jocelyn. I should have been used to her favoritism by now, and yet sometimes I still let myself imagine she loved me. Just then a card sliced across my cheek, opening a thin line of blood. My mother looked at me, chin high. "There's ten thousand on this card. Consider it your compensation." "Take it and go book another venue. Don't embarrass me." I lifted my head, met her eyes, and said flatly, "My wedding is next week. There's no time to book a venue now." "And ten thousand won't get me anywhere decent!" But she paid me no mind at all, taking Jocelyn along to keep touring the venue. Jocelyn just looked back at me, smug. In that moment, my heart went cold, once and for all.

The next day, I went to pick up my custom wedding ring. And ran straight into my mother and sister again. I just wanted to grab the ring and leave. I didn't want to get tangled up with them any longer. The moment the sales associate saw me, she brought out the custom diamond ring. Just then, my sister crowded up beside me, staring at the ring, her eyes lit up. “Serena, this ring is gorgeous. I want it.” This ring was something I'd gotten in line for six months in advance, then spent three months working through with the designer to have made. Every detail of it was exactly the way I wanted. There was no way I was handing it over. So I refused her without a moment's hesitation. “This is my wedding ring. There's no way I'm giving it to you!” Hearing that, Jocelyn's mouth crumpled and tears welled up in her eyes. Of course Mom couldn't stand to see Jocelyn upset. Her face went cold and she said to me, “Serena, you can see how much your sister loves this ring. Just give it to her.” “She's younger than you, after all. You should give in to her.” Then she turned to the sales associate and said, “Bring the ring out and let her have a look.” The associate looked at Mom, clearly caught in an awkward spot. “This is Ms. Morrison's custom wedding ring.” But Mom said, unbothered, “I'll pay more. Double, triple, whatever it takes...” The associate hesitated a moment, then looked at me, a little apologetic. “Ms. Morrison, I'm sorry.” “This ring has been bought by your mother.” I clenched my fingers tight at my side, drew in a deep breath, and said slowly, “We signed a contract. What you're doing is a breach of it!” But Mom covered her mouth and let out a scoff. “We're family. There's no such thing as a breach here.” “Just think of this ring as your engagement gift to your sister.” Jocelyn said with a smile from beside her, “Thank you for the gift, Serena.” Watching how smug she looked, I couldn't help but say, “But this ring is my size. Jocelyn can't even wear it.” “If you don't believe me, try it on.” At that, Jocelyn picked up the ring and slid it onto her finger. Sure enough, it jammed at the second knuckle and wouldn't go any farther. I held out my open hand toward her. “Since it doesn't fit, give it back to me.” But Jocelyn shielded the ring on her hand, unwilling to hand it over. And Mom just slapped my hand away. “So what if she can't wear it? As long as she likes it, she can keep it sitting there for all I care.” “As for you, stop coveting things that aren't yours.” In that moment, a deep, helpless weight rose up in me. This ring had taken me so long to get. But the second Jocelyn wanted it, Mom put it straight into her hands, without the slightest regard for how I felt. I should have seen through them sooner. Then I wouldn't have been foolish enough to keep hoping in them for so long. I turned and left, done getting tangled up with them. Over the next few days, I didn't cross paths with them again. I stayed busy with the rest of the wedding preparations. But I did go home one more time. Because I wanted to take away everything in that house that belonged to me. When I got there, no one was home. Just then, Jocelyn's feed updated. So they were all out preparing for her engagement. Seeing that, I turned off my phone. I went to my bedroom and started packing up the little I had left. There was the trophy I'd won at a competition in middle school. The one I'd worked a whole month to earn. But before I even had the chance to show Mom, Jocelyn came home with a most-improved certificate. And Mom's attention went entirely to her. I set the trophy in the most visible spot in the living room, and not one person said a word about it. Only after it had gathered a layer of dust did I carry it back to my room and keep it there like a treasure. There was also the dress I'd begged Mom for, for so long, before she finally bought it. A little over a hundred dollars. I took on a whole month of housework before she'd buy it for me. And after she did, she reminded me again and again, “Serena, you're the older sister. You need to be sensible. A dress this expensive, don't buy one again.” But a single one of Jocelyn's dresses was worth ten of mine. I threw all of it into the trash. Wiped out, completely, every trace that I had ever existed in that house.

On the day of the wedding banquet, my family still hadn't shown up. I opened my phone and found post after post from Mom about my sister's engagement party. Not one of them mentioned my wedding. The comments were all the same too, everyone wishing Jocelyn a happy engagement. I looked at it, and nothing stirred in me at all. Hearing the emcee counting down onstage, I put my phone away and drew in a deep breath. Then my husband and I walked up to the stage hand in hand. Seeing him lead me up, the emcee asked, puzzled, "Where is the bride's family?" At that, the guests began to murmur among themselves. I took the microphone straight from the emcee and said, calmly, "I have no family. From now on, my husband's family is my family." Hearing that, my husband pulled me into his arms and said against my ear, "Serena, you've had a hard time all these years." "From now on, we are your family!" Margaret Hale took my hand too, tears shining in her eyes. "Serena, you've suffered. We'll take good care of you..." Listening to their comforting words, I felt a warmth I hadn't known in a long time. So it turned out I could be the one who was cared about too. After the banquet ended, I didn't let myself relax until the last guest was gone. Holding up the hem of my dress, I made my way over to my husband. Then I hugged him and said, coaxing, "Let's move, okay?" He wrapped his arms tight around me and nodded. ... Three days after the banquet, Mom kept looking out the door, but I was nowhere in sight. She said, a little put out, "Serena, she doesn't even know the rules about the return visit!" Then she messaged me. But the moment it sent, it showed that I'd already blocked her. Furious, Mom threw her phone straight to the floor. "Serena, how dare she block me!" "No. I'm going to her in-laws' place to see exactly what she thinks she's doing!" So Mom went to my in-laws'. When Margaret opened the door and saw it was Mom, she just sat back down on the sofa. That only made the anger on Mom's face sharper. "So, where's Serena? Isn't today her return visit?" Margaret said, calmly, "They don't live here anymore." "Once they're settled, I'll be leaving too." Mom frowned. "Serena, why didn't she say anything to me?" Margaret let out a soft laugh. "Because Serena said that from now on, I'm the only mother she'll have." For a moment Mom just froze, her eyes full of disbelief.