For eight glorious months, I reveled in wedding planning with my son and his fiancée. Then, one casual conversation shattered the fantasy. “Mom, you’ll laugh,” Jake began, before revealing Alice had catfished him on Tinder—and he’d failed her test spectacularly.
The details haunted me: Alice crafting a fake identity, Jake eagerly flirting with this “other woman,” and their subsequent explosive fight. They called it a “joke gone wrong.” I saw it as foundational cracks in their relationship. How could I write checks for floral arrangements when the marriage itself was wilting before it began?
Since withdrawing support, I’ve been labeled the villain—the meddling mother who “took things too seriously.” But real love doesn’t play games. If my son and his bride-to-be want to build a life together, they’ll need to rebuild trust first. My wallet may be closed, but my door remains open… once they stop testing each other and start respecting their relationship.
