I Canceled My Wedding the Day Before After Discovering What My Fiancée Was Doing to My Daughter Behind My Back

My small daughter gave me a sketch the day before my wedding, and it completely disproved everything I had assumed about the woman I would soon wed. The child was meant to receive the affection that my fiancée never received. Rather, she stole something from her that I will never be able to forgive.

I knew that day would be the greatest of my life. The following day was my wedding, and everything was going according to plan. Emma, my entire universe, would finally have a mother, and my fiancée Sarah and I were ready to begin a new chapter. God, I was overjoyed.

Emma wouldn’t have to question me, “Daddy, why did Mommy go away?” with those large, dejected eyes. She loves me, doesn’t she?

that query. I’d been plagued by it for years, and no matter what I answered her, the agony would never go away.

Since I can remember, my name is Anthony, and I am 35 years old. I am a single father. Emma’s mother by birth? Even calling her name bothers me. When Emma was still in diapers, she abruptly stopped seeing us. I suppose I wasn’t “good enough” for her, as they claimed.

However, I had to provide enough for my now six-year-old kid.

I’d been afraid to date again for a long time. What would happen if I introduced my kid to someone who didn’t treat her with the respect she deserved? What if she was considered an afterthought?

I focused on work, Emma, and making sure she felt secure and loved for years. After Sarah entered our lives, everything seemed to be… different.

Emma seemed to be intuitively understood by Sarah. After two years of dating, her kind acts—such as purchasing small toys for Emma and organizing enjoyable get-togethers—continually brought my daughter joy and strengthened my sense that Sarah was the one.

She even began to seem to love my daughter as if she were her own.

So I was all in when I made the proposal. I also went big! At sunset on the beach, down on one knee. It was really theatrical.

Emma was there, laughing and playing in the sand while Sarah sobbed with joy and filling her small hat with seashells. I felt that everything was ideal. Up till the day of the nuptials.

Little things were the first to happen. In the days before the wedding, Emma had changed. She used to be this tiny ball of energy that was constantly bouncing around and talking nonstop.

However, she had become silent and reclusive, which worried me.

I didn’t push her, thinking that perhaps she was just nervous about the significant changes. When she was ready, she would always come to me. I waited, assuming that this was just one of those occasions.

However, she entered my office that day and gently knocked on the door.

“Daddy?” Her tiny voice made me feel something.

I grinned as I turned around. “What’s up, sweetie?”

She hesitated as she stood there. “Can I show you something?”

I gave a nod. “Of course.”

She gave me a sketch. Glancing down, I anticipated seeing one of her typical drawings of the three of us holding hands, possibly surrounded by extra hearts. However, this one was… unique.

Sarah was wearing a wedding dress, and I was wearing a suit. In between us was a small girl who had her face covered in a huge scarlet “X.”

My stomach twisted. “What’s this, Emma? Why did you leave the young girl out? I enquired.

She avoided giving me a look. Her little fingers fiddled with her shirt’s hem.

Then she whispered, in the tiniest, most heartbreaking voice possible:

“Daddy, that’s me. There won’t be room for me anymore, Sarah said. I won’t be welcome when you get married and have more children.”

With my heart in pieces, I gazed at her. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”

She wiped her eyes, Emma. “Sarah said I can’t stay with you once you get married.”

My heart broke open. “What else did she say, sweetie?”

“She claimed that there won’t be enough affection for me when you and her have children, so I’ll have to move somewhere else. She’s already searching for my true love.”

Her lower lip twitched. “Is that true, Daddy?”

My breathing stopped.

I just remained there for a moment, gazing at Emma as if she had spoken a foreign language.

Sarah, was I really going to give away my daughter behind my back, to a woman who was meant to be her mother?

Emma was dragged into my arms as I went to my knees. “Oh my god, no. You’re not leaving, sweetheart. I swear to you.”

