The night before prom, Gia is ready to lay out her clothes and have an easy night. But as she opens her closet to take out her dress, she finds it missing. Later, she discovers that her stepmother, Cindy, had returned the dress to the store… What on earth could be the reason?
My mom died when I was ten.
It was sudden, like the world had just stopped spinning. One minute, she was tucking me into bed, and the next, she was gone.
Flowers on a headstone | Source: Midjourney
“I’ll always be with you, Gia,” she said one day as she tucked me in, her hands shaking wildly. “Whether I’m right next to you or not, I’ll always be here. Do you understand?”
I remember nodding sleepily as she kissed my cheek.
Losing her crushed my dad and me in ways I still can’t put into words. We were just completely… lost.
A woman tucking her daughter into bed | Source: Midjourney
Then, a few years later, Dad married someone new. Cindy. Now, Cindy wasn’t evil or cruel or anything like that. If I’m being honest, she tried. She smiled a lot, bought me gifts, and cooked things that I enjoyed eating. She even waited for me to come home from school, ready to make me a toasted sandwich while asking me about my day.
But no matter what Cindy did, she wasn’t my mom. My heart just didn’t seem to let her in. And because of that, we never really clicked on a personal level.
A smiling couple | Source: Midjourney
Fast forward to senior year:
I’m 17 and waiting for prom. And for the first time in forever, I felt excited about something. Dad gave me a budget for a dress, and I spent weeks scouring the internet for ideas.
When I finally found it, a gorgeous deep-blue gown that made me feel like an actual princess, I knew that it was the one.
A smiling teenage girl | Source: Midjourney
“That’s it, Gia!” my friend Selene said as I stepped out of the dressing room.
“You think?” I asked. “You really think so?”
“Yes! Your eyes pop with the blue, and your skin looks so good with it. This is it, Gia. Don’t even waste your time looking for another dress.”
I smiled.
“Fine, let’s focus on you now,” I said.
A teenage girl in a dressing room | Source: Midjourney
Standing in front of the mirror at the boutique, I felt like I could see the old me again, the one from before my life flipped upside down. There was a light in my eyes again.
Everything seemed perfect. For once, it felt like the universe was giving me a break. But that all shattered the day before prom.
I got home from school, ready to get into a bubble bath, shave, wash my hair, and have an early night. I was going to lay everything out before I went to bed — my dress, shoes, makeup options, all of it.
A teenage girl’s vanity | Source: Midjourney
I ran up the stairs and flung my closet door open, hoping to give my dress a look-over before I got into the bath.
But it wasn’t there.
All I saw was the empty hanger.
I blinked hard, as if somehow my dream dress would magically appear before my eyes. Of course, it didn’t.
Where on earth is my dress?
An empty hanger | Source: Midjourney
I yanked things off hangers and tore through drawers. Maybe I’d been careless and shoved it somewhere, right?
But deep down, I knew I hadn’t. I was so paranoid about wrinkling the dress that I had taken clothes off the hanger the day I brought it home. That dress had been the centerpiece of my week. I would never have misplaced it.
I ran downstairs, hoping to see my dad. He would have answers.
A close up of a teenage girl | Source: Midjourney
Instead, Cindy was sitting at the kitchen island, cutting into veggies and sipping her tea like nothing was wrong.
“Gigi,” she said, using a name that only my dad called me. “Dad is away for the night because of work. He said that he’ll try to be back in time to see you off tomorrow.”
How could she talk like nothing happened? Like nothing was wrong?
A woman busy in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
“Cindy!” I exclaimed. “Have you seen my prom dress? It’s gone!”
She looked up, completely calm, like I hadn’t just dropped a bomb in the middle of the kitchen. I was starting to feel panicked. I could taste bitterness on my tongue. I was on the verge of a breakdown.
“Oh, that? Gia, I returned that to the store.”
“You did what?” I gasped.
A shocked teenage girl | Source: Midjourney
It felt like my brain had short-circuited.
“I returned it,” she repeated as if she was telling me she’d picked up groceries at the store. “It just didn’t seem right, Gigi. It was too grown-up for you.”
I stood there, unable to move.
“How could you do that? Prom is tomorrow evening! Why would you touch my stuff without asking me?”
A close up of a woman | Source: Midjourney
Cindy tilted her head like I was overreacting.
“You’ll understand tomorrow,” she said quietly, sipping her tea.
Her nonchalance lit something inside me. I couldn’t believe she was acting so casual, like she hadn’t just taken the one thing I’d been looking forward to for months and thrown it in the trash.
I stormed up to my room, slamming the door so hard the walls shook. I buried my face in my pillow, tears soaking into the fabric.
An upset girl | Source: Midjourney
How could she do this to me?
