Chapter 4 " Lily , are you okay ? " My bridesmaids ask , looking just as beat up as me but still worried about how I'm holding up. The calm I've been holding onto suddenly cracks . My eyes start stinging , and I wipe them quickly before pulling my girls close " I'm fine . Actually , today was a blessing in disguise - now I know exactly what kind of family I was about to marry into . " ] ] Chloe sniffles . " I looked it up . Apparently his family's hometown did have traditions like this , but we're talking decades ago . " " That kind of hazing's meant for after dinner - not right in the ceremony . What they pulled was pure sabotage . " Even without her telling me , I already knew that . Mason's parents have never liked me as their son's choice . When we got engaged and our families met , they immediately had problems with me coming from a single parent home . ] Then they decided my PhD made me " too ambitious " and that I'd probably " wear the pants " in the marriage and take away their precious son's manhood . I should've listened to my gut then . But Mason sweet - talked me , practically got on his knees begging me not to call off the wedding . Looking back , I was an idiot for falling for his bullshit . Mason and I met at a hiking group . He chased after me for a whole year before I agreed to date him . ] We were together for five years . The entire time , I knew he had this tight group of buddies and some female friend , but he never introduced me to any of them . As a boyfriend , he seemed decent enough . Thoughtful , sweet , always putting me first ] After we got together , he stopped going out drinking with his friends . Even work happy hours , he'd check with me first He used to joke he was happy being whipped , that I'd always come first no matter what . ] ] And like a fool , I believed every word . Now I see it was all just manipulation . Meeting his friends right before the wedding should've been my final wake - up call . They were cold as ice toward me , especially Riley . Riley's obsession with Mason was obvious from minute one . Those two probably would've gotten together years ago if I hadn't shown up and complicated things . I was just the obstacle in their little love story . If I'd known it would end like this , I never would've said yes to his proposal . [ ] He deserves to be stuck with Riley forever . The thore I think about it , the angrier I get . I start crying from pure frustration . That's when my mom finally shows up . She takes one look at my destroyed dress and disheveled appearance , and her face goes white . [ ] " What happened to you ? Lily , what did they do ? " || My bridesmaids fill her in on everything . Mom starts shaking with rage and heads straight for the venue [ ] " My daughter - my baby girl - and they dare humiliate you like this ? " ] " Those bastards ! I'm going to give them a piece of my mind ! " ] I grab her arm to stop her . ' Don't , Mom . You can't reason with people like that . " " Trying to argue with them will just make us more upset . " [ ] " Mom . I can't marry him . If this is how his family treats me now , imagine what married life would be like . " Mom wraps her arms around me , her eyes red with tears , and nods firmly . [ ] " Laly , whatever you decide , I'm behind you 100% . All I want is for you to be happy , sweetheart . " ] The four of us take an Uber back to the hotel . I book a flight home first thing tomorrow morning . ] I don't want to spend another second in this godforsaken place . ||