As Diane runs around doing last-minute errands for her daughter Marissa’s wedding, she comes across her soon-to-be son-in-law—with another woman! Begrudgingly, she tells Marissa and then comes up with a plan to teach Stefan a lesson…
As I bustled through the busy streets, juggling errands for my daughter Marissa’s wedding, I couldn’t help but feel a nagging sense of unease.
An older woman holding shopping bags | Source: Midjourney
Call it mother’s intuition or something like that, but there was just something about Stefan, my daughter’s fiancé, that had never quite sat right with me.
He always seemed a bit too smooth, a bit too charming, like someone who was used to getting what he wanted without much effort.
Marissa, on the other hand, had worked through issues with her self-esteem and self-confidence, spending hours at the gym and the hair salon. She worked hard on herself, to get what she felt she deserved.
A young woman at the gym | Source: Midjourney
“I’m telling you, Brian,” I told my husband one day. “Our daughter is too good for this man.”
“I agree, she’s our little girl. But at the same time, there’s nothing we can do.”
He was right, of course. Marissa adored Stefan, and I had tried to keep my reservations to myself, not wanting to spoil her happiness.
A couple sitting and staring at each other | Source: Midjourney
But then, I saw Stefan’s true colors in the most unexpected way.
It was the day before the wedding, and I was exhausted from a whirlwind of preparations. I had insisted that my daughter spend the day at a spa, getting a full-on pamper session, while I got my nails done, picked up both our dresses, and finalized the decorations.
A woman at a spa | Source: Midjourney
“It’s all set, Diane,” Tracy, the wedding planner, told me at her office. “I just need you to choose between the two backup flower options. But don’t worry, we’re back on track. Go ahead and rest. The mother of the bride needs to be just as refreshed as the bride.”
“I’m definitely going to do that,” I reassured her. “I’m just going to grab a coffee and then head straight home for a bubble bath and a head massage from my husband.”
A smiling woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney
“Get some carbs, too,” Tracy laughed as I walked out.
So, I did just that. I decided to take a break and grab a coffee at a cute little café across the road from Tracy’s office. As I entered, I was greeted by the comforting aroma of fresh pastries and coffee.
Coffee and croissants on a table | Source: Midjourney
“Just what I needed,” I muttered to myself.
But then, my heart nearly stopped.
There, in a corner of the café was Stefan. And he wasn’t alone. A young woman was there with him, laughing and touching his arm, their heads close together.
A couple sitting in a café together | Source: Midjourney
Then, right in front of the bustling café, they kissed. It was a tender, intimate kiss, the kind that spoke of familiarity and affection.
To the rest of the world, they looked like a cute little couple. But to me? This was the ultimate betrayal to my daughter.
I stood there, stunned, unable to process what I was seeing. My hands shook as I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo.
A woman holding her phone | Source: Midjourney
Thankfully, the photo was safely in my gallery when Stefan looked up. Our eyes met for a brief, horrifying moment. He quickly pulled away from the woman, but it was too late.
The damage was done. My eyes had seen the truth.
A close-up of a man’s eyes | Source: Midjourney
“Diane?” Stefan called.
I just shook my head and hurried out of the café, my mind and heart racing.
How could he do this to Marissa? The woman who loved him to her core and who would move heaven and earth for him! And on the eve of their wedding, no less?
An upset woman touching her face | Source: Midjourney
I knew I had to tell her, but how could I break her heart like this?
As I drove home, my anger simmered. Stefan needed to learn a lesson.
I dialed Brian’s number.
A woman driving | Source: Midjourney
“Hi, honey,” Brian answered. “I’ll be home soon, I promise. I just need to pick up some Thai food for Marissa. She said she wanted to have our favorite family meal tonight.”
“We need to talk,” I said, cutting him off.
I quickly told Brian everything as I drove closer to our house.
A man looking at his phone | Source: Midjourney
When I got home, I found Marissa in her room, surrounded by her wedding jewelry. Her face lit up when she saw me, but the look on my face must have given away that something was wrong.
“Mom, what happened?” she asked, concern taking over her beautiful features. “Is everything okay?”
I sat down next to her, taking a deep breath.
A young woman sitting on a bed | Source: Midjourney
“Marissa, I need to show you something,” I said, pulling out my phone. I showed her the photo of Stefan with the other woman.
Marissa stared at the screen, her face paling.
“No, this can’t be real,” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.
An upset young woman | Source: Midjourney
I put my arm around her, holding her as she sobbed.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” I said. “I wish it wasn’t true.”
Through her tears, Marissa looked at me, anger and betrayal flashing in her eyes.
A mother comforting her daughter | Source: Midjourney
“Mom, I can’t marry him. I just can’t. I won’t. I have to call off the wedding.”
