The Groom Stopped the Wedding After Learning Why the Bride Hid Her Sister

The next morning, the peaceful silence of my guest room was shattered by the frantic ringing of my cell phone.

I looked at the caller ID.

Linda Whitmore. My mother.

I hesitated, my heart hammering in my chest, before I pressed the accept button.

"Clara! You selfish, ungrateful little bitch!" Linda’s voice erupted through the speaker, her tone filled with a hysterical, venomous rage. "Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! Emily is locked in her room, crying her eyes out! The Callahans have frozen our business accounts! Our suppliers are terminating their contracts!"

"I didn't do anything, Mom," I said, keeping my voice calm and steady, despite the trembling in my hands. "Emily is the one who told me to sit in the back. Margaret Callahan heard her. She’s the one who called off the wedding."

"You should have just stayed in your apartment!" Linda screamed. "You knew you would ruin her perfect day with that ugly face of yours! You’ve always been jealous of her! You’ve ruined our family's connection to the Callahan fortune! If we go bankrupt, it is on your head, Clara!"

"No, Linda," a cold, powerful voice said from behind me.

Margaret Callahan stepped into the room, taking the phone from my hand. She put it on speaker, her voice dropping into a register that made the line go dead silent.

"Linda Whitmore," Margaret said. "This is Margaret Callahan. I want you to listen to me very carefully. Your daughter Clara is currently under my protection. If you or your husband call this number again, or if you attempt to contact her in any way, I will have my legal team file an immediate restraining order. And I will ensure that the federal authorities audit your tax returns for the past ten years."

"Margaret, please—" Linda stammered, her voice suddenly dropping into a desperate, pleading tone.