My dad’s announcement that he was marrying Dana was met with my best effort to be supportive. Dana had never been warm toward me, but I tried for my father’s sake. When she unexpectedly invited me to stay at their house the night before the small, family-only wedding, I was suspicious but agreed. I arrived Friday evening, and after a nice chat with my dad, I went to bed in the guest room. The next morning, I woke to an eerily silent house. My phone was missing, and every door was deadbolted shut from the outside.
Panic set in as I realized what was happening. On the kitchen counter, a bright yellow sticky note in Dana’s handwriting confirmed my fears: “Don’t take it personally. It’s just not your day.” She had locked me in to keep me from the wedding. For a moment, I felt utterly defeated. Then, I remembered the Apple Watch on my wrist. With shaking hands, I texted my best friend, Tasha, who lived nearby. She raced over and convinced the building concierge to let her in.
We sped to the wedding venue just as the ceremony was beginning. I walked straight down the aisle in my powder blue dress, interrupting everything. All I said was, “Dad, you forgot something,” and handed him the note. The look on his face as he read it was devastating. Dana tried to claim she was avoiding drama, but her lies began to unravel as other guests spoke up, revealing she had told them I refused to come.
My dad led me outside, where I told him the whole story. He walked back in, called off the wedding in front of everyone, and left. He moved out weeks later and filed for an annulment. He told me that I had shown him her true colors. I wasn’t the difficult one after all; I was just a daughter who wanted to be there for her dad. Sometimes, showing up and telling the truth is the most powerful thing you can do.
