I stood at the altar, surrounded by friends and family, waiting for the woman I loved to walk down the aisle. Lili and I had planned our wedding for over a year, and I couldn’t wait to start our life together. But as the minutes ticked by, it became clear that something was wrong. The bridesmaids were getting anxious, and my best man kept glancing at his watch.
I tried to brush it off, thinking maybe she was just running late. But when I called her, her phone went straight to voicemail. That’s when I started to feel a knot in my stomach. I asked one of the bridesmaids, Sara, if she knew where Lili was. She hesitated before telling me that Lili had asked her for a ride to the bus station earlier that morning.
My heart sank as I rushed to the bus station, fearing the worst. When I arrived, I saw Lili standing on the platform with my daughter, Emma, and my father. I couldn’t believe my eyes. What were they doing together? My father, the man I had trusted my whole life, was standing next to the woman I loved, with a look of calmness on his face.
As I watched from a distance, my father touched Lili’s back, and she didn’t pull away. I felt a wave of anger and betrayal wash over me. What was going on? I boarded the same bus, determined to get to the bottom of things. The ride was a blur as I watched my father and Lili interact, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.
When the bus stopped, I followed them to a hotel, my mind racing with questions. My father handed Lili a key, and they walked into a room together. I waited outside, seething with anger and hurt. When my father came out alone, I knew I had to act. I went to the front desk and asked for their room number, my heart pounding in my chest.
As I entered the room, Lili looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. She explained that my father had offered her money to leave me, threatening to take Emma away from her if she didn’t comply. I felt a mix of emotions: anger, hurt, and love. I knew I had to protect Lili and Emma, no matter what.
I turned to my father when he entered the room, holding two cups of coffee. “You really thought I wouldn’t find out?” I asked, my voice firm. He tried to justify his actions, saying that Lili wasn’t good enough for me. But I stood my ground, telling him that I loved Lili and Emma, and I wouldn’t let him come between us.
In that moment, I realized that I didn’t need my father’s approval or his money. I had Lili and Emma, and that’s all that mattered. My father left, and I turned to Lili, holding her hand. “We’ll figure it out,” I said. “The three of us. Together.” And in that moment, I knew that we would be okay.
