78-year-old Iris tries to give her daughter’s fiancé a special gift when she sees him slipping into the bathroom with a bridesmaid. Iris follows them, and what she witnesses compels her to rush to her daughter to call off the wedding.
Iris was so delighted that day. Her 50-year-old daughter Eliza was all set to get married to the love of her life, Daniel. So Iris shuffled toward her future son-in-law to give him her late husband’s diamond cufflinks before the marriage ceremony could start.
But Daniel was walking too fast, and Iris had to race her achy knees to catch up with him. She watched him approach Melissa, one of the bridesmaids and his business partner, and whisper something to her.
Then, they both walked away from the venue toward the back of the restaurant. Curious, Iris tiptoed behind them, only to see them slipping into a bathroom together…
Iris approached the bathroom and slightly opened the door, and her heart sank when she peered inside.
“I can’t wait anymore, babe,” Daniel tugged at Mellissa’s waist, pulling her closer.
“Not now, darling,” Melissa crooned. “If someone finds out, our plans will be ruined.”
“Daniel and Melissa are…having an affair?” Iris shrank back against the wall in shock.
“Just once before I marry that boring Eliza,” Daniel added.
“Patience, babe…you just need to stay married for a couple of months. Think of the big payday we’ll get when you divorce your boring wife. Millions of dollars worth of assets and cash…but all that only if you control yourself now!”
Iris leaned over and glimpsed at Daniel and Melissa on the bathroom mirror. They were locked in each others’ arms, kissing passionately.
“Not now…baby…stop…no, stop!” Melissa muttered. “We have to get back to the party.”
“Not until you promise to meet me at my house later,” Daniel said. “We carry on like we always have…secretly meeting after Eliza’s gone to work!”
Melissa giggled before they continued kissing. Unable to see or take it anymore, Iris hurried away to warn her daughter that Daniel was a no-good gold-digger.
Iris hurried to the dining room, but Eliza was not there. Suddenly, the MC called for everyone’s attention.
“Before we proceed to the wedding hall, the bride has a special gift for the groom,” he announced.
Eliza appeared on the stage and took the mic from the MC. “I know this is a little unorthodox,” she said.
“…I’ve waited for a long time to find a man to spend the rest of my life with…and I want to dedicate this to him!”
As the band behind Eliza started playing the chords, she sang a melodious love song. A hush fell over the room as Eliza finished singing.
The guests applauded, and Daniel rushed onto the stage and hugged her. Eliza looked at him like he was the brightest star in the sky, and it sank Iris’s heart.
Iris knew it would crush her daughter’s heart when she learned the truth about Daniel’s scheming.
“What a beautiful moment,” the MC interrupted the bustling wedding scene. “Let’s all proceed to the wedding hall so these love birds can have their first dance!”
Iris weaved through the crowd and approached her daughter. “Eliza, I have to tell you something…it’s about Daniel.”
“About Daniel? Is everything okay, Mom?”
“Sweetie, he is…I don’t know where to start. Can we talk privately?”
“Mom, Daniel’s waiting for me. We’ll talk after the first dance, okay?”
“Sweetie, no, please wait…”
“Are you ready, Eliza?” Melissa sidled around Iris and approached the bride. “Daniel’s waiting for you in the dance hall.”
Eliza was so gorgeous in her wedding dress as she followed Melissa to the door with a radiant smile. Iris was shattered, and she did not have the courage to break her daughter’s heart on her big day.
So she watched in agony as the wedding proceeded. There was nothing she could do to bring Daniel and Melissa’s affair to light. There was only one way to expose the slimebag: Iris had to ensure Eliza caught him red-handed.
Eliza and Daniel drove Iris to the airport the following Monday to catch an early flight back home. Iris was disgusted to watch Daniel acting so lovey-dovey with Eliza.
“You two go ahead and check-in,” he said when they reached the airport. “I’ll follow soon with your luggage, Iris.”
Iris nodded, and Daniel left. This was the first time she and Eliza had a moment alone together since the wedding. Iris was tempted to tell her daughter everything but decided to stick to her plan.
