When my stepmom Linda showed up to my wedding in a full-length white gown, I felt my stomach drop. She smirked and said, “I deserve attention too,” as if my big day was just another stage for her. I wanted to explode, but my husband Tom squeezed my hand and whispered, “Trust me. I’ve got this.”

Throughout the ceremony, Linda sat smugly in the front row, soaking up stares meant for the bride. At the reception, she stood to give a speech she’d insisted on making. But before she could speak, Tom stepped in. He began with a moving video tribute to my late mother, the woman whose place in the front row Linda had tried to take. Guests wiped away tears, and I could feel the mood shift back to what the day was truly about.

Then came the twist. Tom invited Linda to the stage “to give her the attention she wanted.” A slideshow appeared—first innocent shots of her in the white dress, then security footage from earlier that morning: Linda in my bridal suite, wearing my veil, and twirling with a stolen bouquet. Gasps filled the room. Next, the speakers played a phone recording of her bragging to a friend about how she would “outshine the little princess.” The crowd’s sympathy vanished instantly, replaced by boos and awkward silence.

Finally, Tom introduced a “special guest speaker”—Linda’s ex-husband—who cheerfully shared stories of her past attention-grabbing stunts. By the time he was done, Linda was beet-red and slipping quietly out the door. Tom slipped his arm around me and whispered, “I told you I’d keep the focus where it belongs—on us and your mom.” He was right. That day, we celebrated love, honored my mother, and taught Linda a lesson she’ll never forget.