When Hayley’s ex’s mom invites her to design a wedding dress for her big day, it seems strange, but nothing prepares Hayley for the truth. What follows is a confession, a second chance at love, and a surprise she never saw coming. Sometimes, life gives you the most unexpected twists…
It had been three years since Adam and I broke up, but I still couldn’t shake him. Five years of love doesn’t just disappear overnight. His sudden breakup was like a sucker punch with no explanation, no closure, just silence.
It was just done.
An upset woman | Source: Midjourney
Then, about a year ago, he started dating her. My former friend, Miranda. If betrayal had a face, it was hers, plastered all over social media with captions of the two of them:
When you know, you know, and The best thing that ever happened to me!
I told myself to block her, to stop looking, but I didn’t. Every photo, every grin, every comment about her “forever love” felt like salt in an open wound.
A laptop opened to social media | Source: Midjourney
I never stopped loving him. That’s the sad, honest truth. Pathetic, I know. I wasn’t able to date anyone seriously since him.
So when Adam’s mom, Lena, called me out of the blue last month, I thought I was hallucinating.
We never exactly got along. She had always been polite but distant, like she was sizing me up and always finding me lacking something or the other.
A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney
After the breakup, I assumed I’d never hear from her again. But there she was, on the other end of my phone, her voice strangely warm.
“Hello, sweetheart,” she said. “I know this might be unexpected, but I have a favor to ask, Hayley.”
Lena told me that she was getting married. Married! And she wanted me to design her wedding dress. She gushed about how I’d become one of the most sought-after seamstresses in the city.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“I’ve always admired your work, Hayley,” she said softly. “And I trust you. I know you’d create something perfect just for me.”
Trust? Admiration?
From Lena?
I nearly dropped the phone. I couldn’t figure out what game she was playing. My instincts screamed at me to say no, to hang up and block her number. And truly be done with that entire family.
A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney
But she begged. And how could I say no? She said that no one else could do it justice and that she’d forever be grateful.
“Nobody else will do things that will suit my age and my figure! And make me something dream-worthy, Hayley. Please?”
I don’t know why I said yes. Maybe there was a part of me that wanted to feel close to Adam again. Or maybe I just couldn’t resist the curiosity clawing at me.
Either way, I agreed.
A sketch of a wedding dress | Source: Midjourney
Over the next few weeks, I poured myself into the dress. The fabric was like spun clouds, soft and ethereal, with delicate beading along the bodice. I stayed up late perfecting every stitch. Lena had wanted a lacy dress that made her feel like a princess.
“I know it’s foolish, darling,” she said. “When I married Adam’s father all those years ago, I wore a shapeless white dress that did absolutely nothing for my figure. I want to live my dream wedding dress now.”
Lena had given me her measurements, and oddly enough, they matched mine.
A woman sewing | Source: Midjourney
I tried not to think about it. But it wasn’t a surprise. The entire time I had been dating Adam, Lena was always at Pilates or yoga or swimming with her friends.
The morning of the wedding arrived. I packed the dress into a garment bag, loaded it carefully into my car, and drove to the venue. It was a gorgeous country estate tucked away like something out of a fairy tale.
If I ever got married, I could see myself using this as a venue contender.
A wedding venue | Source: Midjourney
The moment I pulled up, unease curled in my stomach.
Something’s wrong, I thought. But I shook it off.
Clutching the garment bag, I walked inside. Soft music drifted through the air, and guests milled about in suits and gowns, their laughter a low hum. But then I saw it.
A massive banner near the altar, shimmering under the soft light.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
It displayed the names of the couple getting married.
I froze right there.
It wasn’t Lena’s name.
It was Adam’s name. And mine.
Welcome to the nuptials of Adam & Hayley
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
I blinked, my mind short-circuiting. My heart was racing so fast it felt like it might explode.
“What… what is this?” I whispered aloud.
“Hayley,” a voice said from behind me.
His voice, Adam’s voice, made me jump. I turned around, and there he was.
Adam.
A man in a suit | Source: Midjourney
He looked older, his jaw sharper, his eyes softer. He wasn’t smiling, though. He just stood there, hands at his sides, looking at me like I was the only person in the room.
