On what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, Serene’s wedding takes a shocking turn when two police officers arrive with news about her fiancé. But as the truth unravels, Serene discovers a gift, and a love, beyond her wildest dreams.
I remember that day like it was yesterday.
It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Our wedding day. But instead of saying “I do,” I found myself standing frozen in the middle of the wedding hall as two police officers walked straight toward me, holding a photo of my fiancé.
A surprised bride | Source: Midjourney
“Ma’am? Do you know this man?” one of them asked.
Now, let’s rewind.
I met Andrew six months ago at an art gallery my friend dragged me to. I’d gone reluctantly, expecting to spend the evening sipping overpriced wine and nodding at abstract paintings I didn’t understand.
“Come on, Serene,” Mimi said. “Let’s just throw ourselves into a life of cultural antics. First an art gallery, next the theatre. Please!”
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
“Fine,” I said, giving in. “I wasn’t planning on doing anything else for the night, anyway. But if I don’t enjoy it…”
“Then I’ll take you for some Thai food before we head home. I promise,” Mimi said.
So, I got dressed and out we went.
And there he was.
Andrew.
A woman standing in an art gallery | Source: Midjourney
Tall, with messy dark hair, flecks of paint on his hands, and the kind of smile that makes you forget your own name.
He was showing some of his work that night, a series of dreamy, surrealist landscapes that immediately caught my attention. When I wandered over to one of his paintings, he appeared beside me.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“Honestly? It’s beautiful. Breathtaking,” I said, looking at him instead of the canvas.
A man in an art gallery | Source: Midjourney
From that moment, we were inseparable. Andrew was unlike anyone I’d ever dated before. He didn’t care about money or status. He didn’t even own a car.
He was happy with dates including food from vendors and long walks. And he lived in a tiny studio apartment with canvases stacked to the ceiling.
But he was kind, passionate, and wildly talented.
A food truck | Source: Midjourney
“Serene,” he called softly. “Don’t move, the light is perfect.”
Andrew was painting me, or trying to, but I kept wanting to move around. I was restless, and I felt unsettled. Like something was coming, but I didn’t know what.
And I was right. Except I had no reason to feel so on edge.
A man painting | Source: Midjourney
Andrew proposed that evening, after us being together officially for only four months. My heart said yes before my brain could even catch up. How could I have said anything other than ‘yes’? The man I loved was on one knee, a bouquet of wildflowers in my hand, and the most beautiful and unusual ring on my finger.
It was meant to be.
My father, on the other hand, was furious.
“You’re marrying a man you’ve only known for six months,” he said, pacing the living room with a glass of whiskey in his hands.
A woman’s engagement ring | Source: Midjourney
I was having dinner with my parents, eager to tell them the news. Andrew was supposed to come with me, but at the last moment, inspiration struck, and he had to get his paints out.
“A man who has nothing to his name except some paintbrushes and a dream,” my father shouted. “Do you really think he loves you for who you are, Serene? Or is he after the money that you come with? Our family fortune!”
“Andrew isn’t like that!” I argued. “He doesn’t care about money. He loves me for me. Not everything is about you, Dad. Not everything is about money.”
An upset man | Source: Midjourney
My father wasn’t convinced at all. He refused to give us his blessing, and although my mom tried to stay neutral, I could tell she wasn’t thrilled either.
Still, I believed in Andrew.
The morning of the wedding was chaotic but exciting.
A woman standing in her nightgown | Source: Midjourney
My parents were at the venue early, managing the last-minute details while I was upstairs getting ready with my bridesmaids.
“Do you think your dad will behave today?” my maid of honor, Lisa, asked as she curled my hair.
“I hope so,” I said, fiddling with my engagement ring. “He’s been better lately. I think he’s starting to come around.”
The rear view of a woman | Source: Midjourney
But as the ceremony time approached, something felt off. Andrew was nowhere to be seen.
