At my wedding, just as the officiant asked if anyone objected, my mother stood up with fake tears, trying to stop my marriage. But my fiancé, Brian, had the perfect response.I met Brian unexpectedly on the metro after a long shift at the hospital. He was reading The Great Gatsby, and we struck up a conversation. We didn’t exchange numbers that night,

but fate brought us together again when Brian saved my purse from a thief. A few months later, we were in love, though my mother, Juliette, disapproved. She thought Brian, a librarian, wasn’t wealthy enough for me, despite our upper-middle-class lifestyle,When Brian proposed with a simple sapphire ring, my mother dismissed it, mocking his choice. During a tense dinner,she criticized his career and mocked his clothes. Yet, my dad approved of him, even if he knew my mother wouldn’t.The wedding day arrived, and as I walked down the aisle, my mother stood up during the vows, accusing Brian of not being “good enough” for me. But Brian smiled, reached into his pocket, and handed her a document—her credit report. Turns out, my mother,who bragged about wealth, was drowning in debt. Brian then revealed he was actually a billionaire, something he had kept secret to find someone who loved him for who he was, not his money.The room was stunned. My mother fled, humiliated. Brian and I married, and as we danced at our reception, my dad texted me, proud of the decision I had made. Later, Brian shared a personal insight: “The villains in great novels value the wrong things.” I smiled, realizing that true wealth isn’t in status, but in living authentically and loving deeply.