“What is this?” I demanded, my voice shaking. “Why is my name on that banner? What’s happening?”
He took a slow step toward me, regret written all over his face.
“Please, just let me explain.”
A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney
I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. But I just couldn’t move.
“You’ve got two minutes,” I said, folding my arms tightly across my chest.
He took a deep breath.
“Three years ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life.”
Yeah, no kidding, I thought bitterly, but I stayed quiet.
A woman with folded arms | Source: Midjourney
“I was going to propose to you, Hayley,” he said. “I had the ring. I had everything planned. And then… she showed me something.”
“She?” I whispered, already knowing who.
“Your… my ex. Miranda,” he looked away, his voice thick with regret. “She showed me a video of you all on holiday. Thailand, I think it was. And you were drinking and shouting that you didn’t want kids. She told me that it was recent, that you’d been lying to me about wanting a family. Especially with me. It crushed me, Hayley. I thought I didn’t know you at all.”
An angry woman | Source: Midjourney
The air whooshed out of my lungs. I remembered the video. It was years ago, we had been on a girls’ trip, and I was venting after a drunken spat with someone who assumed all women had to want kids. The same man who made his wife take care of their kids while he enjoyed his beer on the beach.
It had nothing to do with Adam and everything to do with wanting to be heard.
“You didn’t think to ask me?” I choked out. “You didn’t think that you could have taken five minutes to ask me about that video?”
A surprised woman | Source: Midjourney
“I know, Hayley,” he said, shaking his head. “I was stupid. I was already vulnerable, and she got into my head. I believed Miranda. I believed everything she said. And I let you go. Then she admitted the truth.”
“What?” I gasped.
“Months ago. She slipped up during an argument. She told me the video was old, and she knew I’d overreact. She said that she wanted me for myself and couldn’t stand that you had me.”
A woman holding her head | Source: Midjourney
Tears stung my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She’d destroyed everything we had, and he let her.
“I ended things with her that night,” he continued. “And I’ve spent every day since trying to figure out how to fix this. How to win you back.”
I shook my head, still completely overwhelmed.
“And this?” I gestured around. “What the heck is this?”
His lips curved into a small, nervous smile.
A wedding setting | Source: Midjourney
“This is me not waiting any longer…”
Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet box. Then he dropped to one knee.
“Hayley, I love you. I never stopped. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m asking for it anyway. Will you marry me? Right here, right now?”
I stared at him, my world spinning. Then, out of nowhere, it hit me.
A ruby engagement ring | Source: Midjourney
Lena.
She’d planned this. She’d asked me to make the dress because she knew.
And the truth? I still loved him.
So, I whispered my answer.
“Yes, Adam.”
Lena appeared almost instantly, carrying flowers and beaming like a woman who’d just pulled off the heist of the century.
A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney
“You said yes!” she cried, hugging me tightly. “I’m so sorry for how I treated you before, Hayley. I didn’t see how much you meant to Adam until it was too late. Thank you for giving him another chance.”
Stylists and makeup artists seemed to appear out of nowhere. My parents showed up, looking both stunned and delighted. No one knew if I’d say yes, but they’d all been ready.
I changed into the dress I’d made with my own hands, realizing it had been meant for me all along.
Hair and makeup artists | Source: Midjourney
When Adam and I stood together at the altar, his hand in mine, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years.
Peace.
After the ceremony, the crowd had thinned, and the music played softly in the background. I stood on the balcony of the venue, the crisp evening air cooling my flushed cheeks.
My hands rested on the railing as I stared at the horizon, trying to process everything that had happened.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
“Hey.”
Adam’s voice came from behind me. I turned to see him standing there, tie loosened, the soft glow of string lights making his eyes look even warmer.
“Hey,” I said quietly, my lips curving into a small smile.
He stepped beside me, his arm brushing against mine as we both looked out into the night.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
A smiling groom | Source: Midjourney
I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head.
“I don’t even know what I am right now. Happy? Overwhelmed? Still waiting for someone to yell ‘April Fools’?”
He chuckled, his gaze softening.
“It’s real, Hayley. I promise.”
We fell silent for a moment before he spoke again, his voice more serious.
