FIVE YEARS AFTER MY WIFE’S DEATH, I TOOK MY CHILD TO MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING – WHEN I SAW THE BRIDE, MY DAUGHTER ASKED, “DADDY, WHY ARE YOU CRYING?”
Five years after my wife Natalie’s death, I received an invitation to my old best friend Stefan’s wedding. We had lost touch after he joined the military, but I was thrilled to reconnect. I brought my 5-year-old daughter with me.
The ceremony was beautiful.
Then came the moment.
The bride walked in, her face hidden beneath a delicate white veil. A hushed gasp rippled through the guests as Stefan lifted it.
I stopped breathing.
The world tilted.
Tears burned down my face before I even realized I was crying.
My daughter, sitting beside me, saw my expression and whispered, “Daddy, why are you crying?”
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move. And then the bride saw me and looked at me with wide eyes.
Five years after losing my wife, I attended my best friend’s wedding with my daughter. When the bride’s veil was lifted, everything shattered—she was my ex-wife, Natalie, who I’d been told was dead. My daughter asked why I was crying as Natalie locked eyes with me.
I hadn’t planned on attending the wedding, but Mark, my friend, insisted. It was at a fancy party where I met Natalie by chance. We clicked immediately, and six months later, we were married, despite her wealthy family disowning her.
However, after our daughter Emma was born, things changed. Natalie resented our humble life, and eventually, she left, signing away her parental rights. I was devastated. Months later, I learned Natalie had faked her death, and when I saw her at the wedding, I was stunned.
She explained that she wanted to start over, but I was furious. Her family had lied to me, and I had mourned her for years. The wedding was called off, and Natalie disappeared with her family.
Two weeks later, Stefan and I talked. He hadn’t known about her past, and I finally felt at peace. I had my daughter and a successful career. I wasn’t broken anymore—I was free.
