I’d spent five years trying to win my future mother-in-law’s approval, hoping our wedding would finally bring us closer. Instead, she did something so cruel that I nearly couldn’t face our guests. But as I struggled to save my wedding, I discovered her betrayal had started long before that morning.
“Hold still, sweetheart. Your veil isn’t sitting right.”
Mariam gathered my hair behind my shoulders.
“Does it look okay?” I asked.
“Just one little adjustment, Layla. Hold on.”
“Does it look okay?”
I heard a sharp snip.
Before I could turn, another followed.
Something heavy slipped down my back.
“Mariam?”
I turned toward the mirror.
I heard a sharp snip.
A thick section of my hair lay on the floor. The rest hung unevenly around my shoulders.
“What have you done?!”
Mariam lowered the scissors.
“Oh, sweetheart, I wouldn’t show my face at the altar looking like that.”
A thick section of my hair lay on the floor.
I stared at her.
“Guess you’ll have to cancel this wedding,” she added. “Not that it should’ve happened in the first place.”
She gave a little laugh and walked out.
***
Earlier that morning, I’d been sitting with my younger sister, Natalie, wondering why I couldn’t stop shaking.
“You’re going to spill that coffee on your dress,” she warned.
I stared at her.
“I’m not even wearing my dress yet.”
“Then you’ll find another way to ruin it.”
I laughed and handed her the cup.
At 29, I was finally marrying Edison, the man I’d loved for five years.
I laughed.
We’d met at a friend’s birthday dinner, where he spent half the evening making me laugh.
Edison was thoughtful, patient, and terrible at remembering birthdays. He’d once planned my surprise party for the wrong Saturday.
I loved him anyway.
His mother was another story.
We’d met at a friend’s birthday dinner.
***
Mariam had disliked me from the moment Edison introduced us.
At our first family dinner, she’d looked at my outfit.
“Did you come straight from work?”
“No.”
Mariam had disliked me.
“Oh. I thought perhaps you hadn’t had time to change.”
Edison squeezed my knee beneath the table.
“Mom, Layla looks lovely.”
But her comments only grew worse.
Once, she told me Edison must’ve been desperate to settle for someone like me.
Edison squeezed my knee.
Another time, she announced that she’d raised him to have standards.
“Mom, that’s enough,” Edison said.
“What? I’m only saying I expected more for you.”
“Mariam, I’m standing right here.”
“Mom, that’s enough.”
She smiled.
“Then you heard me just fine, Layla.”
I’d usually kept quiet to avoid arguments, and Edison always promised she’d come around.
I wanted to believe him. After all, we were getting married soon.
Edison always promised she’d come around.
Then, during our wedding planning, Mariam surprised me.
She asked to give a short family blessing before our vows.
“I want everyone to know how happy I am to welcome Layla,” she’d told Edison.
I’d agreed immediately.
Natalie hadn’t been convinced.
I’d agreed immediately.
“After everything she’s said to you?”
“Maybe she’s trying. Maybe she’s finally understanding that this is the only way her son will be happy.”
“Or maybe she wants a microphone.”
I’d laughed.
Now, sitting in the dressing room, I wanted to believe Mariam meant well.
“Maybe she’s trying.”
When she arrived smiling and offered to help with my veil, I welcomed her.
That was my mistake.
***
Now, I touched what remained of my hair.
I’d spent three years growing it halfway down my back. Natalie used to braid it for special occasions and had promised to do the same for my wedding later that morning.
That was my mistake.
Now one side barely touched my shoulder.
I picked up a handful from the floor. My fingers shook.
The door opened.
Natalie entered with the bridesmaids behind her.
My fingers shook.
“Layla, I found the extra pins you wanted. And the girls are ready for the bride-and-bridesmaids photos.”
She stopped.
The others stared.
“Who did this?” Natalie asked.
“Mariam. She told me to cancel the wedding.”
“Who did this?”
