— We are giving you half a million rubles, — Dmitry announced, and his voice rolled through the banquet hall like a triumphant fanfare.
Applause erupted instantly, like sparks from a fire; someone even gasped with delight. The guests exchanged glances, their eyes shining with approval, and the air was charged with a light festive excitement.
Elena smiled radiantly, raising her glass of champagne, accepting congratulations and warm words. Alexey and Natalia thanked the groom’s parents politely, almost automatically, but anxious notes flickered in their eyes. Natalia’s palm involuntarily grew sweaty in her husband’s hand — she felt the situation beginning to slip out of control.
Larisa, the bride’s mother, froze in place as if her feet had suddenly been glued to the floor. She cast a quick glance at her husband, hoping to find support in his face. Was everything okay? But Igor was silent. His usually impassive face remained calm, though inside, it seemed, everything was turning upside down.
He gently extended to his wife a small velvet box — a family gift for the newlyweds.
“We wanted to give this to you,” Larisa began, but her voice betrayed a tremor.
Natalia instinctively leaned toward her mother, trying to say with just her eyes, “Everything will be alright.” Alexey forced a tense smile and barely whispered to his wife:
“Don’t worry. We’ll handle it.”
Larisa carefully opened the box. From it, like drops of light, gleamed the stones of an antique necklace. It shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow, as if it held the history of an entire lineage, generations of tradition and love.
“This necklace…” Larisa spoke again, gathering her last strength. “It has been passed down in our family for many years. Let it be a talisman for your new family.”
The hall fell silent, but only briefly.
“A talisman?” Dmitry boomed loudly and mockingly, breaking the pause. “Of course! But you can’t eat a talisman. The young need a house, not a trinket.”
Laughter rippled through the rows of guests, though many preferred to remain silent, feeling awkward.
Natalia felt her cheeks flush. She cast a worried glance at her mother — Larisa shrank as if she had been struck.
“Dmitry…” Elena gently tried to stop her husband, but he was already on the offensive — enjoying the attention.
“Of course, we understand it’s part of the family history, but admit it — it’s better to have a roof over your head than beads.”
From a distant corner of the hall came a snort. Someone tried to stifle a laugh, others clapped, trying to ease the tension. But it was clear — the evening was starting to go downhill.
“This is not just jewelry,” Larisa said suddenly, firmly. “It’s worth more than any money. It’s our history.”
Her voice was sharp but controlled. Dmitry only smirked, making it clear he didn’t consider the moment important.
Alexey gripped Natalia’s hand, feeling the situation spiraling out of control.
“Mom, Dad, let’s just enjoy the wedding!” he tried to ease the mood, but his words drowned in the general murmur.
Natalia couldn’t hold back. She abruptly stood up from the table, looked around at the parents, and gasping in pain exclaimed:
“Enough! You are humiliating my parents!”
Silence fell over the hall like a heavy blanket. Even the cutlery froze in guests’ hands.
Elena hurried to Larisa, pretending to want to fix the situation:
“Dear, we were just joking…”
But her voice sounded unconvincing. Larisa, without looking at her, closed the box and stood up.
“I think we have said everything.”
Igor followed her. Natalia pushed Alexey away and went to her parents, lowering her head. A heavy silence hung over the hall.
“Alexey!” she whispered with her lips only. “Say something!”
But he remained seated, as if petrified. And then everything changed.
“Alexey, how could you stay silent?!” Natalia’s voice trembled when they were in the lounge room. “Right in front of everyone!”
He looked up from his phone, confused and lost.
“I didn’t expect father to say that… I didn’t want to make a scene.”
“Didn’t want to?” she bitterly laughed. “Then what did you want? For my parents to leave our wedding feeling humiliated?”
Alexey tried to calm her, but Natalia wasn’t giving up:
“You should have stood up and said the necklace is not just costume jewelry. It’s memory. It’s history. And you stayed silent while they were insulted.”
The door burst open. Larisa and Igor entered. The mother’s face was as white as a sheet, her lips tightly pressed.
“Son,” Igor said, stepping forward, “you’re part of our family now. So say it: are you ready to defend my daughter or will you stay silent every time?”
