After finding out her son had not invited her to his wedding because he was ashamed of his humble beginnings, Mary was heartbroken. However, when none of his guests attend the wedding, he learns a valuable lesson.
Mary was a 50-year-old single mother of two. After losing her husband to a terminal illness, Mary had to find a way to fend for her children. Her husband was the breadwinner in their home, and since Mary had never gone to school, so she struggled to find work.
Mary found minimum-wage jobs as a dishwasher, laundry woman, and cleaner to help her provide for her family. She did all she could to ensure her children were provided for, even sacrificing her comfort when necessary.
Mary had a daughter, Jane, and a son, Ben. Ben had dyslexia, which meant he needed extra attention at school. His mother worked overtime to get him the best psychologists and teachers to help him study.
Regardless of her financial woes, Mary successfully raised her two children. They both moved out and had their own lives. Ben became rather distant and barely spoke to his mother. On the other hand, Jane always kept in touch with his mother and lived close to her neighborhood.
Mary worked as a cleaner at a cleaning company that would deploy its services to various businesses. One day, as she was mopping in a jewelry shop, her son came into the store with an elegant and beautiful woman.
“Wedding? No! I didn’t even know he was getting married, Jane. He never said anything to me.”
“I think we should be able to find some good rings here, my love,” the woman told Ben.
“Uhm… Actually, I think there’s a better store just up the road. Come, let’s go,” Ben said, avoiding eye contact with his mother. She had intended to greet him, but she sensed that, for some reason, he didn’t want to acknowledge her presence. So, she let him be. Ben and the woman exited the shop as Mary sadly watched them leave.
Jane went to her mother’s house for their weekly dinner that evening. While preparing the food for cooking, Jane noticed that Mary seemed a bit distant and deep in thought.
“Everything okay, mom?” Jane asked, concerned.
“Uhm… Yeah… I’m okay, I guess. It’s just that I saw your brother today, and he was acting a bit strange,” Mary explained.
“Ben’s natural state is acting strange, mom,” Jane said with a scoff. “Shame, he’s probably just a little on edge because of the wedding. Speaking of, do you already have a dress for Ben’s wedding?”
“Wedding? No! I didn’t even know he was getting married, Jane. He never said anything to me,” a shocked Mary explained.
“Really? I thought you knew. I’m so sorry. Ben’s a jerk,” Jane said.
“He was with a woman when I saw him,” Mary added.
“That must’ve been his fiancée, Diana. She’s loaded! And she’s actually quite an amazing person. Only God knows how Ben landed her. But, I’m happy for him, hey,” Jane said.
“Are you ashamed of me, Ben?” Mary asked with sadness in her eyes.
“Me too,” Mary said.
Mary pretended like everything was okay, but she was deeply hurt. Why would he not tell me he was getting married? Does my blessing mean nothing to him? Mary thought.
Mary decided there was only one way to free herself from her tormenting thoughts. She picked up the phone and called Ben. Ben always made up excuses when his mother called. He was either too busy or on his way somewhere. But today, Mary was determined to get answers. Unfortunately, Ben did not pick up any of her calls.
The next day, Jane picked up Mary to shop for a dress. Mary still felt uncomfortable about not being invited to the wedding. Jane brushed off her concerns, simply stating:
“You’re his mother. You’re going to that wedding. It’s not a wedding without you.”
After a long day of window shopping and fitting on various dresses, the pair finally found something they liked. They bought two cheap, simple, but beautiful dresses. Mary had picked them, and she was proud of herself. She felt that they fit the occasion even though they were fairly inexpensive.
Still seeking to converse with her son, Mary paid him a visit. She went to Ben’s house, and he was shocked by his mother’s sudden appearance at his doorstep. He invited Mary in for coffee.
“Ben, why didn’t you tell me you were getting married? I’m your mother. Does that mean nothing to you?” Mary cried in dismay.
“I’m sorry, mom. It’s just that there will be a lot of upper-class people there, and I doubt you’d feel comfortable,” Ben explained.
“Are you ashamed of me, Ben?” Mary asked with sadness in her eyes.
“No, of course not, mom. I was just waiting for the right time to tell you. It’s complicated,” Ben replied.
“I should have been one of the first people to know, though, Ben. This is a large chapter in your life,” Mary explained.
“I know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. This is all new to me,” Ben confessed.
“Alright, my child,” Mary said. “Plus, you can’t be embarrassed by me. Your mother has impeccable taste,” Mary said, trying to lighten up the mood as she pulled out the dress she’d bought with Jane from her backpack.
“I got this with your sister. What do you think?” Mary asked enthusiastically.
“No, mom, that won’t help! This has absolutely no class, mom! You can’t wear that to the wedding!” Ben said, laughing at his mother. “This exactly what I was afraid of! I’m sorry, mom. But maybe it’s better for everyone if you didn’t come. You’ll just feel out of place anyway. Listen, maybe we can have our own private ceremony afterwards. Okay?” Ben said coldly.
Mary tried her best to not show it, but Ben’s words cut her deeply. She could now clearly see that her son was indeed ashamed of her. After everything she had done to provide for her son, he was ashamed of her. Mary pretended she had an urgent appointment to make and left in a hurry.
