Ignatius, wounded by his mothers behaviour, made up his mind to live apart from her.
“You dont respect me at all!”
The long echo of his mothers fury travelled down the telephone line, its sharp indignation deafening Darina.
She exhaled heavily, the weight of the older womans demands pressing down on her. She remembered the moment before her own wedding, when fate itself seemed to interfere, threatening to unravel everything. The grooms mothera woman of rigid principles and unyielding convictionshad caught a mere cold, yet in her words, it might as well have been the plague, capable of ruining everything around her.
The call had come in the morning, just as the day of celebration was about to begin. Surprise quickly turned to frustrationthis was absurd, utterly senseless. His mother insisted they postpone the wedding by weeks.
“Postpone?!” Darinas voice was incredulous. “Weve arranged everythingthe reception, the guests! My parents are flying in from Manchester just for this!”
Ignatius listened in silence, knowing full well what awaited hima confrontation with his mother, a woman no one dared oppose. But this time, he would not back down.
“Mum, its just a cold. I understand youre worried, but we cant cancel the wedding over something so trivial.”
His voice was firm, resolutea tone she had never heard from him before. A sharp inhale on the other end betrayed her shock, as if she could scarcely believe her obedient son had spoken back.
A stifled sob crackled through the receiver, as though she was choking back furious tears.
“Fine. If neither of you care about my health then have it your way. But mark my wordsif anything goes wrong, itll be on your heads.”
Thensilence. The line went dead. The room was still, save for the nervous drumming of Darinas fingers against the table.
The grooms mother trembled slightly as she clutched the phone, fingers scrolling through contacts with practised ease. Her heart pounded, but her thoughts were clear: they would not celebrate while she suffered.
“Hello, Lydia? Its me. Im so sorry to call last minute, butthe weddings postponed. Ive come down with the flu, so well need to reschedule. Oh yes, my son agreeshes terribly concerned for me.”
A pause, then a hushed whisper of sympathy: “Oh, you poor dear! Of course, get well first!”
She exhaled, relieved. Lying was difficult, but necessary.
Next call.
“Natasha? Yes, you heard right. Unfortunately, weve had to delay the wedding. Ive fallen terribly illthe doctor insists I rest.”
Natasha gasped, offering warm condolences. “Oh, what rotten luck! Get well soon, darling!”
One by one, the calls continued, each repeating the same lie. Every reaction was identicalpity, concern, unquestioning belief.
Only the voice in her own mind whispered that this was wrong, that she was hurting her son, his future, herself.
With the last call ended, she sank onto the sofa, emotionally drained. The phone still vibrated in her hand, demanding confirmation of her actions. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks.
By evening, as guests gathered for the ceremony, only Darinas closest friends, a few of Ignatiuss colleagues, and distant relativesthose who rarely spoke to his motherremained. The rest had vanished, swayed by her warnings, though no official cancellation had been issued.
A wave of shock hit Darina, dizziness flashing through her. Then came anger, sharp and bitter, mingling with a deep sense of injustice.
Yet despite it all, the air remained festive. Laughter filled the room, music played, and the joy of the occasion wrapped around them like a warm embrace.
Meanwhile, miles away, the grooms mother sat alone in her home, weeping quietly, cursing fate for humiliating her. Her fury twisted into loneliness, swallowing her whole like a relentless tide.
“To them, my illness is nothingjust the foolish worry of an old woman. Was it so hard to show a little care?”
When the truth of the evening reached Ignatiuss relatives, they felt betrayed. Some voiced their outrage openly; others stayed silent, dreading the fallout.
Ignatius, wounded by his mothers actions, chose to leave.
Soon, the newlyweds moved to another cityfar from his mother, far from the bitterness of the past.