I nodded. I couldn’t blame her at all. She was devastated. The man she adored had been cheating on her.
But then an idea struck me. There was a way to make Stefan face the consequences of his actions in a way he wouldn’t forget.
A determined older woman | Source: Midjourney
“Darling, what if we turn the tables on him? Make sure he knows exactly what he’s losing?” I asked.
She looked at me, confusion mingling with her tears.
“What do you mean, Mom?” she asked.
An upset woman | Source: Midjourney
I explained my plan, and slowly, a determined look replaced the hurt on her face. She agreed, and we set it in motion.
We spent the rest of the evening in near silence, eating the Thai food that Brian had brought home.
A close-up of a plate of food | Source: Midjourney
The next morning, Marissa and her best friend Leah headed to the resort where she and Stefan were supposed to spend their honeymoon.
The reservation was in Marissa’s name because Brian and I had gifted the couple their honeymoon, so there was no issue with her using it.
A beautiful resort | Source: Midjourney
As for Brian and me, we went to the wedding venue, where guests were already gathering, helping themselves to drinks and canapés. They were blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding behind the scenes.
Stefan spotted me as soon as I arrived. He rushed over, looking anxious.
“Where’s Marissa?” he asked me, trying to keep his voice calm.
Guests mingling at a wedding | Source: Midjourney
I smiled, keeping my tone light. It was almost as if I hadn’t caught him cheating on my daughter just the day before.
“Oh, she’ll be done soon; she had a mishap with her hair stylist.”
He frowned but nodded, trying to mask his discomfort.
A close-up of a groom | Source: Midjourney
As the minutes ticked by and the wedding band began to play, the tension grew. Finally, with all the guests present, I took the stage.
Holding the microphone, I called for everyone’s attention.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here today. We have a slight change in plans,” I began.
An older woman standing with a microphone | Source: Midjourney
There were a few gasps in the crowd, but I continued.
“My daughter isn’t here right now. She’s on her way to the resort where she and Stefan were supposed to spend their honeymoon.”
A murmur of confusion spread through the crowd. Stefan shifted uncomfortably.
Shocked guests at a wedding | Source: Midjourney
“But Marissa did want me to show you something very important.”
With that, I clicked a remote, and the photo of Stefan kissing the other woman appeared on the screen behind me. That, in itself, tugged at my heart because Marissa had wanted photos of her and Stefan to be playing in the background during the ceremony.
Now, the screen was used to show his infidelity.
A couple kissing | Source: Midjourney
Gasps filled the room. Stefan’s parents stood up, their faces a mixture of shock and fury. The murmurs turned into an uproar as people processed what they were seeing.
“Marissa isn’t late,” I said to Stefan simply. “She deserves so much better than this, and now, everyone knows the truth.”
Stefan’s parents approached me, anger across their faces.
An upset older couple | Source: Midjourney
“How could you do this?” his mother hissed. “We paid for this wedding!”
I met her gaze, unflinching.
“Your son did this. Not me. He betrayed Marissa, and she has every right to walk away.”
An embarrassed older couple | Source: Midjourney
Everything was chaotic after that. Guests were whispering, and some were even leaving. Stefan looked defeated, slumped in a chair, while his parents tried to salvage what they could of the situation.
I called Marissa to check in as Brian spoke to some of our family and friends.
“Mom, I made the right decision,” she said boldly. “I’ve been thinking, and I know it now.”
A smiling young woman | Source: Midjourney
“You did, sweetheart,” I replied. “And now, you can move on without looking back.”
After that, Brian and I helped ourselves to the wedding buffet before heading home.
A wedding buffet | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you.
My Best Friend Gave Me the Wrong Dress Code for Her Wedding — I Decided to Outplay Her Smartly
When Emily’s friend, Elle, gets engaged to her boyfriend, Brian, the supportive bestie is over the moon. Emily does everything she can to help Elle plan her dream wedding. But then Elle starts acting secretive and gives Emily a wedding invite with the incorrect dress code. Thankfully, a mutual colleague gives Emily the correct details, allowing her to show up to the wedding to teach Elle a lesson.
“I’m engaged, Em!” Elle said, rushing through my door while I was sitting on the couch and reading a book.
A woman reading on a couch | Source: Unsplash
“What?” I exclaimed, standing up to hug her tightly. “I’m so happy for you, my girl!”
Elle sat on the couch and showed me her hand.
“Look at this rock!” she said.
A close-up of an engagement ring | Source: Unsplash
Of course, I was over the moon for her. We’d been through so much together, and now it was her turn to walk down the aisle.
For my wedding, a few years ago, Elle had been right by my side. She helped me plan every little detail, from the font on my wedding invitations to the menu selections.
“It’s more like you and Elle are getting married,” my husband, Grant, laughed one evening when I told him everything that Elle and I had planned.
