Hazel is furious when she discovers her daughter’s wedding was ruined by selfish in-laws who stole the money she had saved. Determined to unmask their deceit and seek justice, Hazel embarks on a relentless quest to gather irrefutable evidence. But can this resolute mother unveil the truth and reclaim her daughter’s shattered dreams?
“I can’t believe this,” I muttered, staring at my laptop screen.
An elderly woman using a laptop | Source: Pexels
The kitchen around me in my Australian home felt colder as I looked at the photos of Jinny’s wedding.
I had always imagined her big day to be a grand affair, but what I saw broke my heart.
A bride and groom leaning towards each other as guests shower them with petals | Source: Unsplash
Jinny’s wedding was held in a shabby café with plastic tables, and she wore a tacky dress that didn’t suit her at all.
I buried my face in my palms, feeling a mix of anger and sadness. How could this happen?
A sad bride | Source: Midjourney
I had saved up so much money to give Jinny a beautiful wedding. This was not what I had planned for her.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed on the table, and I picked it up, seeing a message from an old friend in the States. I needed to talk to someone, so I called her.
A pair of hands holding a cellphone | Source: Unsplash
“Hello, Hazel! How are you feeling?” she asked.
“I’m not great, Jane,” I replied. “I just saw the pictures from Jinny’s wedding, and it’s awful. They had it in a rundown café, and she wore this horrible dress. I gave them money for a beautiful wedding, Jane. What happened?”
A stressed woman on a phone call | Source: Pexels
There was a pause on the other end. “Hazel, I heard something about Diane and Charles. They might have used the money for home repairs and their car.”
My heart sank even further. “What? They took Jinny’s wedding money for themselves? How could they?”
A sad-looking woman on a phone call | Source: Midjourney
“I don’t know, Hazel, but you need to find out the truth. Maybe talk to Jinny?”
“I will, Jane. I can’t let this go. I need to recover and get there. I have to fix this mess for Jinny.”
After hanging up, I closed the laptop and took a deep breath. I had to focus on getting better. I needed to be there for my daughter, to make things right.
And so, every day became a step towards recovery.
I followed my doctor’s advice to the letter, took my medications on time, and rested as much as I could.
I even started doing light exercises to regain my strength.
Days turned into weeks, and my health gradually improved. The determination to help Jinny gave me the strength I needed.
One day, I called my travel agent and booked a flight to the US, despite the lingering doubts and fears.
“You can do this, Hazel,” I whispered to myself as I packed my suitcase. “For Jinny.”
I knew I had to be strong for my girl.
When I finally stood at her doorstep, my heart raced.
I didn’t tell her I was coming, wanting to surprise her. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
When Jinny opened the door, her eyes widened in disbelief. “Mom?” she whispered, tears filling her eyes.
“Jinny, my sweet girl,” I said, pulling her into a tight embrace. I could feel her trembling, a mix of joy and relief washing over her. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere until we fix this,” I said.
We stepped inside, and I could see the weight of sadness in her eyes.
The house was tidy, but there was a strange heaviness in the air.
We sat on the couch, and I took her hands in mine.
“Jinny, I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through,” I began. “I know it’s been hard since your father’s passing, and I hate that I couldn’t be there for your wedding. But I’m here now, and I promise you, we’re going to make things right.”
She looked at me with sad eyes. “Mom, I didn’t know what to do. Nathan’s parents took the money, and I couldn’t confront them. They convinced me to transfer the wedding funds to their account, saying it was meant for paying vendors directly. And Nathan… he doesn’t know anything. He still feels guilty that he hasn’t been able to give us the wedding we dreamed of.”
I squeezed her hands reassuringly. “You’re not alone anymore, Jinny. I’ll help you. We’ll figure this out together.”
Jinny nodded, wiping away her tears. “Thank you, Mom. I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too, sweetheart. More than you can imagine,” I replied, feeling my own tears threaten to spill over. “But we need to be strong now. We can’t let them take advantage of you any longer.”
She nodded again. “I’m sorry for putting you through this. I don’t know how to tell Nathan about his parents. He loves them.”
“We’ll take it one step at a time,” I said, giving her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry now that I’m here.”
Jinny took a deep breath and smiled. “Okay, Mom. With you here, I feel like I can do this.”
“That’s my girl,” I said, hugging her tightly. “We’ll get through this together. I promise.”