“Have you heard from him?” Mimi asked, her voice tight with concern.
I shook my head.
I’d called him three times already, but there was no answer. The ceremony was supposed to start at 2 p.m., and now, forty-five minutes later, the whispers among the guests were getting louder.
A bride holding her phone | Source: Midjourney
Just as I was about to call him again, the doors to the hall burst open, and two men in police uniforms walked in.
The room fell silent.
“Ma’am,” one of them said, striding toward me. “Do you know this man?”
My knees almost gave in as he held up a photo of Andrew.
Two police officers at a wedding | Source: Midjourney
“Yes,” I said, my voice trembling. “That’s my fiancé. That’s Andrew! What’s going on? Is he okay? Has there been an accident?”
The officer exchanged a look with his partner before continuing.
“We’re sorry to inform you, but your fiancé has been apprehended. He broke into your family’s estate earlier today while everyone was here and attempted to rob the house.”
A policeman at a wedding | Source: Midjourney
The room erupted into chaos.
“What?!” I gasped, shaking my head. “That’s impossible. Andrew could never…”
“I warned you!” my father’s voice thundered across the hall, cutting through the noise. He was already marching toward me, his face red with a mix of anger and vindication.
An angry man | Source: Midjourney
“This is exactly what I said would happen. Andrew is a con artist! And now, he’s made a fool out of you in front of everyone. In front of your own family and friends, Serene!”
My heart was pounding so loudly I could barely hear the officers as they explained that Andrew had been caught on the outskirts of the city, trying to flee.
They invited me and my parents to come with them to the scene.
A police officer at a wedding | Source: Midjourney
“Of course, I’m coming too,” my father declared, grabbing his coat. “Let’s see what this scammer has to say for himself.”
The ride to the scene was unbearable, my wedding dress felt heavy and uncomfortable.
My father kept muttering under his breath about how he knew this would happen, and how I should’ve listened in the first place.
A bride sitting in a car | Source: Midjourney
“You were too damn naïve for your own good, Serene,” he spat.
I sat in silence, staring out the window, my engagement ring feeling heavier by the second.
When we arrived, the officers didn’t take us to a police station. Instead, they pulled up outside an old warehouse on the edge of town.
“What is this?” my dad asked, narrowing his eyes.
The exterior of an abandoned warehouse | Source: Midjourney
“This is… an unusual case,” one officer replied cryptically, opening the warehouse door.
The moment I stepped inside, I froze.
There were tins of paint everywhere. Old paintbrushes strewn around. It felt like Andrew’s studio.
There, on a massive wall that stretched across the entire warehouse, was a mural.
Tins of paint in an abandoned warehouse | Source: Midjourney
A breathtaking, larger-than-life graffiti painting of a bride and groom. The bride was unmistakably me, with my dark curls and white wedding dress, and the groom, Andrew, was holding my hand, smiling like the happiest man alive.
In the corner of the mural were the words:
Forever yours, Andrew.
A shocked bride | Source: Midjourney
Before I could fully process what I was seeing, Andrew stepped out from behind a canvas, wiping his hands on his jeans.
“Surprise!” he said, grinning nervously.
“What… what the hell is this?” I stammered, tears already welling up in my eyes.
A man standing in an abandoned warehouse | Source: Midjourney
“It’s my wedding gift to you, Serene, my love,” he said, gesturing toward the mural. “I wanted to give you something that would last forever, something that showed how much I love you. The police officers are actors, I hired them to play along. I know it’s a bit dramatic, but I wanted to make today unforgettable.”
My dad, who had been standing in stunned silence, finally spoke.
“You mean to tell me this was all… a prank?”
Andrew nodded.
A smiling groom | Source: Midjourney
“Yes, sir,” he said. “I’m sorry for the scare, but I wanted to show you and everyone else that I’m serious about marrying your daughter.”
For a moment, my dad just stared at him. Then, to my shock, he chuckled.
