The bride belongs to a very wealthy family, and when they got word that the groom’s father was just a simple janitor, they were clearly not pleased about it. They didn’t want the father of the groom anywhere near their family. They tried their best to keep the groom’s father from joining the big day, but when the janitor showed up at the wedding, he came with a gift that put the bride’s family to shame. When Amelia and Brandon first met, it didn’t take long for them to fall in love. The two were inseparable, and they became comfortable with each other.
They were just dating for a few months, but they already knew each other’s deepest fears and biggest secrets. A year and a half into their relationship, Brandon proposed, and Amelia said yes without a second thought. Brandon’s family was overjoyed for the happy couple, but things weren’t exactly the same for Amelia’s family. Brandon was hard-working and well-mannered, and Amelia’s parents could see that he really took good care of Amelia. Their problem was Brandon’s family situation and background.
They felt that this could cause an issue not only in the wedding but also the marriage. When Amelia’s great-great-grandfather arrived in America, he started his own business, became successful, and the family continued running the business until it evolved into a huge company. This made Amelia’s family rich. Amelia’s family belongs to the elite, and usually, the elite only marries the elite. They do this to ensure that there’ll be no freeloaders in the family.
Everyone wanted their kids to marry a well-off person who could maintain her, better yet, increase the family wealth. Brandon didn’t come from a wealthy family. His mother was unable to work for years because of a health condition, and his father works as a minimum wage janitor. It was a far cry from Amelia’s world, and this made them think that Brandon wasn’t a suitable fit for Amelia. Although Brandon was a hard worker, he has yet to forge a successful career.
Once he accomplishes that, Amelia’s parents could probably change their minds about him. Amelia had a feeling that her parents would react this way, but she was determined to marry Brandon. She was truly in love and didn’t care about his social standing. The most important thing to her was the fact that Brandon loved her more than anything in the world. Amelia’s parents were terrified of what this marriage could mean for their daughter.
Amelia had grown up with a certain lifestyle, and they believed it won’t take long before Amelia realizes that Brandon couldn’t give her the life she was used to. Amelia’s parents sat down and started scheming. They would pretend that they would give the wedding their blessing and pay for the whole thing to prove it. After all, they knew how stubborn Amelia could get, and that meant the wedding will go on, with or without them. Millie’s parents found a way to use the wedding to their advantage.
They planned out a very expensive event to show off their wealth to Brandon and his family. This way, they could establish their dominance in the situation. Brandon and Amelia had second thoughts about this, but eventually, the couple relented when Amelia’s parents insisted and told them this would be their wedding gift. But Amelia wasn’t fooled. She knew her parents still thought less of Brandon and his family.
Emilio worked on setting up a meeting between her family and Brandon. She didn’t want the first meeting between the two families to take place on the wedding day. Knowing her parents, it could mean disaster in case they start acting up. Amelia’s parents agreed to meet Brandon’s family. For them, it was another opportunity to show off their status.
They insisted on hosting the meeting in their place. They knew anyone would feel inferior once they step into the house. On the day of the meeting, Amelia’s parents dressed up in expensive clothes. Unfortunately, Brandon’s father, Nikolai, came straight from work, so he didn’t have a chance to change out of his janitor uniform. He explained that he didn’t want to be late for the big meet.
Amelia’s parents found this to be distasteful, and they did not make any efforts to hide it. They made fun of Nikolai’s outfit and made sure that he would see them secretly laughing at him. After a while, Nikolai stood up and made an excuse to leave. Amelia’s parents were happy when Nikolai left early. They believed they’d been successful.
Everything was very hard for Amelia to watch. She was very disappointed in her parents, and she couldn’t believe they were capable of doing such things. As the wedding day approached, Brandon’s mother and sister dropped by frequently to help out, but Amelia and Brandon never saw Nikolai. Amelia started to worry that her future father-in-law won’t even show up on the big day. On the day of the wedding, there was still no news from Nikolai.
Amelia started to panic. Brandon’s mother assured the couple that there was no way Nikolai would miss his son’s wedding. This was something that only happens once. A few minutes before the ceremony started, Nikolai arrived. Not only did he grace them with his presence, but he also made an effort to look nice.
He rented a good suit, got good shoes, and his hair was styled. You couldn’t even tell he was a janitor. As a last resort to ruin the wedding for Brandon’s parents, Amelia’s parents tried to change the seating arrangements. They tried to move Brandon’s parents all the way to the back of the room. Amelia was able to catch this and fixed what her parents did.
Amelia then confronted her parents about the way they were behaving. Amelia told them they were rude and disrespectful, and if they don’t stop ruining her wedding, she would never forgive them. During the wedding, Amelia started to feel anxious as they approached the point where the priest would ask if anyone would object to their union. Emilia feared that her parents or one of her relatives would stand up and ruin her big day. When the big moment came, Amelia was almost surprised that her family chose to stay silent.
As the ceremony continued, she started to relax, knowing that in just a few minutes, she’ll officially be married to Brandon. The wedding ceremony went on smoothly, and they were able to say their vows and exit the church in peace. Brandon and Amelia thought they were doing well, but that changed when they reached the reception venue. There was an awkwardness in the air. Amelia’s guests were hardly mingling with Brandon’s.
It was very uncomfortable, but Brandon and Amelia decided to try their best to enjoy their special day. They accepted the fact that their families will never get along. Amelia planned to make a huge show out of the gift-giving ceremony. They asked the host to make the parents of the bride and groom present their gifts in front of the guests. The newlyweds will then have to open the presents from their parents in front of everyone.
Amelia’s parents made sure that the newlyweds would open their gift first so that Nikolai would see how expensive their gift was. They gave tickets for a two-week all-expenses-paid vacation in the Maldives for the honeymoon and a brand new car. When it was the turn for Brandon’s parents, Brandon’s mother gave the newlyweds an antique tea set. She shared that the same tea set was handed out to her by her mother on her wedding day. It was a great way to show Amelia that she was part of the family now.
Then Nikolai pulled out a small gift box. He handed the gift to Amelia and told her that he had created the gift himself and he hoped the couple would use it when they move into their new home. Amelia excitedly opened the present and immediately started crying when she saw what was in the box. She then put the gift down, stood up, and hugged Nikolai, thanking him for always treating her like his own daughter. At this point, everyone was leaning forward, trying to see what the gift was.
Brandon took it out and showed everyone a small, beautiful plate with writing on it. On the plate was written, “Welcome to the residence of Brandon and Amelia Parker.” When Brandon read the message on the plate, all Amelia’s parents could hear were the words “Amelia Parker.” It was like cold water splashing on their face. They realized that from this day on, Amelia will no longer be carrying their family name.
No matter how hard they try to exclude Nikolai from the family, from this day forward, their daughter will be carrying Brandon’s and Nikolai’s last name. She’s now Amelia Parker, and they had to make peace with that.