The next day, I found myself sitting in a private investigator’s office with my lawyer, Madison.
“Thank you both for meeting with me,” I said.
“I need your help to fix the mess Diane and Charles have made of my daughter’s wedding. They took the money I saved for her and used it for their own needs. My daughter’s a bit shy, and she couldn’t confront them. They took advantage of it.”
Lucas nodded. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, Hazel. Tell us everything you know.”
I detailed the situation, from the tacky wedding photos to the heartache in Jinny’s eyes. Madison took notes while Lucas listened intently. When I finished, he leaned forward.
“Sounds like Diane and Charles have a history of shady dealings,” Lucas said. “I’ll start digging into their past. It won’t take long to uncover the truth.”
And true to his word, within days, Lucas had a stack of evidence.
“Hazel, you were right,” he said when we met in his office. “Diane and Charles have been involved in multiple scams. They’ve been taking advantage of people for years.”
He laid out the documents showing their deceitful actions, from falsified loans to embezzlement.
“Thank you, Lucas,” I said. “This is exactly what we need.”
Madison, who had been reviewing the evidence, looked up. “Hazel, with this information, we can take legal action. But first, I suggest confronting them directly. Sometimes, the threat of exposure is enough to make people come clean.”
I nodded. “I agree. I want to confront them, but I want to do it right. Let’s plan a surprise ‘family meeting’ at a fancy restaurant. They won’t see it coming, and it will give us the upper hand.”
Lucas smiled. “I like the way you think. Let’s set it up.”
With Madison’s help, we arranged the meeting. The plan was simple. Diane and Charles wouldn’t suspect a thing until it was too late. We booked a private room at an upscale restaurant, ensuring privacy for the confrontation.
On D-day, I arrived at the restaurant early. I set up the projector with all the evidence Lucas had gathered. Everything was ready. Now, we just had to wait.
Jinny, Nathan, Diane, and Charles arrived shortly after, exchanging pleasantries and completely unaware of what was coming.
“Thank you all for coming,” I began, trying to keep my voice steady. “I have something important to share.”
I clicked the remote, and the first slide appeared on the screen. “This is the evidence we’ve gathered about the money you took from Jinny’s wedding fund,” I said, looking directly at Diane and Charles.
Their faces turned from smug to horrified as I continued. “You used that money for your home repairs and car. But it doesn’t stop there. You’ve been involved in multiple scams, taking advantage of people for years.”
Nathan’s face flushed with anger and embarrassment. “Is this true?” he demanded, looking at his parents.
Diane stammered, “We… we can explain.”
But I didn’t let them. “There’s no explanation for this. You’ve hurt my daughter, and it’s time you faced the consequences.”
“Mom’s right,” Jinny said firmly. “I deserve better.”
Nathan turned to Jinny, his expression softening. “I’m so sorry, Jinny. I had no idea about all this. I–I can’t believe they stole money from you, and these scams… I’m so sorry you had to deal with all this.”
“It’s okay, Nathan,” Jinny said, looking at him. “Now we know the truth, and we can move forward. I’m sorry that things have come to this.”
Nathan, Jinny, and I were the first to stand up, ready to leave the restaurant. Nathan’s hurt was evident, and I knew he needed some time to process everything. We gathered our things, giving Diane and Charles one last, pointed look before heading out.
As we walked out of the restaurant, I saw Evelyn, a reporter I had contacted beforehand. We had known each other for years, but that day, she was there in her professional capacity, her camera crew ready.
“Hazel, can you tell us what happened in there?” Evelyn asked, holding out a microphone.
“Diane and Charles, my daughter’s in-laws, stole money meant for my daughter’s wedding and used it for their own needs,” I said. “They’ve been involved in numerous scams, and it’s time the world knew.”
The camera crew filmed as I detailed the evidence Lucas had uncovered. Jinny stood beside me, her hand in mine, looking stronger than ever.
Evelyn nodded, listening intently. “This story will reach a lot of people, Hazel. Thank you for your bravery.”
And the story went viral overnight. The public backlash was immediate and fierce. Diane and Charles faced both social and legal repercussions, losing their home and being forced to repay the stolen money.
With the money returned, Jinny and I set about planning a new, beautiful wedding. This time, everything was perfect. I was there to see her walk down the aisle, surrounded by people who genuinely cared about her.
Yes, it was hard for Nathan, but he’s been trying his best to heal.