My voice wavered. I could feel my anger building, but I had to keep it hidden from her. She clung to me hard, as if she thought I could go too.

“Daddy, please keep me from being taken away by Sarah. I adore you a great deal. Shouting into my breast, “Please promise me I’ll still be your little girl,” she begged.

“I swear, my love. You will not disappear. You are my little one. All the time.”

Once I got Emma in bed that night, I made a beeline for the living room. There she was, Sarah, kicking back on the couch and thumbing through her phone as if it were any other night.

Every step I took felt heavier than the last, and my heart was thumping in my chest.

“Sarah, we need to talk.”

She raised her head and glanced at my face, thinking something wasn’t quite right. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s not right? Emma recently informed me that you have been telling her she won’t be joining our family. that when we have more children, you want to get rid of her. Is that accurate?

Sarah said nothing of it. Not even a flinch from her. She sighed instead, as if I was being unreasonable.

Anthony, I was simply considering what lay ahead. It’s only fitting that your entire attention be directed toward our own children once we have them. Emma’s an old friend of yours. She ought to live a different life, far from ours.”

I blinked, my ears not believing me. “Are you… are you insane? I am Emma’s mother! Not some shattered plaything.”

“Oh, please, Ants, stop being so dramatic! She’s not mine, even though I know she’s your daughter. Furthermore, after we have our own family, I don’t want to fight for your affection. Emma will obviously no longer be involved after we have our OWN children.”

Thrive in competition? For my beloved? My blood began to boil.

You’re speaking of her as though she were a burden. Sarah is six years old. Six! And you’ve been putting this crap in her head? You stole her joy.”

Sarah shrugged, as though it didn’t matter. “You’re going too far. Let’s attempt an alternative perspective on this. You’ll see after we have our own children. Everything will be altered. Emma will get used to it.”

“To what extent should I adjust? feeling deserted? Not in a manner. I will not allow that to occur.”

Sarah crossed her arms and stood up. “So what now? Are you planning to discard our future for her?”

I realized there was nothing left to say as I stared at the woman I thought I loved. “Sarah, there is no future. THIS MARRIAGE IS OFF!”

Her gaze grew wide. “How come? Are you removing everything? Beyond her? That tiny bit—”

“It’s enough! Emma is not a discarded toy. She comes first since she is my daughter. Always. We don’t need to get married if you can’t accept it. Gather your belongings and head off. Right now.”

Sarah was stunned.

“Are you serious? Is this the reason you’re calling off our wedding? Over a tiny brat that your former spouse abandoned?

“Cease! Not a single word more. outside of my home. Right now.”

I called around the following morning to let everyone know the wedding was off.

My friends and family? Their disbelief was compounded by the fact that everything had appeared flawless from the outside. Their astonishment was audible in their tones, but really? I was indifferent. All that mattered was Emma.

My closest friend said, “Man, you dodged a bullet,” after a minute of silence when I told him what had happened. You did, in fact.”

I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or devastated at the time, but now? He was right, I knew that.

My family still believes that I overreacted in several cases. They insisted that I ought to have made an effort to “work it out.”

But when someone is honest with you about who they really are, how do you resolve that? Emma wouldn’t receive the love she deserved from Sarah. She would have ignored her and shoved her aside, treating her like an outdated piece of furniture taking up room. I could not allow that to occur.

Later that day, I took Emma to a seat. She fiddled with the corner of her shirt, her little hands trembling with nervousness.

Tears clouded her eyes as she said, “Daddy, are you still getting married to Sarah?”

Grinning, I drew her onto my lap. “No, sweetheart. I’m not.

Her puzzled gaze was directed at me. “Why?”

“Because I love you so much I’d never let anyone hurt you.”

Emma is still recovering from what Sarah did to her, but I’m making every effort to ensure that she feels secure once more. And I won’t give up.

Even if I would never get married, I would still like my kid to know that she is wanted and cherished and that our family will always include her.