A laughing man | Source: Unsplash
“Well, she’s been around longer than you,” I replied, showing him the mock-up for our wedding invitations.
And it was true, Elle and I had been friends since our childhood, having lived on the same street and gone to the same kindergarten together.
We shared every major milestone, from awkward teenage years to college graduation, together. We even ended up working at the same company, making sure to have lunch and tea breaks together every day.
So, naturally, I expected her to be just as involved in her wedding planning as she was in mine.
“Brian and I don’t want to be engaged for too long,” she said one day at the office while we were having tea and pastries.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
“You Won’t Believe How This Actor Scared Women Off-Screen!
Vincent D’Onofrio is best known for his memorable role as the clumsy Marine recruit in Stanley Kubrick’s movie Full Metal Jacket. However, his popularity decreased after that.
The ruggedly handsome actor, who turned 64 on June 30, 2023, had to change his appearance drastically for the role. This change made women, who once loved his curly dark hair and athletic build, less interested in him.
D’Onofrio has a long and varied career. He always gives his best to every role, transforming completely into his characters, making people forget who he really is.
Born in Brooklyn, D’Onofrio started in stage productions, both off-Broadway and on. He had many side jobs to support his acting dreams, including working as a bodyguard for Yul Brynner and Robert Plant.
In his early days, he worked as a nightclub bouncer, delivered flowers, hung drapes, and drove a cab to make ends meet.
After acting in a few low-budget films, his friend Matthew Modine suggested he send an audition tape to Stanley Kubrick, who was casting for his next big movie.
The 6-foot-3 D’Onofrio, who was very fit at the time, won the role of Leonard, a fat, dim-witted character, but had to meet some tough conditions.
Working with Kubrick was a life-changing experience for D’Onofrio, allowing him to fully dive into his character and push his acting limits in a challenging environment.
At 24, D’Onofrio had to shave his head and gain 70 to 80 pounds for the role, the most weight any actor has gained for a role.
Kubrick initially asked if he was okay with gaining weight, and after D’Onofrio gained 30 pounds, Kubrick felt he still looked too strong. So, D’Onofrio ended up gaining about 80 pounds, going from 200 to 280 pounds.
Gaining weight for the role was tough for D’Onofrio, especially when he had to perform the intense boot-camp scenes in the movie. Normally, obstacle courses would have been easy for him with his athletic build, but they were very challenging at 280 pounds.
D’Onofrio’s incredible performance as the chubby, dim-witted, and mentally disturbed Leonard earned him a lot of praise from critics. However, some fans started confusing him with his character.
“People treat you differently when you’re that size,” D’Onofrio said. “My head was shaved, so I looked completely different from my usual long, lanky self. I turned into this big, burly guy with a bald head. It was a very strange life change.”
He added, “It changed my life. Women didn’t look at me anymore; I mostly saw their backs as they ran away. People even talked to me slowly, thinking I was stupid.”
A year after filming Full Metal Jacket, Vincent D’Onofrio had a full head of hair again and his body returned to its original size.
Today, the New York-born director, producer, screenwriter, and actor, who wrote the 2023 book “Pigs Can’t Look Up,” credits his long career to Stanley Kubrick.
“Stanley made my career, there’s no question about that. I’ve done over 50 films because of him and that part,” D’Onofrio said. He has had many roles in both film and TV, including Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001-2011) and Marvel’s Daredevil (2015-2018). His movies include Dying Young, The Break-Up, and Jurassic World.
D’Onofrio’s life was greatly impacted by his parents’ divorce when he was a child. His mother remarried George Meyer, a well-known American producer and writer, and the family moved to Hialeah, Florida. As a child, D’Onofrio was quiet and often spent time alone in his room, deep in thought.
While living in Florida, he became interested in magic and learned sleight of hand from Cuban performers who ran a small magic store.
In the early 1990s, Vincent D’Onofrio was romantically involved with actress Greta Scacchi. They appeared together in several films, including The Player and Fires Within. They have a daughter named Leila George, born around 1991 or 1992, who has also become an actress.
In 1997, Vincent D’Onofrio married Carin van der Donk, a Dutch model. They had their first son in 1999. However, their relationship had problems in the early 2000s, leading to a separation. They later got back together and had a second son in 2008.
In June 2023, D’Onofrio filed for divorce in Manhattan Supreme Court, ending his 26-year marriage with Carin van der Donk.
D’Onofrio appeared with Sandra Bullock in the 2021 film The Unforgivable and will be in the upcoming comedy Dumb Money.
Vincent D’Onofrio was fantastic in Full Metal Jacket and his mental decline as Leonard is incredibly believable!
He looks totally different now, as to be expected many decades later, but we still enjoy his performances!
What do you think about his portrayal of the dumb, fat Leonard?
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