At my son’s wedding in Seattle, the bride looked me dead in the eyes and said, “Starting tomorrow, you’re no longer part of this family. I’m the boss now—not you.” I smiled, walked away like it didn’t hurt, and canceled the $80,000 I’d promised for their first home—right there at the reception, while the music was still playing.

“I’m going to protect my son,” I said.

The next morning, I sat in Thomas Park’s office again. This time, Ruth was with me. We had a folder full of papers about Amanda.

Thomas looked through everything carefully.

“Three different last names,” he said, reading the documents. “Morrison, Thompson, and Chen. Two broken engagements. Restraining orders from two different men. Multiple complaints from employers about stealing, all settled quietly to avoid publicity.”

“And this…” He held up one paper. “A small claims court judgment from 2020. An ex-boyfriend sued her for $12,000 she borrowed and never paid back.”

“Can we show this to Daniel?” Ruth asked.

Thomas exhaled.

“Legally, none of this stops her from being married to him. And if you try to show him directly, she’ll say you’re trying to destroy his marriage.”

“He has to believe you’re the villain,” Thomas added.

He was right. I knew he was right. But knowing something and accepting it are two different things.