Jessica is getting ready to walk down the aisle when her mother-in-law barges into her room, demanding Jess pay her hair, makeup, and wedding outfit bills. But when Jessica feels invisible, her protective mother steps in.

It’s not a proper wedding if there’s no drama, right?

So, because my wedding theme was old-school glamour, I knew that hair and makeup would have to be done by professionals.

I chose the theme, so I didn’t expect my mother, mother-in-law, and bridesmaids to pay for this.

My fiancé, Liam, and I decided it would be best for me to surprise them and pay for it. So, I handed out $350 to each of them.

It was a sweet gesture, right?

Well, it wasn’t sweet enough for everyone.

On the wedding day, I was in the hotel room getting dressed. My maid of honor and I were squeezing me into my dream wedding dress when my almost-mother-in-law barged in.
She didn’t take a minute to say hello or tell me that I looked good — I didn’t need validation from Samantha, but she was Liam’s favorite person. And honestly, it wouldn’t have hurt to tell a nervous bride that she looks good.

Anyway, my lovely mother-in-law tosses an envelope in my direction.

“Aww, open it!” Sienna, my best friend and maid of honor, said.

Like Sienna, I thought it would be a sweet note or a tiny keepsake. Liam was an only child, so I knew that Samantha had all these beautiful old jewelry that would have gone with our theme.

It would have been my something borrowed.

Oh no. It wasn’t anything as pleasant as I thought.

Instead, it was a brutal breakdown of Samantha’s hair, makeup, and dress expenses.

Hair: $350

Makeup: $300

Dress: $500

What did she think of me?

“Um,” I began to say, shocked that she had done this an hour before I was scheduled to walk down the aisle toward her son.

“Come on, Jessica,” my mother-in-law said with her hand on her hip. “Your measly $350 was nothing! Pay the entire bill if you want to do something meaningful.”

Sienna gasped and looked at me.

I stood there, looking at Samantha, dressed in a stunning gown but feeling anything but bridal.

Before I could retaliate, my Mom stepped through the adjoining room door. I had forgotten she went in to steam her dress one last time.

“Enough, Samantha. That’s not how you speak to my child, let alone the woman marrying your son,” Mom said.

I had always suspected that Samantha didn’t like me — that there was some hidden agenda to every interaction between us — but I always thought she tried her hardest to get along with me because of Liam.

“Olivia,” Samantha said firmly, as though disciplining her child.

“No,” my mother replied. “Let me speak. I love your son as if he were my own. And I am genuinely so happy that they found each other. But you cannot barge into my daughter’s room and demand that she pay your bill. She already gave you money as a gesture of love and appreciation. How is that not enough for you?”

I watched my mother in awe, holding onto my shoes. She was never one for confrontation, and even as a child — if my father were disciplining us, Mom would always be on the other side of the house, not wanting to see or hear anything.

“Jessica owes you nothing. You will apologize to my daughter, or I will personally kick you out of their wedding.”

Samantha stared at my mother. I almost felt the dislike taking over the room, blanketing the joy.

“Do you want me to call Liam?” I asked sweetly. “Were you expecting me to call off the wedding?”

Samantha turned to look at me; then, I saw the shape of Liam’s nose on her face. I saw that his eyes were the same color as hers.

I didn’t know how long Samantha disliked me. I didn’t know when she decided she didn’t want me to marry him.

“So, what will it be?” Mom asked her, taking a sip of champagne I had arranged for our dressing rooms.

Then, Samantha, seeing that she was cornered and exposed with no way out, stammered an insincere apology.

“I’m going downstairs,” she said. “I’ll just ensure the flowers and everything are in place.”

She ran out of the room, leaving her envelope behind.

“Are you okay, honey?” my mother asked, buttoning my dress.

“Yeah, Mom. I’m ready to get married,” I said.

In truth, I wasn’t sure how I felt. But I knew Samantha’s stunt wasn’t enough to make me walk away from Liam. And I knew he was waiting for me at the end of the aisle.

Liam and I just got back from our honeymoon, and we’ve barely seen or heard from Samantha. I was honest with him and told him exactly what happened. He was horrified and made no excuses for his mother’s behavior.

I don’t know what will happen next, but I will keep my distance from her.

If you were in my shoes, what would you have done?