Linda was confident she had raised her son right. He was about to marry a lovely girl, and they had already planned a joint business venture. However, a single speech from the maid of honor was about to tarnish her son’s image irreparably.

I always considered myself a good mother. I did my best not to be overbearing or one of those overly protective ‘boy moms’ you see all over the internet these days. I taught him to respect women and the elderly and to stand up for the weak. He grew into quite the gentleman. So, when my son, Connor, brought home his girlfriend, Carrie, I welcomed her with open arms. Little did I know their wedding would turn into an absolute disaster.

Naturally, I did some background checking. Carrie seemed like an ordinary girl: she drove an old, modest car and took public transportation when it broke down. She never asked Connor for extravagant gifts, and the presents she gave us were tasteful but not costly.

I noticed she sometimes treated herself to a spa weekend or a high-end meal, but I attributed that to good financial management. Every girl deserves to indulge herself occasionally, don’t you think?

Imagine my surprise when we arranged to meet her parents, and a luxury car picked us up! It turned out her father owned a renowned building company, so their family could spend money lavishly. When I asked how their daughter lived so modestly, her mother explained their arrangement. They refused to cover her day-to-day expenses but would support her if she decided to start her own business. They also planned to fund her dream wedding.

While Carrie mentioned she didn’t have a business plan yet, I saw Connor’s eyes light up. He had dreamed of starting a technology company since he was a child, but we never had the funds, and he had no luck with grants. Naturally, he saw this as a perfect opportunity.