My sister looked at the scissors, then hurried toward me.
She wrapped her arms around me, and I finally cried.
“I spent years growing it,” I whispered.
“I know, Sis. I know.”
Natalie pulled back and looked at my reflection.
I finally cried.
“Do you still want to marry Edison?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then we need to get you ready.”
I looked at the uneven ends.
“Of course I do.”
“How?”
She picked up the pins she’d brought.
“We’ll work with what you’ve got.”
I wiped my face.
But before she touched my hair, I reached for my phone.
“How?”
“Wait, Nat. I need to talk to Edison.”
***
He answered on the second ring.
“Hey, beautiful. Aren’t we supposed to wait until the ceremony?”
“Your mother cut my hair. She told me to cancel.”
“I need to talk to Edison.”
“What? Layla, are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“I’m coming.”
“You’re not supposed to see me yet.”
“That doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Layla, are you serious?”
***
Minutes later, Edison stood in the doorway.
He looked at my hair, then at the pieces still scattered near the chair.
“Mom did this? I can’t believe it.”
“Yes.”
Edison stood in the doorway.
He approached me carefully.
“Are you hurt?”
“She didn’t cut my skin, if that’s what you’re asking.”
He took my hand.
“I’m going to speak to her.”
“Are you hurt?”
I stopped him.
“Before you do, we need to talk, Edison.”
“About what?”
“About every time you told me to ignore her.”
“About what?”
Edison looked down.
“I never thought she’d go this far.”
“But you knew she didn’t want us married. I’ve spent five years pretending her insults don’t hurt me, Edison. I can’t do that forever.”
Edison looked down.
He crouched beside me.
“You’re right. I should’ve stopped it.”
“I need you to do more than apologize.”
“What do you need?”
I looked at him.
“You’re right.”
“When something happens between your mother and me, I need to know you’re not going to ask me to swallow it just to keep her happy.”
Edison nodded.
“I won’t.”
I wanted to believe him.
Edison nodded.
But he’d made promises before.
“Then let’s see what happens today.”
***
While Edison spoke with the ceremony coordinator, Natalie examined my hair.
“I can shorten the longer pieces and pin these back.”
But he’d made promises before.
“Have you ever cut anyone’s hair?”
“Only mine.”
“That explains your bangs last Christmas.”
She gave me a look.
I handed her the scissors.
“Have you ever cut anyone’s hair?”
“Please be careful.”
Natalie trimmed the uneven ends and pinned the shorter pieces away from my face.
It wasn’t the style I’d planned, but it looked better than what Mariam had left me with.
Natalie stepped aside.
“What do you think?”
Natalie trimmed the uneven ends.
I turned my head.
“My neck looks strange.”
“You haven’t seen it in years.”
I touched the ends.
“I hate that she took the choice away from me.”
“My neck looks strange.”
Natalie rested her hands on my shoulders.
“I wish I could give it back.”
I reached for my veil.
Then I stopped.
“I wish I could give it back.”
Mariam had insisted I wear it low over my hair.
I’d agreed because I thought it might make her happy.
“Actually, leave the veil off.”
Natalie smiled.
“Are you sure?”
Mariam had insisted I wear it low over my hair.
“Yes. I like what you did, Nat. Thank you.”
She hugged me.
For the first time since Mariam entered the room, I felt ready to put on my dress.
Then Edison returned.
His phone was still in his hand.
She hugged me.
“Layla, there’s something you need to see.”
***
He showed me a message from his aunt.
“Is everything okay? Your mother said yesterday that Layla might call off the wedding.
She’s saying now that the ceremony may not happen.”
He showed me a message.
I read it twice, confused.
“Yesterday?”
“Yeah, I noticed that too.”
“Why would she say that before anything happened?”
Edison started typing.
“Yesterday?”
I touched his arm.
“Can we call her instead?”
Edison nodded.
“She’s driving here with her husband. They should be close.”