That night, I cried myself to sleep, my anger burning hot and bitter. I felt betrayed. She had no right to mess with my dress. She had no right to interfere with my prom.
But what did I expect?
Cindy wasn’t my mother.
An upset girl in her bed | Source: Midjourney
The next morning, I woke up to the heavy weight of disappointment. I didn’t even want to go to prom anymore.
What was the point?
But Selene wasn’t having it.
“You need to find out why she did it,” she said over the phone. “It’s weird, right? Like, she has to have a reason. Just… talk to her, Gia.”
A girl talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
I rolled my eyes.
“There’s no reason good enough for what she did.”
“Maybe,” Selene said. “But don’t you want to know?”
Selene had a point, and she knew it. So, against my better judgment, I dragged myself out of bed and went downstairs.
A girl talking on a phone | Source: Midjourney
Cindy was waiting for me, dressed in jeans and an old sweatshirt, looking more nervous than I’d ever seen her.
“Come with me, Gigi,” she said quietly.
I stared at her for a long second. A part of me wanted to blow her off entirely. But there was something in her voice, something soft.
A close up of a woman | Source: Midjourney
Without a word, I followed her to her bedroom.
There was a box on her bed, wrapped in a bow.
“This belonged to your mom,” Cindy whispered, her voice catching. “I found it while cleaning a few weeks ago. I’ve been wanting to turn the attic into something new, like a little reading room.”
I froze.
A box on a bed | Source: Midjourney
My heart hammered in my chest as she peeled away the tissue paper, revealing an elegant, vintage white dress. It was stunning — lace sleeves, delicate beadwork, the kind of timeless beauty that would never go out of style.
Cindy glanced up at me, her hands trembling slightly.
“I thought maybe you’d like to wear it. To prom. When I returned the blue dress, I took this one to be dry-cleaned.”
A dress in a box | Source: Midjourney
For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even think.
All the anger, all the resentment, all the hurt I’d held onto melted into shock.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you, my darling,” Cindy whispered. “I just thought that this way, your mom could be with you. I will never replace her, Gia. But I wanted to give you something that mattered.”
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
Tears welled up in my eyes before I could stop them. All this time, I’d been so sure she was trying to ruin my prom. But instead, she was giving me the most meaningful gift she ever could.
That night, I wore my mom’s dress to prom.
As soon as I slipped it on, I felt her with me, like she was wrapping me in a hug. The dress fit perfectly. Cindy helped me with my hair, and for the first time, I saw her not as someone trying to replace my mom, but as someone who cared. For me. Deeply.
A crying teenage girl | Source: Midjourney
When I walked downstairs, my dad was waiting. His eyes widened, and his breath caught.
“Thank goodness I made it,” he said, tears brimming in his eyes. “You look just like Mom!”
A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney
The prom was magical. And as I danced with my friends, I saw once again that Cindy hadn’t stolen anything from me. She’d given me something priceless.
A way to feel connected with my mom again. And I felt so beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
A teenage girl in her prom dress | Source: Midjourney
When I got home, Cindy was sitting on the couch wrapped in a blanket.
“You’re waiting up for me?” I asked, kicking off my shoes.
“Of course, my darling,” she said. “I wanted to know how your night went. And I’ve got ice cream in the freezer. Mint choc-chip. Your favorite. We can eat it while you tell me.”
That’s when I broke down. In that moment, I knew Cindy wasn’t just my dad’s wife. She was someone who loved me, too.
And maybe, just maybe, that was going to be enough.
I Was Horrified My Daughter Was Marrying an Old Man—Until the Real Truth Came Out
My 18-year-old daughter fell in love with a 60-year-old man and planned to marry him, even though I didn’t agree. She insisted she was deeply in love with him. I was shocked when I found out a disturbing truth about him.
One afternoon, as the sun lit up the living room, I was going through some mail when Serena, my daughter, came home early from her part-time job. She walked in with her usual energy, bringing the scent of vanilla with her. I always looked forward to her monthly visits.
Hey, Dad! You won’t believe what happened with my roommate, Jessica…” she started, but quickly noticed I seemed off. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, everything’s fine. Come on in,” I replied.
“So,” I said, trying to focus, “you were saying…”
“Yeah, Dad. Actually… I met someone, and he’s really nice and caring. His name is Edison. He really loves me, and we want to get married. But there’s something…”
“But what?”
“He’s sixty.”
The word “sixty” hit me like a shock. My daughter, just eighteen, in love with someone almost three times her age? Worry and disbelief flooded my mind. “Sixty, Serena? That’s… can’t you see the problem here?”
“Age doesn’t matter when it comes to love, Dad. Edison understands me and believes in me.”
“But Serena, what about the future? He’s so much older.”