“I… of course, I am,” Alexey muttered, not daring to raise his eyes.
“Really?” Natalia narrowed her eyes. “Then why were you silent?”
“You’re putting me between you and my parents…”
“No,” Igor sharply interrupted. “She’s just asking you to be a man. Not a bystander.”
Larisa added quietly but firmly:
“You could have at least tried to say something. But apparently, it doesn’t matter to you.”
Alexey rushed to Natalia:
“I’ll fix this. I’ll talk to father. I promise.”
“Will you do it now?” she asked, her eyes shining with tears. “Not tomorrow, not in a week — now. Or will you wait for the right moment again?”
He hesitated but nodded:
“Now.”
Natalia turned to her parents:
“Then let’s go back. I want to see how he fixes this.”
When they left, Alexey remained alone. His heart was pounding somewhere in his feet. He understood: the time for excuses was over.
He returned to the hall with a forced smile. Dmitry, as usual, sat at the head of the table, cheerfully chatting with neighbors. Elena already sensed the conflict approaching and leaned slightly toward her husband but remained silent.
“Dad, we need to talk,” Alexey said firmly.
Dmitry turned, smiling:
“What’s wrong? Want to make a toast?”
“No, Dad. This isn’t a toast. You insulted Natalia’s parents.”
A whisper ran across the table. Everyone heard.
“Insulted?” Dmitry smirked. “Son, it was a joke. You know I always say what I think. And really — money is important for the young.”
Elena tugged at her husband’s sleeve:
“Dmitry, maybe that’s enough?”
But Alexey didn’t give up:
“This is not a joke. Did you see how they looked? They gave everything they could. And you made them a laughingstock.”
Dmitry put his glass down on the table. His face grew stern, almost like a mask.
“Son, if you took my words as an insult — that’s your problem. I wanted to support you and Natasha. And if you don’t appreciate it, I’m sorry.”
Alexey felt everything boil inside him. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, but his voice was already shaking:
“Dad, this is the first time in my life I’m ashamed of you. You turned this day into humiliation for those who deserve respect.”
The guests at the table froze. Some exchanged glances, some looked away awkwardly. Dmitry frowned but remained silent.
“Maybe we can discuss all this later?” Elena suggested, trying to ease the tension.
“No,” Natalia answered firmly. “This needs to be resolved here and now.”
Larisa and Igor followed. The mother’s face was cold, but deep offense was visible in her eyes. Igor tried to stay calm.
“We came to congratulate the children, not to listen to mockery,” he said to Dmitry. “You could have shown respect. But instead, you made us look like people from another world.”
Dmitry slowly stood up. There was not a trace of regret in his voice:
“I just said what I think. If you get offended so easily, maybe you should reconsider your attitude toward life?”
Igor shook his head:
“Attitude toward life? Dmitry, respect is worth more than money. And it seems you don’t understand that.”
Natalia stepped between them. Her eyes were full of tears, her voice trembling but firm:
“Enough! I can’t take this anymore. You’re turning our day into a farce!”
The guests’ whispers grew louder. Alexey gently touched Natalia’s hand:
“Let’s step outside for a minute. I’ll fix this, I promise.”
She looked at him. Her lips trembled:
“If you don’t fix this now, I will put an end to it myself. But it won’t end just tonight…”
With that, Natalia turned and left the hall. Alexey remained alone, feeling the eyes of everyone present on him.
He caught up with her outside. She stood by the entrance, trembling from cold and pain.
“Natalya…” he began but faltered.
“Silent again?” she bitterly smiled.
Turning, she looked him straight in the eyes. The pain in her gaze was unbearable.
“It hurts me to see you standing aside.”
Alexey felt his heart clench. He looked at her, and in his eyes was despair:
“I’m trying. But I’m caught between two fires. If I side with you, I lose my parents’ trust. If I stay silent — I lose you.”
She laughed — joylessly, bitterly:
“You’re already losing me. Because love is not about choosing sides. It’s about being together, even when the whole world is against you.”
He stepped closer:
“I don’t want to be against. I want to be with you.”
Then the doors slammed open. Dmitry appeared on the porch, his face expressing irritation.