“Well, I’ll give you this,” he said, crossing his arms. “You’ve got talent. And guts. I still don’t fully trust you… but you’ve earned my respect today.”
Andrew smiled.
A laughing man | Source: Midjourney
What the actual heck?
“No! This is not okay!” I shouted. “Andrew! We’re supposed to be getting married right now! What on earth were you thinking? I’ve been calling you! Seriously?”
Andrew’s eyes widened.
“I know, I know, Serene,” he said. “But it’s the muse that called. When I started the mural, I had to finish it. You understand, don’t you? You know how it is, my love.”
A bride with her hands on her hips | Source: Midjourney
I wanted to be angry. I wanted to remain upset and scream until I felt better. But I didn’t know how to be upset with Andrew. I couldn’t hold back anymore.
I ran to my fiancé and threw my arms around him, laughing and crying all at once.
“This is the best wedding gift I could’ve imagined,” I whispered.
“Good,” he said, holding me close.
A couple embracing | Source: Midjourney
We all returned to the venue together, where Andrew explained the entire thing to our bewildered guests. My dad even raised a toast to Andrew during the reception, admitting that he might’ve misjudged him.
It turns out, sometimes love isn’t about perfect timing or logic. It’s about trust, creativity, and a little bit of risk.
And Andrew?
My goodness, he didn’t just become my husband. He was the masterpiece I never saw coming.
A man giving a toast | Source: Midjourney
After our wedding, we lazed in a hotel room, eating strawberries covered in chocolate.
“I was scared,” I admitted. “When you didn’t answer my calls or show up at the wedding, I was… scared. I thought that my father had finally run you out of town.”
“Oh, Serene,” he said, smiling. “Nothing will send me away from you.”
A tray of chocolate covered strawberries | Source: Midjourney
“I have a wedding gift for you, too,” I said.
“What is it?” he asked, reaching for a bottle of champagne.
“When we get home, I want you to pack your studio up. I’ve bought you a space, just for your art. Your own studio. It’s bigger, and the lighting is beautiful… and there’s a gallery attached to it. So you can show off your artwork whenever you want.”
Andrew was quiet for a moment, and I wondered if I had overstepped.
“That’s… everything to me, Serene. You’re my muse, you know that, right?”
An art studio | Source: Midjourney
My Father-in-Law Gave Me a Pillow as an Anniversary Gift – I Was Shocked When I Learned His True Intentions
When a mysterious package arrives at Kate and Josh’s home, they are confused to see that the sender is Josh’s estranged father. But things get even stranger when Josh finds a ticking box inside the gift — a beautiful pillow. A confrontation occurs, and Josh is left battling with the truth. Should he forgive his father, or act like their relationship is nonexistent?
Josh had just taken their daughter, Emily for a stroll around the garden when the doorbell rang, signaling that the day needed to begin.
A person holding a baby’s hands | Source: Unsplash
“I have a package for you,” the delivery man said as I opened the door.
I signed and carried the box into the kitchen. Our third wedding anniversary was this week, and Josh was always ordering things for me.
A person with a brown cardboard box | Source: Pexels
“I just want to surprise you, Kate,” he said one day while we were lounging on the couch. “It’s just the little things, you know?”
So, naturally, as I took the package to the kitchen, I just assumed that it was from him.
A couple on a couch | Source: Pexels
Until I took a pair of scissors and cut through the thick tape. Opening the package, I found a beautifully embroidered pillow, a note sticking out beneath it. It would have matched our living room décor perfectly.
Happy Anniversary, Josh and Kate! – Taylor.
A package with a pillow inside | Source: Midjourney
For a moment, I reveled in the kindness of the gesture. But then I remembered that there was no way possible that Josh would accept this gift.
“Hey, what’s this?” Josh said, coming back into the kitchen with Emily on his shoulders. “Did we order something?”