“Love isn’t about numbers, Dad. It’s about feeling seen, loved, and cared for, and Edison makes me feel that way,” Serena said with a trembling voice. “Please, can you meet him just once? I promise, you’ll like him.”
I was speechless. Did Serena really understand what she was getting into? Still, I couldn’t say no to her request. What harm could one meeting do? I agreed to meet this Edison guy.
The next night at Edison’s place, I needed some air and stepped out onto the balcony. That’s when I overheard a conversation. “Annie, come on now,” I heard Edison’s smooth voice. “I’m your brother. You know me. It’s just harmless fun, a chance to win a little extra.”
“This is reckless, Edison,” a woman, likely Annie, responded sharply. “You’re playing with that girl’s feelings for some ‘harmless fun.’”
A cold feeling gripped me. “What are you talking about?” Edison snapped.
“The bet, Edison,” Annie hissed. “You think marrying a naive girl will make easy money to pay off your debts?”
My heart sank. Edison was using my daughter for a bet. I was furious.
I rushed back inside and found Serena. “Serena, we’ve been fooled! It’s all a game to him!” I blurted out.
“Dad, what are you talking about?” Serena looked confused, then shocked as I explained the bet.
“He’s lying to you, Serena! He’s just using you,” I said, my voice shaking.
But Serena got defensive. “You’re making this up! You never liked Edison! He cares for me… unlike you, Dad. After Mom passed, you chose your job over me. I felt so alone. I didn’t need nannies or boarding schools, Dad. I needed you.”
Her words cut deep, but I knew we had to focus on Edison’s lies.
Then Edison walked into the dining room. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I punched him in the face, shouting, “Stay away from my daughter, you creep!”
But Serena was furious. “Stop it, Dad! It’s my life, not yours!” she yelled, pushing me back. I knew, no matter what I said, she wouldn’t take my side. She was blinded by Edison’s fake love.
I left, heartbroken but determined. I had to protect my daughter. So, I reached out to a friend who’s a private investigator. A few days later, he handed me a report on Edison’s dark past—filled with failures and a serious gambling addiction.
This was my chance to show Serena the truth and save her.
The report mentioned Duke R., Edison’s former business partner, who’d been ruined by Edison’s bad choices. Duke often hung out at a small diner called Le Beans Café, just outside of town. I found Duke’s phone number in the report and gave him a call.
At Le Beans Café, under the dim lights, I met Duke. Life had been hard on him, but he was eager to share everything about Edison’s gambling problems. He wanted to help me protect Serena from Edison’s lies.
After talking to Duke, I decided to go to Edison’s favorite casino, pretending to be “Parker,” a wealthy Texan. I dressed the part and had my story straight. When I sat down at Edison’s table, I smiled.
“Welcome, Parker. Big game tonight. Feeling lucky?” Edison asked.
I played carefully, and eventually won with a royal flush, beating Edison’s hand. He tried to stay calm, but I could see he was shaken.
“Looks like beginner’s luck,” he growled.
“Or maybe some of us just know how to play,” I said, my smile widening as the realization dawned on Edison. “Surprised to see me?”
Edison went pale, finally understanding who I was. “Billy? What’s this about?”
“It’s about Serena. Leave her alone, and we’re square,” I said firmly, making it clear he had no options. “Or,” I added with a cold edge, “you can settle the debt right now. In cash. And let’s just say, I have some… unconventional ways of collecting.”
“Fine, I’ll stay away from her,” he muttered, clearly defeated.
I left the casino feeling like I had won, but something didn’t sit right. Edison gave in too easily, and deep down, I knew this wasn’t the last of it with Serena.
Fury surged through me as I listened to Serena’s voicemail yet again. Why wasn’t she answering my calls? In desperation, I called her friend Sarah, who cheerfully dropped a bombshell: “Oh, didn’t you hear? Serena’s engagement party with Edison is tonight. You should come, Mr. Thompson. It’s at The Grand Springs, starts at eight.”
“Engagement party? With Edison?” I was stunned.
“Yes! Didn’t Serena tell you?” Sarah replied, unaware of my shock.
I headed straight to The Grand Springs, my mind racing. When I arrived, the sight of Serena glowing with happiness beside Edison, who charmed the guests with ease, made my heart sink. My anger hit a boiling point as I approached Edison.
“We need to talk. Now,” I demanded, pulling him aside.
“Now? During the party?” Edison smirked, trying to brush me off. But I wasn’t in the mood for games. Grabbing his arm, I dragged him into a quiet bathroom, ready to confront him once and for all.
“You think you can just waltz in and take my daughter’s life?” I spat, pressing Edison against the wall, fury coursing through me.
