My 18-year-old daughter fell in love with a 60-year-old man and married him against my will. She claimed to be madly in love with this man. I was shocked when I discovered a chilling truth about him.
Late afternoon sunlight bathed the living room as I sifted through the unremarkable mail, the chime of the doorbell announcing the early morning arrival of Serena, who worked part-time. She burst in, her vibrant presence filling the space with energy and the scent of vanilla. I eagerly awaited this time of the month when she visited me.
“Hey, Dad! You won’t believe what happened with my roommate, Jessica…” Serena pauses, sensing my discomfort. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, yes,” I said. “Everything’s fine. Come in, darling.”
“So,” I began, “you were saying…”
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“Yes, Dad. Actually… I met someone, and he’s kind and caring. Edison. He really loves me. We want to get married. But he’s…”
“But ?”
“He is sixty years old.”
The word “sixty” hit me hard. My eighteen-year-old daughter with a sixty-year-old man—almost three times her age? Worry and disbelief clouded my judgment. “Sixty, Serena? That’s… don’t you see the problem?”
“Age doesn’t define love, Dad. Edison understands me, he believes in me.”
“But what about the future, Serena? He’s much older.”
“Love isn’t about numbers, Dad. It’s about feeling seen, loved, cared for, and Edison makes me feel that way,” Serena said, her voice trembling with conviction. “Please, can you at least meet him once? Trust me, you’ll love him.”
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I was shocked beyond words. Didn’t Serena realize what she was talking about? Yet, I couldn’t refuse her. After all, what harm would there be in meeting? I agreed to meet this guy, Edison.
The next evening at Edison’s, I needed a breather and went out onto the balcony. That’s when I overheard a conversation. “Annie, come on,” Edison’s soft voice said to me. “I’m your brother. You know me well. This is just a bit of harmless fun. A chance to win a little something extra.”
“That’s reckless, Edison,” replied a woman’s voice, probably Annie’s. “You’re playing with this girl’s affections for ‘harmless fun’.”
An icy fear gripped me. “What are you talking about?” Edison barked.
“The bet, Edison,” Annie hisses. “Do you think marrying a naive girl is easy money to pay off your debts?”
My heart sank. Edison was using my daughter just for a bet. I was furious.
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I rushed inside and found Serena. “Serena, we’ve been had! To him, this is just a game!” I said sharply.
“Dad, what are you talking about?” Serena looked very confused, then shocked when I told her about the bet.
“He’s lying to you, Serena! He’s using you,” I said, my voice breaking.
But Serena got defensive. “You’re making it all up! You never loved Edison! Edison cares about me… unlike you, Dad. You were never there. After Mom died, it was like you chose your job over me. I was lonely, I didn’t have a father. I didn’t need those expensive nannies and boarding schools, Dad. I needed you.”
His words stung, but I knew we had to deal with Edison’s betrayal first.
That’s when I saw him walk into the dining room. Edison. I couldn’t contain myself any longer. I lost it and punched him in the face, yelling, “Stay away from his daughter, you creep!”
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But Serena was furious with me. “Stop it, Dad! This is my life, not yours!” she shouted, pushing me away. I knew that no matter what I said at that moment, Serena wouldn’t take my side. She was blinded by the false love Edison had shown her.
I finally left, heartbroken but not defeated. I had to save my daughter. So I called a private investigator friend. A few days later, he gave me a report on Edison’s dark past of chess and gambling addiction.
This was my chance to show Serena the truth about Edison and get her back.
The report mentioned Duke R., Edison’s former business partner, who found himself falling behind because of Edison’s troubles.
The report said Duke was hanging out at a place called The Beans Café, a small restaurant outside of town. I got Duke’s phone number and called him.
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It was at the Beans Café, under its dim lights, that I met Duke. Life had been hard for him, but he was willing to tell me everything about Edison’s gambling problems. He wanted to help me protect my daughter from Edison.
After meeting Duke that evening, I went to Edison’s favorite casino, posing as “Parker,” a wealthy Texan. I had my story prepared. I sat down at Edison’s table and smiled.
“Welcome back, Parker. Big game tonight. Feeling lucky?”
I played my cards right, literally, and ended up winning with a royal flush, beating Edison’s hand. He tried to stay calm, but I could see he was shaken.
“Looks like it’s beginner’s luck,” Edison grumbled.
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“Or maybe some of us just know how to play,” I said, smiling slowly so he’d understand who I was. “Surprised to see me, Edison?”
He went white, finally understanding what was happening. “Billy? What is this about?”
“This is about Serena. Leave her alone, and we’re even,” I said firmly, leaving her no choice. “Or,” I added, “you can settle the debt right now. In cash. And let’s just say I have some unconventional methods for collecting debts.”
