10/30/2025
My stepmother thought she had it all figured out when she locked me inside to stop me from reaching the altar. But one small thing she overlooked turned her perfect day into a total disaster.
Buckle up. This still doesn't feel real.
Iâm 30. My dad is 61. And about three months ago, he told me he was getting married again.
âTo Dana!â he said, all bright-eyed like a teenager. âWeâre doing a small wedding. Just close friends and family.â
Dana. Fifty-something. Wears heels like theyâre glued to her feet. Talks like sheâs always in a sales pitch. And I swear sheâs made of 70% Botox and 30% bad vibes.
Now, I never hated Dana. I tried. Really, really tried. I laughed at her jokes. Even the ones that made no sense. I ate every dry, overcooked casserole with a smile. I bought her a nice scarf one Christmas.
She never wore it.
From the beginning, she made it clear I wasnât welcome. Not outright, of course. That wouldâve been too honest. But in a thousand little ways.
Every time Dad and I were getting close againâlike, sharing old memories or laughing at stupid moviesâDana would get weird. Sheâd start coughing. Or say she had a migraine. Once, she actually claimed she had food poisoning twice in the same week.
My dad would say, âSheâs just sensitive, honey. You know how her stomach is.â
Yeah, sensitive to not being the center of attention.
She treated me like I was a ghost, not a daughter. Not even a person. Just something left over from a life she didnât want to deal with. Still, I showed up. Every holiday. Every birthday. Every Sunday call.
Then came the big call from Dad.
âWeâve got a date!â he said. âNext month! Dana and I are tying the knot!â
âThatâs great, Dad,â I said, fake-smiling through the phone. âIâm happy for you.â
âShe wants to keep it small. You know how she is. Just close people.â
âOf course,â I said. âWhatever makes you both happy.â
I never got an invite. No text. No card. Nothing from Dana. But I didnât make a thing of it. I figured she was just being⌠her. I still wanted to support my dad.
I bought a simple powder blue dress. Matched it with some low heels. Took Friday off work so I could drive down early and help out. Maybe set up chairs or something.
Two weeks before the wedding, Dad called.
âDana says you should stay with us,â he told me. âNo need to waste money on a hotel.â
That gave me pause.
âShe said that?â I asked.
âYeah, she insisted. Said she wanted to make it easy for you.â
Huh. That didnât sound like Dana. But I didnât argue.
âOkay,â I said. âIâll be there Friday night.â And I was. I got there a little after seven.
Dana opened the door and smiled, sort of.
âLong drive?â she asked.
âNot too bad,â I said, dragging my bag inside.
She handed me a mug of lukewarm tea and pointed toward the guest room.
âBathroomâs down the hall. Donât wake usâweâve got a big day tomorrow.â
She disappeared into her room. Dad came out a few minutes later in sweatpants and slippers.
âHey, kiddo,â he said, pulling me into a hug. âGlad you made it.â
We stayed up chatting. Just the two of us on the couch, reminiscing about road trips and the time our old car broke down in Kentucky.
Around midnight, I went to bed feeling good. Hopeful, even. I had no idea what was waiting for me.
I woke up the next morning feeling a little nervous, sure, but mostly excited to see my dad get married. Whatever I thought of Dana, this day was still important to him.
I rolled over and grabbed for my phone.
Gone.
Weird. Mayve I left it on the kitchen counter? I veguely remembered plugging it in before going to bed. No big deal. I got up, put on my dress and make up, and padded into the kitchen. Nothing.
No phone. No coffee. No breakfast smells. No sounds. The whole place felt⌠dead.
I checked the key hook. Empty. My stomach dropped a little.
I walked to the front door and turned the handle. It didnât budge. The deadbolt was locked. I tried the back door. Same thing. Then the windows. Every single one was locked tight.
I called out, âDana?â
Nothing. I knocked on her bedroom door. Silence.
Louder knock. âDana? Hello?â
Still nothing.
Thatâs when I saw it. A bright yellow Post-it sitting neatly on the kitchen counter. Written in Danaâs handwriting with curly, try-too-hard letters.
âDonât take it personally. Itâs just not your day.â
I stood there, frozen. She locked me in. She took my phone. My keys. My voice. Like I was some kind of problem she could shut behind a door.
For a minute, I didnât know what to do. My hands were shaking. My chest was tight. Then came the rage. I yelled her name. Pounded on the walls. Paced like a lunatic. All dressed up in powder blue, with nowhere to go.
Mascara already smudging under my eyes, I stared at the door like I could will it open. And thenâthank GodâI remembered something.
She took my phone. She took my keys. But she didnât take my Apple Watch.
I tapped the screen like my life depended on it. The tiny keyboard felt impossible, but I made it work,.... (continues in the first comment)