Daniel arrived with her luggage, and Iris hugged Eliza goodbye before heading to the boarding lounge. Around 15 minutes later, she called a cab and returned to Eliza’s house.
Iris knew Melissa and Daniel would now meet after Eliza went to work, and she decided to catch them red-handed.
When Iris arrived at Eliza’s house, she saw Melissa’s silver sedan parked in the driveway. Iris pressed her hand to the sedan’s hood and felt the engine was still warm.
This was the perfect chance to set her plan into motion, and she quickly called Eliza.
“Sweetie, my flight was canceled,” Iris told her daughter. “I hailed a taxi to your place…I’m feeling very dizzy…can you please meet me at your house?”
“Oh, God, Mom! I’m busy with something…but don’t worry. I’ll call Daniel and ask him to help you, alright?”
“No, don’t call him. I want you to come here…please, it’s important.”
Eliza sighed. “Fine…I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Please make it quick,” Iris hung up and crept up to the window.
Iris peered through the glass pane and saw nothing strange at first. Then, the door swung open as Daniel and Melissa entered the room, kissing each other.
He set her down, and the pair started making out on the couch.
Iris glanced at the street, but there was still no sign of Eliza. She peeked through the window and quickly looked away in disgust when she saw how things inside had heated up between Daniel and Melissa.
Iris walked away and stood by the curb, praying for her daughter to be there soon. Five minutes later, Eliza pulled up.
“Mom, are you okay?” Eliza approached Iris.
“No, I’m not. Your husband and that Melissa. They’re in there…fooling around on the couch.”
“WHAT?” Eliza was shocked.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I overheard them on your wedding day. But I couldn’t do anything because I didn’t want to break your heart on such a special day.”
“Mom, you overheard what?”
“They are having an affair…and have planned to swindle you and take half your money when Daniel leaves you,” Iris replied as Eliza froze.
“Daniel and Melissa?” Eliza’s breath shuddered. “He’s always been sweet and nice to me…how did I not have a clue about this affair?”
“They’re in there right now…” Iris pointed to the door. “I know it’s hard to believe…so why don’t you go see with your own eyes?”
Eliza nodded curtly and wiped her tears. She angrily marched to the front door, and Iris was right behind her.
They tiptoed to the living room. The sound of Daniel and Melissa giggling behind the couch echoed in the hallway. Eliza took a deep breath and emerged from behind.
“What the hell’s going on here?” she yelled.
Iris rushed in but was caught off-guard by the sight before her shocked eyes. It didn’t make any sense.
Just mere minutes ago, when she looked through the window, Daniel and Melissa were engrossed in their intimate moment. But now, they were casually seated on the sofa like nothing had happened.
“Eliza? What do you mean?” Daniel replied. “Melissa and I were discussing an upcoming meeting…Didn’t I tell you I’d be working from home this week?”
“You LIAR!” Iris pointed at Daniel. “I saw the both of you doing ‘things’ on that sofa…you must’ve seen us coming and gotten dressed.”
“Gotten dressed?” Melissa frowned. “Jesus…you think Daniel and I are having…an affair?”
“Just shut up,” Eliza snapped. “My mother saw you two in the bathroom on our wedding day…and now, in our house. You were so insistent on sharing our assets and money when we got married. And now I know why…Daniel, you married me for my money.’
“That’s not true!” Daniel denied the allegation. “Being married means sharing everything. What’s mine is yours, Eliza. I’m sorry your mother thinks so cheap of me…but she’s mistaken. Melissa and I are friends and business partners. Nothing more than that, okay? I thought you knew…and trusted me.”
“I did, Daniel. But why would my Mom lie to me? I just…I just don’t understand.”
“Eliza, I love you…and I can prove it,” Daniel took Eliza’s hand.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of keys.
“See this?” He dropped the keys into Eliza’s palm. “I made the final payment for our new home yesterday. Melissa was here to help me with an idea to surprise you. But everything’s ruined now.”
“He’s lying, Eliza,” Iris insisted as she watched Eliza lift the keys with her trembling fingers.
But Eliza didn’t seem to hear her mother. “You were going to surprise me?” she whispered, staring into Daniel’s eyes.
