My Mother Gave My Wedding Fund to My Cousin Because ‘She’s Prettier and More Likely to Find Someone’
My name is Casey. I grew up under a mom who cared more about appearances than feelings. She constantly criticized my weight and dreams, especially after my dad passed. But he had left me a wedding fund — a gift he was proud of.
When I got engaged, I thought Mom would finally be proud. Instead, at a family dinner, she announced she was giving my wedding fund to my cousin Elise because she was “prettier” and “had a better chance of finding someone.”
Humiliated, I froze — until Elise stood up. She refused the money and defended me, calling out Mom for years of emotional abuse. That moment changed everything.
I walked away from that toxic dynamic, applied to a film school I had long feared wasn’t for me, and postponed my wedding to become the version of myself I truly wanted to be.
Three months later, I got accepted. A year later, Marco and I married in a small backyard ceremony filled with love, not judgment. And when Mom finally apologized — it wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.
I learned that the people who love you will never try to dim your light. And when you finally stop letting them — your real life begins.
