But Finley proved her wrong. Through sheer determination, he climbed from being the boy my mother once sneered at to becoming a respected young doctor at the hospital. That transformation changed everything for her. Her disdain had turned to praise, and she’d fully embraced him as the son-in-law she never thought she wanted, practically fawning over him at every opportunity.
I knew, deep down, my mother’s support wasn’t about me. It was about securing her own future through me. As my father had passed away when I was young, it had always been just the two of us. She was far more concerned about whether I would marry well than about my happiness. I was her only daughter, and she saw my marriage as her lifeline.
Because her future depended on it.
After Finley and I graduated, we got engaged, just like any other couple ready to start their lives together. We were preparing to walk down the aisle, but everything began to change when Ashley entered the picture.