By Emily Watson • March 1, 2026 • Share
The FaceTime call was supposed to be quick.
“Blush or ivory?” Owen Mercer asked, pacing through his parents’ hallway like he was juggling a thousand wedding details.
“Blush,” I said, smiling at the chaos of half-packed boxes around my living room. Tomorrow, I’d be his wife. Tomorrow, my kids would walk down the aisle ahead of me. Tomorrow, we’d finally be a family.
“Perfect,” he said. “Hang on—Mom’s calling me.”
The screen went black, but I didn’t hang up. I set the phone down and kept tying ribbons on party favors. Then I heard them. Clear. Close. Unfiltered.
“Did you get her to sign it yet?” his mother Patricia asked.
Owen laughed under his breath. “Not yet. After the wedding, she’ll sign anything. She’s not going anywhere.”
My hands froze mid-knot. His brother Grant chimed in. “Especially with two kids. She needs stability.”
Owen’s voice dropped into a tone I had never heard before—calculating. “She keeps talking about quitting her job after we’re married. I’m letting her think it’s her idea. Once she does, she won’t have leverage.”
