I never asked for any of this,” I whispered, breaking the silence. “I just wanted to be there for you, to support you on your special day.”

Matthew turned to me, his eyes softening. “And that’s what family is supposed to be about. Support. Not exclusion.”

The guests began to murmur, a low hum of agreement rippling through the crowd. The videographer, who had been documenting the day, kept the camera rolling. The irony of capturing a genuine, albeit unscripted moment of family drama was not lost on him.

Lila stood there, her carefully constructed world crumbling around her. It was as if the garden itself reacted—clouds drifted over the sun, casting a somber shadow over the proceedings. Her dream wedding was turning into a lesson in humility and acceptance, one that she had never anticipated.