“Yes! I wanted to drive you there in a blindfold…walk you onto the lawn…and show you our dream home. But I guess I’ll be staying there alone now. There’s no point in sharing my life with a woman who doesn’t trust me.”
Daniel snatched the keys from Eliza and stormed to their bedroom.
“Wait, you can’t just leave me like this,” Eliza ran after Daniel. “I don’t doubt you…but I know Mom would never tell me something like this unless it’s true.”
Daniel stopped and turned around. “I don’t know what your Mom saw and heard. I’ve offered you proof. If you still don’t believe me, I don’t think this marriage can last.”
“I trust you…that’s why it hurts so much to think of you cheating on me. I love you, Daniel…”
“I love you too,” Daniel said. “You’re my everything. I don’t understand what went wrong to make it easy for you to believe such awful things about me. If you truly believe that I’ve been unfaithful to you, tell me now. I’ll pack my things and leave you…forever.”
“I trust you! Please forgive me,” Eliza hugged Daniel as Iris couldn’t believe what she was hearing and seeing.
“Do you look at that?” Melissa told Iris. “I don’t understand why you can’t just let your daughter be happy.”
“How can you be so heartless…and deny the truth so easily?” Iris fumed.
“You’re imagining things, Iris. Perhaps you need to get your eyes checked.”
Iris’s heart raced in her chest. It was all too much for her. Her knees gave way as a dull pain spread through her chest. The last thing Iris heard was the piercing shrill of ambulance sirens.
Iris was rushed to the hospital, where the doctors informed her she’d had a heart attack.
“You scared me, Mom…I’m glad you’re okay,” Eliza visited Iris and hugged her.
“I’ll feel a lot better if you tell me that you’ve kicked that fraudster and his mistress out of your life.”
Eliza rolled her eyes. “Mom, please don’t talk about my husband like that. You’ve mistaken things about him…”
“Wake up, Eliza. He’s just using you. All that nonsense about buying a house and threatening to leave you was his way of guilt-tripping you into staying.”
“But it proves he loves me. Why would he want me to stay if he was only after my money?”
“Why don’t you check your prenup, Eliza?” Iris snapped. “Good Lord, how do I make you understand that your husband is a gold-digger?”
“Mom, please stop this. I know you’re looking out for me. But let’s not assume things and punish Daniel for something he’s never done.”
“Fine then,” Iris said. “If you don’t want to open your eyes and see the reality around you, then things are going to be different from now on.”
“What do you mean, Mom?”
Iris reached for her phone and dialed a number.
“Hello, Mr. Simms…I’m calling you about my will,” Iris told her lawyer. “I want to make an urgent change. I’ve decided to leave all my wealth and assets to charity. My daughter, Eliza, will not inherit a dime. And I want you to freeze her bank account. Yes…immediately. Thank you.”
“What?” Eliza stood shocked. “You can’t be serious, Mom.”
“I’m sorry, Eliza, but you left me with no choice. I don’t want our family’s hard-earned money being palmed to a gold-digger using you.”
“Fine!” Eliza yelled. “If you’re cutting me off your will, so be it. You no longer have a daughter…and I don’t want to see you again.”
The following few weeks were the most challenging days for Iris. She underwent heart surgery and was released from the hospital after a long recovery period.
She felt very lonely and even tried calling Eliza several times. But her daughter never answered, and Iris was heartbroken. However, Iris never stopped trying to connect with Eliza. She called her every day and sent her text messages.
Iris wasn’t surprised when there was no reply. But one day, her doorbell rang. When Iris answered the door, she froze in disbelief.
“Eliza?!” Iris teared up as a wave of emotions washed over her. “I’m so happy to see you, sweetie…”
Iris stopped talking when Eliza looked at her with red, puffy eyes.
“It’s Daniel, isn’t it?” She wrapped her arms around Eliza’s shoulders and led her inside.
“I’m sorry, Mom…I should’ve listened to you,” Eliza sobbed. “You were right about him!”
Iris hugged Eliza. She hated seeing her daughter so heartbroken but was glad she was finally free from that money-grubber, Daniel.