“She loves me. And your dirty little secrets? They could destroy you,” Edison shot back with a sly grin, clearly aware of something about my past that could hurt me.
“But you’re not going to get her. Not on my watch!” I snapped, though the mention of my past mistakes left me rattled inside.
Edison, unfazed, straightened himself. “Two minutes, Thompson. Then I call security,” he warned, his voice dripping with arrogance. “You really think you can stop this, Daddykins? She loves me. She wants me. And if you even try something—if she sees a scratch on me—she’ll turn her back on you forever. Is that what you want, Thompson? To be completely abandoned by your sweet daughter?”
I stood there, torn. As much as I hated Edison, I knew he was right. Serena was already drifting away, and if I pushed her further, I might lose her forever.
Defeated and heartbroken, I ended up sitting outside, the bright city lights mocking my failure to save Serena from Edison’s lies. I buried my face in my hands, feeling utterly helpless.
As I sat there, lost in my own despair, a soft cough interrupted my thoughts. Looking up, I saw a woman standing nearby. She had tall, graceful posture, and her gray hair shimmered gently under the faint streetlight. Her expression was kind, but serious.
“You’re Mr. Thompson, right?” she asked quietly.
I blinked, recognizing her. “Annie? Edison’s sister?” I said, surprised.
She gave a small, knowing smile. “Yes. We’ve met before, back at Edison’s when you tried to protect your daughter,” she reminded me.
Without hesitating, I poured out the whole mess—how Edison was tricking Serena, manipulating her, and now had her on the brink of marrying him. “You know what he’s doing, don’t you?” I asked, my voice filled with desperation.
Annie nodded solemnly. “Yes. I’m aware.”
Annie clenched her fists, her anger toward Edison clear. “That conniving weasel,” she finally spat. “He’s wasted everything—our inheritance, my savings from years of performing… all gone to feed his gambling addiction.”
“We could stop him,” I said, sensing she might be open to helping me.
Annie raised an eyebrow, curious. “What do you have in mind?”
I laid out my plan, hoping to convince her. I even offered her some money to get things moving. “Consider this a start,” I said, handing her the cash.
She looked at the money for a moment and then nodded. “I’m listening,” she said, her interest piqued.
We decided to move forward with the plan at the wedding. Annie blended in, pretending to be just another guest. The ceremony went smoothly until the crucial moment arrived—Edison was about to slip the ring onto Serena’s finger.
Suddenly, a young woman stood up from the crowd and shouted, “He’s a liar!”
As more people stood up, one by one, sharing their stories about Edison’s deceit, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Edison tried to keep his cool, but panic flashed across his face. “No, they’re lying! I don’t even know them,” he stammered, but the cracks in his facade were showing. Everyone was beginning to see who he truly was.
Our plan was working. What was supposed to be a wedding turned into a public unmasking of Edison’s evil deeds. His lies were exposed, leaving no place for him to hide.
In a moment of heavy tension, an older woman approached Serena. “Don’t fall for his tricks, dear. He’s nothing but trouble. Get away from him while you can! I’ve been a victim, too,” she said with conviction, her voice filled with the pain of past betrayal.
Watching through a video call, I saw the realization dawn on Serena’s face. Her world crumbled before her eyes. In a moment of heartbreak and clarity, she yanked off her wedding ring and threw it to the ground. Her dream of happiness shattered, but she had finally seen the truth.
The plan I had put together with Annie and her group of actors had worked perfectly. Exposing Edison’s true nature in front of everyone was the only way to save Serena from making a terrible mistake. She ran out of the church, heartbroken and overwhelmed, but it was the wake-up call she needed.
Things took an even more serious turn when the police arrived to arrest Edison. It was clear his time was up, and he would finally face the consequences for his lies and scams. Though getting Annie’s help had cost me a lot, the sight of my daughter free from Edison’s grip made every sacrifice worth it.
Later, when I met Serena at her place, it was an emotional moment. Tears filled her eyes as she apologized. “Dad, I’m so sorry. I should’ve listened to you,” she said, her voice breaking.
I hugged her tightly and handed her a plane ticket to Boston. “It’s time to start over, to chase your dream,” I said gently, reminding her of her passion for fashion design. It was the fresh start she needed, and I was grateful she was ready to move forward.
Serena looked at me with gratitude and hope in her eyes. “Thanks, Dad. I love you,” she said softly, and in that moment, I knew we were going to be okay.
This whole ordeal had reminded me how crucial it is to be present for our children, no matter what. I realized that if I had been more involved in Serena’s life, she might never have fallen for someone like Edison. The experience taught me a huge lesson about family, love, and responsibility.
From that day forward, I promised myself to make Serena my priority. We only get one chance to protect and guide our children, and I wasn’t going to let anything come between us again.
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