“Well, more hysteria?”
His voice was sharp, almost contemptuous:
“Natalia, you’re blaming my son again? What does he have to do with it? Be glad you have such a husband.”
Natalia flashed her eyes:
“For what? For silence? For being afraid to tell you the truth?”
“Enough!” Alexey said sharply, stepping forward. “Dad, you went too far. Your joke was unnecessary. And you know it. You insulted Natalia’s parents. And I can’t accept that.”
Dmitry squinted. Never before had his son spoken to him like this.
“I said what I think. And I’m not going to apologize. Have you softened under her influence?”
“That’s not softness, Dad. That’s respect.”
Alexey raised his voice, his face reddened:
“And if you don’t understand that, I can’t call you my role model.”
Dmitry froze. Behind him, Elena appeared, worried and confused.
“Dmitry, let’s go back inside. It’s not worth it,” she began, but he stopped her with a wave of his hand.
“I worked my whole life to give you the best. And you repay me like this?”
His voice was full of bitterness.
“The best?” Natalia interrupted. “Is that money? What about respect? Understanding? Kindness?”
Her voice trembled, but she spoke firmly:
“Do you know what it feels like to stand in front of a hundred people and feel how your words cut my family?”
Dmitry did not answer. He looked away as if seeking support from Elena, but she only stared at the floor.
“If you can’t even apologize, we will leave. And we won’t come back,” Natalia finished.
A pause hung over everyone.
“Well,” Dmitry finally said, his voice hoarse, “do as you see fit. Just remember — family is not something you choose.”
He turned and disappeared into the hall, leaving them standing in the cold.
Natalia and Alexey remained alone. She looked at him, her eyes shining with tears.
“Are you with us or with them?”
He looked at her, then at the door behind which his parents had vanished. His choice was clear.
The morning after the wedding found them in a small hotel room. Dawn was breaking outside, but Natalia didn’t notice the light. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at one spot.
Alexey stood by the window, looking into the void. The silence was heavy, almost unbearable.
“You were going to talk to them,” Natalia finally broke the silence. “And then you fell silent again.”
Her voice was tired, but full of hurt.
Alexey turned to her. His face was full of regret and pain.
“I wanted to. But when I looked at them, I realized they see me as a traitor. As if I chose the wrong side.”
Natalia raised her eyes to him; there were no tears now, only bitterness:
“Do you know what Mom said when we left?”
“No…”
“We did everything to support her happiness. But apparently, it’s not enough.”
Alexey sank onto a chair opposite, covering his face with his hands.
“I don’t know how to fix this…”
He looked up at his wife:
“But I don’t want you to feel I don’t support you.”
“Words…” she said quietly. “Only words. I can’t believe promises anymore.”
At that moment, the phone rang. Alexey looked at the screen. Hesitated for a second but answered anyway.
“Alexey, where are you? Why did you leave? Everyone is still talking about yesterday,” Elena’s voice was worried.
“We left, Mom. Natasha couldn’t stay anymore. And I understand her.”
His voice sounded harder than he expected.
Silence hung on the other end. Then Elena quietly said:
“You know, Father won’t apologize. Are you ready to lose us for this?”
Alexey closed his eyes. His heart was pounding too fast.
“Mom, I don’t want to lose either of you or her. But if you can’t even try to understand what it was like for her — we will leave for a long time.”
Elena sighed heavily.
“Alright… I’ll talk to him.”
When he hung up, Natalia looked at him distrustfully:
“What did she say?”
“She promised to talk to Father.”
He stepped closer, gently took her hand:
“I know this won’t fix everything at once. But I’ll do everything so you never feel alone again.”
Natalia looked at him for a long time, as if weighing every word. Finally, she quietly said:
“That’s a good first step. But only the first.”
They both understood: a long road lay ahead. A path to a new life built on honesty, understanding, and new promises — promises that cannot be broken.
The wedding’s finale left a bitter aftertaste. The guests left without waiting for a happy ending. Dmitry never apologized, but doubts slipped behind his pride.
But for Natalia and Alexey, that day became the beginning of something new — not perfect, but real.