A man carrying his daughter | Source: Pexels
“Well, it’s a gift,” I said cautiously. “From your father.”
Josh pulled the note from me, his eyes flying across the paper.
I wondered what he was going to do. Josh and his father had a very complicated relationship. When Josh was a child, Taylor had abandoned him and his mother.
He had been seeing another woman, and when it finally came down to a choice, Taylor had chosen the other woman.
A mother and son | Source: Pexels
Josh had been seven, and he had never recovered from it. He told me all about it one evening when we went out for dinner.
“A father is supposed to choose you, Kate. But he went ahead and left us behind so that he could start a new life with his mistress. That’s not how this works.”
A couple having dinner | Source: Pexels
I understood his point of view. Of course, he had just wanted his father to be there for him and his mother.
Instead, Taylor had other ideas.
“He said that he needed to be happy, and that my mother was too strict with him. He had a job, but he was always doing illegal things on the side. So he packed up his things and left.”
A man with packed bags | Source: Pexels
“What do you mean?” I asked, shocked that Josh had been exposed to something like that at such a young age.
“Money, swindling it. Gambling, all that,” my husband said as he picked up his glass of whiskey.
And that was it. Josh didn’t speak to him again until a year before we got married.
Taylor had heard about our upcoming wedding through other relatives, and he thought it was the perfect opportunity to try and make things right between them.
A person holding a phone | Source: Unsplash
But Josh refused.
“I don’t want him around us on our special day, Kate. It’s not going to benefit anyone. And if anything, seeing him will spoil everything for me.”
“And you don’t think you’d regret it?” I asked as I folded wedding invitations into envelopes.
“Not at all,” Josh replied, picking up an envelope. “For all we know, someone will come and crash the ceremony because he owes them money.”
A wedding invitation | Source: Pexels
And that was that. Topic closed.
I didn’t want to push it. I knew it was up to him to deal with it later if he regretted it. I would support him, but I wouldn’t want to overstep anything, especially because Taylor sounded like a lot to deal with.
A couple embracing | Source: Pexels
When Emily was born, Taylor tried to get into our good books one more time. He wanted to reach out and try to make things right with Josh so that he could have his role of being a grandfather.
“I don’t want him around us. I don’t want him around our child. Please, Kate, don’t fight me on this one. This man is bad news,” my husband said, carrying our baby.
A newborn baby’s feet | Source: Pexels
So that was it.
Which brings us back to the present.
Josh picked up the pillow and felt it up and down; he even put it to his ear, his eyes widening.
“Sweetheart, we can’t keep this pillow!” he said.
A shocked man | Source: Pexels
Without another word, he rushed over and threw it out the back door.
“Josh, what’s going on?” I exclaimed, leaving Emily in her high seat with fruit slices.
“It’s ticking, Kate! There’s something inside. He’s up to something.”
A person cutting fruit | Source: Pexels
“Ticking?” I said. “What do you mean?”
We both went outside.
We stood over the pillow lying innocently among our garden flowers. I hesitated, then reached down to listen.
Sure enough, there was a soft ticking sound.
Yellow garden flowers | Source: Pexels
“Oh,” I said, shocked. I had been convinced that Josh had been hearing things that weren’t there.
Why would Taylor want to hurt us in any way?
“Take out your phone and video this entire thing,” Josh said as he bent to pick up the pillow. “Just in case something happens or there’s something illegal in there.”
A woman holding a phone | Source: Pexels
With a deep breath, Josh tore the pillow open to reveal a small, mysterious box equipped with a timer.
“What the hell is that?” I murmured, dread creeping up my spine.
“Let’s find out,” Josh’s jaw was set. “Call him.”
I dialed Taylor’s number, my hands trembling.
A man holding a box | Source: Unsplash
“Hi, Kate,” he said, his voice cheery. “Did you get my package? I didn’t know what to get you, but I knew that I had to get something.”
