When Alexandra’s stepmom Linda arrived at her wedding in a white dress, insisting she deserved attention, Alexandra braced for chaos. But her husband Tom had a plan to turn the tables in a way no one expected.

Linda loved being the center of attention. “These flowers need to be perfect,” she said, arranging them dramatically. My dad smiled, “Linda has a great eye for these things.” I forced a smile. Linda, who had entered my life after Mom passed away, always found a way to steal the spotlight. I knew she would try something at the wedding.

At the wedding planner’s office, we discovered Linda demanded to sit in the front row and give a speech. “Isn’t that reserved for the bride’s parents?” my friend Sarah asked. Grace, the planner, agreed. “We need to maintain some decorum.” I sighed, “She always makes everything about herself.”

The wedding day arrived, and Linda showed up in a white wedding dress. “You’re young, Alexandra. This might be my last chance to feel like a bride again,” she said smugly. Tom whispered, “Trust me, we’ll sort this out later.”

During the reception, Tom took the microphone, “I’d like to share a special tribute to Alexandra’s late mother.” A montage of my mom played, moving everyone to tears. Then, Tom called Linda to the stage. Expecting praise, she was instead shown sneaking into my bridal suite and boasting about her plan to outshine me. The crowd gasped. Tom’s surprise continued with Linda’s ex-husband sharing stories about her past antics. Humiliated, Linda quietly slipped out. Tom and I shared a smile, knowing we taught her a lesson in her own way.

“Trust me. It’s a surprise. But I promise, it’ll keep the focus where it should be—on us and your mom’s memory,” Tom had assured me, and he was right.