“Okay, I won’t go near her,” he said reluctantly.
I left the casino feeling like I’d won, but also worried. Edison had given in too easily, and I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t the end of things with Serena.
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The next morning, fury filled me when Serena’s voicemail rang again. Why aren’t you answering my calls, darling? Desperation drove me to call her friend, Sarah, who cheerfully informed me of Serena’s engagement to Edison, news that left me stunned.
“An engagement? To Edison?” I was shocked.
“Yes! Didn’t Serena tell you? You should come, Mr. Thompson. It’s at Grand Springs, it starts at eight o’clock,” Sarah replied, oblivious to my shock.
Arriving at Grand Springs, I saw Serena beaming with happiness and Edison, full of charm among the guests. My heart raced as I approached Edison, my anger reaching a peak.
“We need to talk now,” I said, pulling him aside.
“Now? During the party?” Edison smiled, but I didn’t let him and pulled him into a bathroom to talk.
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“Do you think you can just walk in and take my daughter’s life?” I accused, pushing him against the wall.
“She loves me. And your dirty little secrets? They could destroy you,” Edison retorted, implying that he knew things about me that could hurt me.
“But you won’t. Not on my watch!” I told him, even though his threat to tell Serena about my past mistakes shook me.
“Two minutes, Thompson. Then I’ll call security,” Edison warned me, leaving me in a state of dismay. “Do you think you can stop this, Daddy? She loves me. She wants me. And if you try anything, if she sees even a tiny scratch on me, she’ll turn her back on you forever. Is that what you want, Thompson? To be abandoned by your sweet daughter?”
No matter how much I hated that old bastard, I had to admit he was right. Serena was already against me. I couldn’t afford to lose her forever.
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Defeated and heartbroken, I stood outside, the city lights seeming to mock my inability to save Serena from Edison’s lies. I sat down on a bench, overwhelmed, and buried my face in my hands.
As I was lost in my sadness, a cough caught my attention. Looking up, I saw a woman standing there, tall, with gray hair, looking gentle in the dim light. “You’re Mr. Thompson, aren’t you?” she asked softly.
“Annie? Edison’s sister?” I was surprised to recognize her.
She gives me a small smile. “Yes, we’ve met before… At Edison’s, when you tried to save your daughter,” she reminded me.
I quickly tell him about the fight with Edison and how he framed Serena. “And you’re aware of that too, aren’t you?”
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“That scoundrel,” Annie finally said, “he’s ruined everything.” “He’s wasted everything—our inheritance, my savings from years of performing… all gone to feed his gambling addiction.”
“We could stop her,” I said, thinking maybe she wanted to help us.
“What do you have in mind?” Annie asked.
I explained my plan to him and even offered him some money to get started. “Consider it a start,” I said.
“I’m listening,” she said, interested.
So we put our plan into action at the wedding. Annie was there, pretending to be just another guest. As Edison put the ring on Serena’s finger, a young woman stood up and shouted, “He’s a liar!”
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Then another woman stood up, telling her story about Edison’s lies. Other people spoke, exposing all of Edison’s wrongdoings.
Edison tried to deny it. “No, they’re lying! I don’t even know them,” he said, but he broke down as everyone saw his true colors.
Our plan worked. The wedding turned into a place where all of Edison’s lies were laid bare for everyone to see.
In a moment of tension, an older woman approached Serena.
“Don’t fall for it, my dear. It’s nothing but trouble. Stay away from him while you can! I was a victim of it too,” the woman said firmly. Over a video call, I saw Serena’s world crumble as she threw away her wedding ring, her dream of happiness shattered.
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It was the culmination of the plan I had devised with Annie and her group of actors to show everyone who Edison really was. Serena ran out of the church, obviously hurt, but it was the only way to save her from a terrible mistake.
Things got even more serious when the police came to arrest Edison, making it clear that he would finally have to face the consequences of his actions. Although Annie’s help cost me dearly, seeing my daughter freed from Edison was worth it.
When I met Serena at her home later, it was a very emotional moment. “Dad, I’m so sorry. I should have listened to you,” she cried.
I hugged her and showed her a plane ticket to Boston, reminding her of her dream of studying fashion design. “It’s time to start fresh, to pursue your dream,” I told her.
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She looked at me, grateful and hopeful. “Thank you, Dad. I love you,” she said.
This whole ordeal has reminded me how important it is to be there for our children and do whatever it takes to keep them safe.
If only I had been there for Serena, she would never have fallen in love with someone like Edison. I learned a big lesson and decided to make my daughter my priority.
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