“There’s something inside the pillow,” Josh said. “A box. It’s making a sound. What is it?”
“Please be honest,” I said.
“It’s a gift, Kate. For your anniversary,” Taylor’s voice was calm, almost soothing to me.
A woman on the phone | Source: Pexels
“The sound is probably the timer; it’s supposed to make a sound and open on the day,” he said. “There’s something in there.”
My husband snatched the phone from my hand.
“Do you really think we want anything from you? What’s really in the box, Dad? Is there something that shouldn’t be there? Something illegal?” Josh demanded.
An angry man on the phone | Source: Pexels
“Please, Josh,” he said. “It’s just a gesture. I mean absolutely no harm.”
“If you truly mean that, then stay out of our lives.”
“Wait, Kate,” Taylor said. “Just open the box, okay?”
Taylor sighed deeply, and Josh reached out and cut the call.
I looked at my husband; he seemed confused by it all. I knew that he was curious about what was inside the little box, but he was traumatized by everything his father had done.
An expressionless man | Source: Pexels
“What do you want to do?” I asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said, holding his head.
“Let’s open it,” I said. “If he wanted me to open it, then there’s no way that he’s trying to hurt us, darling. Okay?”
Josh nodded slowly, finally accepting it for what it was. His father had simply wanted to reach out to us and give us a gift. That maybe everything was as easy as it seemed.
A man holding a phone | Source: Unsplash
“But record it, okay?” Josh said.
I picked up my phone again and began recording.
My husband pried the box open, revealing its contents: a check for $100,000.
Josh stared at the check, his emotions flying across his face as he tried to make sense.
“What is he playing at, Kate?” Josh asked, stunned. “There’s no way that this is clean money. He must be trying to cover up for something.”
But before we could process this further, Taylor called back.
An uncertain man | Source: Pexels
I answered, hesitant.
“We found the check,” I said. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I’m dying, Kate,” he confessed quietly. “I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, and I know that Josh hates me. But that money is for you guys. And if Josh doesn’t want it, then keep it for Emily’s future. For school. Nobody needs to know that it came from me.”
A bank cheque | Source: Flickr
I walked inside the house, realizing that we had left Emily alone for too long. Not that it mattered, because our daughter was sitting quietly by herself and eating her fruit.
Josh was right behind me.
“Dad,” he said, taking the phone from me. “If you’re really serious about your health, then please, we need to talk. No more games.”
A man talking on the phone | Source: Pexels
“Thank you, Josh,” Taylor’s voice came through the phone. “You tell me when.”
We arranged to meet Taylor at a park later that week; it wasn’t far from us, and we often took Emily there.
As the day arrived, Josh was visibly nervous, fidgeting as we waited on a secluded bench.
When Taylor arrived, he looked frail and worn.
A secluded park bench | Source: Pexels
“I’m so sorry for everything. I was a terrible father. I don’t have much time left, but I want to spend it making amends.”
Josh took a long breath.
“It’s not easy, Dad. But I’m willing to try. For Emily’s sake, so that one day, she’ll know that her grandfather carried her through school.”
A smiling little girl | Source: Pexels
While Josh and my father-in-law spoke, I set up the picnic that I had brought along with me. I figured that if anything awkward happened, we all still needed to eat.
As we left the park, Josh squeezed my hand, a weight lifted from his shoulders.
“Maybe it’s good that pillow showed up, after all,” he mused, a small smile breaking through.
Things could only get better from here, right?
A picnic setup | Source: Pexels
What would you have done?
If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one
Leighton, after witnessing how her parents celebrated their anniversary, is sure about one thing — when she gets married, she will do just that. But when her anniversary rolls around, her husband skips their romantic dinner and lies about a meeting.
A newlywed couple at the beach | Source: Pexels
Curiosity prevails, and Leighton follows Josh, only to find him at a motel with the first person he ever loved. Is there a hidden truth, or is the story exactly what it looks like?
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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