In their family, there was an old tradition: after the wedding ceremony, the groom was supposed to carry the bride from the church to their home — a symbol of respect, love, and the beginning of their life together. All the guests knew about this ritual, and the bride had been anxious about it since early morning. To her, it seemed the sweetest, almost sacred moment of the entire day.
When the ceremony ended and the last guests walked outside, the couple appeared at the church doors. The bride stood beside him, smiling softly, already lifting her hands slightly, imagining how he would approach, gently pick her up — and how their new life would begin with that moment.
But something happened that she could never have imagined.
For some reason, the groom suddenly turned not to her, but to his mother. She stood a little behind them, emotional and happy. And right there, in front of everyone, he bent down, lifted his mother into his arms, and held her exactly the way he was supposed to hold his wife according to the tradition.
They both laughed, posed for the cameras, and the mother wrapped her arms around his neck as if it were her celebration instead of her son’s wedding. The groom looked completely self-satisfied.
The bride froze. Her smile slowly disappeared, her eyes widened — it felt as though the ground had dropped out from beneath her. The chatter among the guests fell silent instantly. Everyone understood: this wasn’t just a broken custom — it was a public humiliation.
With an enormous effort, the bride held back her tears and the growing anger inside her.
— What… what are you doing? This is our wedding, — she whispered, barely able to keep her voice steady.
The groom replied with icy indifference:
— This is my mother. And she’s more important than anyone.
The words hit harder than any insult. And at that very moment, the bride made a decision that left everyone speechless
The bride felt her hands trembling. Why would he do this? In front of everyone? At the most meaningful moment of the day? She felt not like a wife… but like someone who simply didn’t matter.
The guests exchanged glances. Some women covered their mouths with their hands. Whispering spread:
— You can’t do that…
— Poor girl…
The groom was still holding his mother, laughing as if the whole thing were a joke. He didn’t even look in the direction of his wife.
Then the bride stepped closer, forcing him to finally meet her gaze. Her voice was calm — so calm that his laughter died instantly.
— If you think I will silently tolerate this… you’re very mistaken.
She slid her wedding ring off her finger — right there, in front of everyone — and let it fall into the grass.
The crowd gasped. The groom stiffened, as if only now realizing how far he had gone.
— Are you crazy?! — he shouted, trying to put his mother down without dropping her so he could chase after his wife.
— No, — she said evenly. — I’m simply drawing conclusions. If on the very first day of marriage I mean nothing to you… it will only get worse from here.
She turned around and walked away with confidence, leaving the guests in complete shock.
The groom finally set his mother down and tried to run after her, but several guests blocked his path. The women shook their heads disapprovingly.
— You ruined everything yourself, — one of them said.
— A real husband would never do that, — added another.
And the bride left. She knew one thing clearly: it was better to walk away now than spend her whole life with a man who would never put her first.