Confusion
Upon hearing what Martha was told, she couldn't believe it. She was supposed to be celebrating her special day, but they wanted to ruin it. There was no clear course of action for her to follow.
Was all the fuss really worth it? It was impossible that they would be upset over something as simple as a wedding gown. Particularly when it wasn't even about them. The day was special for her.
Escaping The Mess
In order to escape this mess, she knew she had to find some kind of solution. Being in-laws, the in-laws had a lot of power over the guests, so it wasn't surprising that they cared what kind of dress she wore.
It was because she would not back down that things escalated into an explosive climax. Then why should she?
Planning
Her grand scheme began to take shape weeks before her wedding. Her in-laws would finally know who was in charge. Is there a limit to how far she will go in her quest for revenge?
Her fiance was informed of her plan. At the end of the day, it was his parents. Is he going to stand by her? Is he going to admit that they're being unreasonable?
Excitement
In the days leading up to her wedding, Martha counted down the days. Exactly as she had imagined, everything was laid out in front of her. Despite looking gorgeous in her dress, she wondered whether the compromise would be appreciated by her in-laws.
Martha's mother-in-law appeared to be the most excited about the big day as she prepared for the big event.
Point Of No Return
There was no point in going back now, Martha knew. It was important to her to stand up for herself and her new life, even if it created a rift in the family.
Jenny was surprised to see her daughter-in-law in a dress she hadn't expected just as she entered the house. Her screams nearly caused her to faint. Her smile spread across her face. Her revenge was a success.
Her Family
When Martha Reynolds was growing up, she watched other kids get picked up from school by their parents and felt jealous. A cohesive family is something she lacked.
She would be picked up from school every day by her mother with bags under her eyes. Single parenthood wasn't easy for her mom, but she managed.
A Broken Home
Her ex-husband, Martha's father, paid alimony to her mother. However, he wasn't very present in her life. The picturesque families she saw at school made her wish she had them.
Her obsession with making sure she had a family in adulthood began then. From the age of ten, she had been planning her wedding. However, she did not know what was going to stand in her way.
Change Of Plans
Due to other things she had to focus on, Martha put her dream on the back burner. Things changed soon after she graduated high school and started college.
Maria, Martha's mother, got sick. In order to take care of her, Martha returned home and put her college career on hold.
Heartbroken
Things didn't look good for them after months of caring for her mother. It was not until tragedy struck that her health began to deteriorate. Sadly, her mother passed away.
The world around Martha crumbled. As a result of her grief, she was unable to return to school, and her bartending career was also affected. She had no idea that her life was about to change.
Feeling Lost
Even though Martha's mother died months ago, she still felt the trauma's scars. In addition to her mood at work, she suffered from a lack of motivation. She felt a kindred bond with lonely people with whom she served alcohol as a bartender.
There was someone in the bar, however, who was not like those other lost souls. She didn't know he would save her, but he had a purpose.
Adam
The man walked to the bar and flashed a grin. He ordered a bourbon and sat at the bar. He seemed happier and stronger than anyone else she was around. He then noticed her sadness.
He introduced himself as Adam, and the rest was history. They went on a date a few weeks later and were a couple after that. Nobody could deny the chemistry that the two felt together.
Getting Serious
Martha couldn't believe her luck. She'd felt so alone before Adam. Then she realized something she hadn't done before. She was on the way to fulfilling her dream of a family.
She hadn't told Adam. She thought he'd only think she was silly for fantasizing about something most people already had. But she was about to meet his parents. That's when the problems started.
Jenny
Jenny, Adam's mother, was a woman with a chip on her shoulder. She could tell that she only expected the best for her son. But even more than that, Martha would learn the woman also had a jealous side.
She would only show her true nature once Adam did something that she didn't expect. She thought Martha was just a temporary fling. She was dead wrong.
Proposal
Just six months into their relationship, Adam did the unexpected. She took Martha on an extravagant trip and, after a candlelit dinner, went down on one knee and proposed to her.
Martha cried tears of joy. This was the happiest moment of her life. Finally, she would have the family she so dearly wanted. But little did she know someone would try and make things difficult.
A Day Like Any Other
It was a day like any other after the proposal. Martha had been so busy planning the wedding that she hadn't noticed the time fly. That's when they went to a Sunday lunch at Adam's parents' house.
She wanted to show Jenny her plans, thinking she'd be able to relate, being a married woman herself. But Jenny would try to rain on her parade.
Something She Didn’t Like
Arthur, Adam's dad, took him to the grill where they were barbecuing. This is when Martha thought it was the perfect time to show her mother-in-law all of her plans. She took out her file planner and started showing Jenny everything.