Later that night, Jane went to visit her mother. After knocking tirelessly at the door, she eventually let herself in and went to her mother’s room. When she got there, she saw her mother weeping bitterly.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Jane asked, rushing to comfort her. Mary explained everything that had transpired earlier.
“He’s ashamed of me, Jane. Me, his own mother. After all the sacrifices I made for you two,” Mary cried.
Jane couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Seeing her mother like this broke her heart. She was determined to teach Ben a lesson.
A few weeks passed, and it was finally the wedding day. Ben woke up in a good mood. “Today, you marry your wealthy, beautiful wife. Today you leave the life of poverty and strife and walk into a chapter of prosperity,” Ben said to himself in the mirror as he fixed his tie.
Ben’s best man was supposed to pick him up for the wedding, but he was already almost an hour late. He tried to call him a couple times, but he didn’t respond to his calls. Ben ended up getting a taxi to the wedding venue.
When Ben finally arrived at the wedding venue, what he saw sank his heart to his stomach. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The venue was completely empty. Ben tried to call the wedding planner, but he, too, would not pick up his call. Ben fell to his knees in despair at the altar. As he was about to call Diana, he heard her voice behind him.
“I called the wedding off, Ben,” Diana said calmly. Ben turned to see his fiancee casually dressed in sweatpants and a tank top.
“Diana? I don’t understand. Why aren’t you dressed? And what do you mean you called it off?” a bewildered Ben asked as he got up and approached his fiancée.
“Ben, you said your mom was sick and could not attend the wedding. You’re a liar! She was the woman we saw at the jewelry store!” Dianna said.
“How did you…” Ben started before being interrupted by an agitated Diana.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images
“How did I find out? Your sister called me sometime back, and we had a very long chat. We made sure everyone we invited knew exactly how you treat your mother. So, nobody pitched,” Diana explained.
“I’m sorry, Diana. I just didn’t know where she’d fit into all of this. We aren’t from money like your family,” Ben said.
“You were ashamed of her because she’s poor? Do you know how crazy that sounds, Ben? I knew you didn’t have money when I met you, but I still chose you,” Diana said, tearing up.
“I can’t be with a man that abandons and disrespects his mother. What kind of provider would you be if we started our own family?”
“I know. But your family and their wealth were just a lot of pressure for me. I never felt good enough, and that goes for my family, too,” Ben confessed, also tearing up.
“So you decided to keep your own mother out of your wedding? And you lied to your soon-to-be wife to do so. Who does that?” Diana retorted.
“I’m sorry, Diana. I messed up. I…” Ben started before being interrupted by an irate Diana again.
“We clearly don’t know each other as well as I thought. You think you’re marrying a rich girl, huh? No, my parents were also poor growing up. They put their blood, sweat, and tears into providing for me and raising me right. Because of their efforts, I was able to work hard and earn good money, which allowed me to change things around for my family. I was able to help my father start his businesses,” Diana explained.
“I didn’t know that,” Ben said dejectedly.
“You didn’t need to know that to know you don’t abandon family, especially because of something as trivial as money. I’m sorry, Ben. I can’t be with a man that abandons and disrespects his mother. What kind of provider would you be if we started our own family?” Diana concluded before walking out and leaving a dejected Ben at the alter.
After a long period of self-reflection, Ben finally decided to make things right with Diana and his mother. He apologized to Diana and promised her he’d change. However, he needed her help to do so. She took him back and agreed to help him make things right.
Later, Diana invited Mary to a luxury dinner to talk about Ben and get to know each other better. What Mary didn’t know was that Ben had set the whole thing up.
When Mary arrived for dinner, she was shocked to see her son waiting on her on one knee with a large bouquet of flowers. The setup was magnificent and serene, with candles and a whole section just for Mary and her son.
“I’m so sorry, mom. You didn’t deserve the treatment I gave you. Especially after everything you’ve gone through to get Jane and me this far. And you did it all on your own. I’m sorry I was too selfish to appreciate or acknowledge that. Please forgive me,” Ben said, handing Mary the flowers.
“I forgive you, Ben. This is amazing!” Mary said in tears as she warmly hugged her son. “Thank you!” she added.
“No, mom. Thank you!” Ben said in tears.
Diana, Ben, and Mary enjoyed a beautiful dinner, and Mary finally got to know Diana better. As it turns out, they had a lot in common that Ben hadn’t noticed.
After that day, Ben found a new job and began to earn more money, and he used it to support his mother. Mary was able to quit her job at the cleaning company.
Because of the financial support from her son, Mary started doing what she always wanted to do – helping kids with dyslexia. Ben was no longer ashamed of his humble beginnings. Instead, he used it as a spark to make sure his mother and his family never had to worry about money again.
He was finally able to marry Diana. Only this time, he did things the right way and with his mother’s blessing.
What can we learn from this story?
- Never abandon family, especially over money. Ben had let his greed get the better of him. However, after doing right by his mother, he was finally able to see the value of family over money.
- Your family is priceless – tresure it. Ben had to learn to stop chasing material treasures and treasure the family he already had.
- Return the love and support to your parents that they gave you when you were a child. Ben had to learn to look after his mother as she did when he was younger.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only.
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