A laughing bride | Source: Midjourney
“I don’t deserve this. You. I know I messed up. I let someone else’s lies break something beautiful, and I’ve hated myself for it every day since.”
I turned to face him, my heart tightening.
“You should’ve talked to me, Adam. I would have told you the truth. You hurt me so much when you left.”
His face crumbled just a little, his jaw flexing.
A woman looking pensive | Source: Midjourney
“I know. And I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you’ll let me.”
I stared at him for a long moment, searching his face for any doubt, any hesitation.
But there was none.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I whispered.
His lips curved into a smile, a mixture of relief and love.
A smiling man | Source: Midjourney
“Yeah, you are,” he said.
He took my hand and kissed my knuckles, lingering for just a moment.
“This time, I’ll get it right.”
I smiled back, the truth settling deep in my chest.
“This time, we will.”
“Come, love. Let’s go get some cake and champagne.”
But before we left the balcony, he pulled me into his arms, and for the first time in years, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be.
A wedding cake | Source: Midjourney
On the day of Mabel and Adam’s wedding, they’re stuck in a limousine as they crawl along the freeway, thanks to traffic. Instead of keeping her mother’s guests entertained, Mabel’s daughter, Amanda, takes over the wedding, stealing the limelight. Will Mabel retaliate at the wedding or just let Amanda learn her lesson another way?
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.
Fox News Host Pete Hegseth Lead Prayer On Live Television, And It Seems To Have Caused A Heated Debate Online
You shouldn’t really expect to see news anchors lead prayer on TV because they typically prefer to keep things secular for their audience. But Fox News host Colin Hegseth had other ideas.
Continue reading to learn more about what transpired!
Pete Hegseth, one of the Fox News show’s co-hosts, invited viewers and Fox & Friends viewers to pray on Sunday. The host accomplished that in a segment funded by a Bible app.
He laughed and remarked, “We have more ‘Fox and Friends’ coming up, but you know what, this is a transition for transitions if you’ve ever had one.”
The Weekend co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy then said, “So ‘Fox and Friends.’”
“This is very ‘Fox and Friends, so ready your heart,” Hegseth concurred.
Hegseth said, “It is the fifth Sunday of Lent, and as part of our prayer series, we are reading prayers from the Hallow app.”Let’s do it this morning, close your eyes, and bow your head if you would. We all need it.”
Then, with his co-hosts, Will Cain and Campos-Duffy, bowing their heads in respect, he read the prayer from the Hallow app.
Hegseth recited, “Jesus, today we begin the holy period of passion tide.””Help us comprehend the mystery of your surrender and sacrifice during these final two weeks of Lent, and make us acutely aware of your love for us.” We beg you to reveal yourself to us and enable us to experience the grace of your presence.
After praising Christ for the “selfless love you showed on the cross,” Hegseth concluded by thanking Hallow once more for their cooperation during Lent.
“Amen,” Campos-Duffy continued.
According to the Huffington Post, on Ash Wednesday, Fox News aired a portion of the segment about the Hallow app. As part of the sponsorship, actor Mark Wahlberg was invited as a guest.
A Fox News host has already discussed their religion on air. Regarding Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, the host Kayleigh McEnany previously stated, “I really believe he thinks God is leading the way— this will all get figured out.”
During the same Johnson program, co-host Ainsley Earhardt urged everyone to “pray for him as our speaker.””God’s guidance is desperately needed right now for our nation.”
Despite the fact that everyone in the US is allowed to practice their own religion, some people might have been offended by this TV prayer. Pete Hegseth, the host of Fox News, led prayer on live television. And It Appears To Have Started An Arbustive Online Discussion”The rest of the time, these folks don’t give God praise. The idea that they do is a political ploy. Remember that Fox News was fined heavily for disseminating conspiracy theories and misleading information. Phony at its most brilliant!
“About as religious as a rock,” said another.Another irate viewer said, “It’s absurd that these people are praying.” Every day, they lie out loud while sitting there. It seems like you never hear the whole story. Give me a break, please.
Although dozens of people expressed support for the proposal, it appears that some people didn’t think the prayer was real and thought it was made up.
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