But that's when the mother-in-law saw something that she didn't like. Martha saw the look on her face. What was wrong?
Something Wrong
Jenny looked like someone had just slapped her. She looked offended to the highest degree. "What's the matter?" Martha asked with concern. Had she done something wrong?
Maybe she had overcatered or gotten ripped off on the price of the flowers? But what the mother-in-law said next made no sense to her. How could she be so offended by something so little?
Her Dress
"It's just your dress," Jenny said in a low voice. Martha could tell she wasn't happy, but what about her dress? "What's wrong with my dress? Did you notice something strange about it?" Martha asked, genuinely worried.
"It looks really similar to the one that I was going to wear," The mother-in-law said with an unflinching look on her face. How could she be that petty?
Pettiness
Martha's mouth hung wide open. How could Jenny really feel like that was a problem? "Well, what do you think we should do about it?" She asked. But Jenny was all too ready to answer.
"I think that you should find a different dress. I am the mother of the groom, after all. We won’t attend if you wear that." She said with authority. But Martha wouldn't let her push her around so much. There was an awkward silence afterward until the couple left. Martha needed to think about what she'd do next.
Her Special Day
Martha couldn't believe what she was being told. It was supposed to be her special day, but they wanted to ruin it for her. She had no idea what the correct course of action was.
What was all the fuss really about? They couldn't have been upset over something as simple as a wedding dress. Especially when it wasn't even about them. It was her special day.
Finding A Way Out
She knew that she needed to find some kind of way out of this mess. She was still surprised they even cared what kind of dress she wore, but being in-laws, they had a lot of sway with the guests.
But she had no idea how things would escalate into an explosive climax all because she wouldn't back down. Why should she?
Weeks Before Her Wedding
In the weeks before her wedding, Martha started planning her grand scheme. It would show her in-laws who the boss was once and for all. But in pursuit of revenge, would she go too far?
She consulted her fiance about her plan. It was his parents, after all. Would he be on her side? Or would he admit that they were being completely unreasonable?
Adam's Opinion
Martha told Adam about Martha's attitude towards her dress. But she also told him about her plan to make sure she learned her lesson. Adam seemed uncomfortable siding against his mother but ultimately agreed she was the one making things hard.
He reassured her that he would always stand by his wife no matter what. Her plan to get the mother-in-law back would make sure she knew her place.
Making Arrangements
To ensure that Martha could put her plan into action, she had to face something that she had ignored for the last year. She found the box in her attic. It started gathering dust, but now it was back in the light.
It was marked "Mom" in black pen. Martha didn't know if she could face the trauma again, but she had to. She needed her mom to stand by her side one more time.
Finding The Item
Martha found what she was looking for. Tears streamed down her face as she made sure it was in suitable condition. After she was done, she knew everything else would fall into place.
Now that she had felt closer to her mom again, she'd be able to face Jenny no matter how she reacted on the day. This was the compromise she found, but she knew Jenny wouldn't be happy.
Counting Down The Days
Martha counted down the days to her wedding. Everything was laid out just the way she imagined it. She looked beautiful in her dress, but she wondered if her in-laws would appreciate the compromise.
The husband and wife got ready for their big day, but it was Martha's mother-in-law who seemed to be the most excited.
Screaming
Martha knew it was too late to go back now. She made peace with what she had done, and even if it created a rift in the family, she had to make a stand for herself and her new life.
But just as Jenny walked through the doors, she saw her daughter-in-law in a dress she didn't expect. She screamed and nearly fainted. Martha smiled. She got her revenge.
Mother's Dress
"What is that outdated thing?" Jenny spat at Martha. "It's a different dress, but it still looks a lot like mine. I told you not to do this to me!" But Martha was ready for the ultimate response.
She stood her ground against Jenny and said in a low tone, "This dress is special to me, and nothing you can say changes that. This is my mother's wedding dress."
A Change In Attitude
Martha watched as Jenny's fury turned to shame. Adam had told her about Maria's recent passing. Something she sympathized with. But now she felt like she was the one in the wrong.
"I… I'm so sorry. I didn't know," Jenny said on the verge of tears. It seemed that the woman had learned the error of her ways. It was Martha's special day. And she felt like no one could hurt her.
Always By Her Side
Martha felt the fabric of the dress embrace her as if her mother was still right next to her, taking a stand against anyone who would hurt her. She suddenly let her back in after pushing her memory away.
She vowed to never ignore her feelings again. Her mother was still in her heart, even if it meant she also felt all the grief. And Martha made sure Jenny had learned her lesson.