Meet the Parents – What Could Go Wrong?
Meeting the family of your significant other is one of, if not the most important milestone in your dating life. It’s also some of the worst stress you’ll ever have in your first few months together.
When the all-to-stressful meeting finally comes around, you’ll think to yourself: What if they think I’m a total freak? Or worse– What if they’re total freaks?
Despite what horror stories you may have heard, we’d be willing to bet you’ve never seen it THIS bad before.
When Glen excitedly introduces his girlfriend Heather, who has a disability, to his parents, they express nothing but shock and disdain. “Why is this cripple at our table?! I didn’t know they let vegetables into a place like this!”
The cause behind their rudeness? Heather is in a wheelchair.
Glen’s mother Linda loudly accuses Glen of dating Heather for money, while his father Roy thinks it’s nothing but a bad joke. Glen is mortified— my own parents are a bunch of ableist bigots! How could they say something so cruel and hurtful?
Foregoing the Family Blessing
Humiliated and embarrassed, he demands an apology from both of them. Yet, they turn the blame on him for being an embarrassment to their family! “Pull yourself together and start taking dating seriously!” says Linda. “There’s no future for you with that… that person.”
That person’s name is Heather. And she’s heard enough.
Hurt and upset, Heather leaves the restaurant in tears, prompting Glen to confront his parents’ narrow-mindedness. “I’m surprised the two of you found love at all considering how shallow you both are!”
Despite Glen’s protests of true love, his parents adamantly disapprove. Her personality, money, and looks don’t matter in the slightest; according to them, the “perfect girl” for their son needs to have working legs.
The two of them tell Glen to cut things off before Heather expects something to come of it, but Glen has other plans for his relationship. He stubbornly declares his intention to marry Heather, with or without his family’s blessing.
With that, Glen storms off, hoping that Linda and Roy will have time to think about what they’ve done. But neither of them are thinking about how they might have hurt Heather. Instead, they’re scheming up the perfect way to ruin her upcoming marriage.
The Proposal of Her Dreams
Amidst the romantic ambiance of rose petals and flickering candles, a soft summer sunset casts a warm glow into Glen’s apartment, complemented by the soothing melodies of jazz drifting in from a nearby radio. It’s all the right ingredients for a perfect marriage proposal.
Glen, about to burst with anticipation, awaits the moment to ask Heather the most important question of his life.
As Heather wheels into the living room, her eyes widen in awe at the breathtaking display before her. Glen, down on one knee with a heart full of love, doesn’t get the chance to utter those all-too-familiar words before Heather eagerly responds with an emphatic, “Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!”
The air is filled with excitement. Champagne flows freely as the couple revels in the joy of their engagement.
However, amidst the celebration, a text message interrupts their blissful moment—a surprising invitation from Glen’s parents for an engagement party at the finest restaurant in town.
Hope and apprehension intertwine as Glen and Heather ponder the intentions behind the invitation. Could it be a genuine gesture of acceptance and reconciliation, or a cunning trap designed to sow discord and undermine their relationship?
An Unwelcome Bride-to-Be
Arriving in style at the bustling restaurant, Glen and Heather are met with a chilling revelation. The venue is packed with guests, yet conspicuously devoid of seating, as if somehow deliberately orchestrated to isolate Heather from the festivities.
Linda’s callous announcement of Heather’s “place of honor” on the restaurant’s second floor sends shockwaves through the room, eliciting a mixture of laughter and jeers. Others shake their heads in silent disapproval.
Glen, overcome with horror and protectiveness, seizes his mother’s arm and leads her away for a private confrontation. Linda insists that Heather will be nothing but a burden to Glen: “If that girl can’t manage climbing a single flight of stairs, how could she ever have the strength to support her husband? I’ll bet she can’t even have children!”
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Linda’s callous remarks about Heather’s perceived inadequacies strike a nerve, challenging Glen’s loyalty and devotion to his beloved. However, Glen shunts these insecurities to the side.
Refusing to tolerate his parents’ toxic behavior any longer, Glen takes Heather’s hand and swiftly escorts her away from the hurtful environment created by his own family. Determined to shield her from further harm, Glen vows to confront his parents and put an end to their destructive interference in their relationship.
As they depart from the restaurant, a sense of foreboding lingers in the air, signaling the beginning of a new chapter fraught with challenges and obstacles. With Linda and Roy’s relentless determination to sabotage their son’s happiness, Glen and Heather brace themselves for the turbulent wedding that’s sure to follow.
The In-Laws Strike Back
Still ensconced in the party’s ambiance, Roy and Linda delve deeper to sow hate between Glen and Heather. With deceitful intent, they enlist the help of a nearby waiter desperate to make an extra buck: “Look, man, I’m just trying to work any gig I can so I can make it as an actor.”
Roy smirks: “Well, son, you’re in luck. This job requires a good bit of theater.”
The following morning, the plan is executed. Under Roy and Linda’s instruction, the hired waiter stalks Heather across town to a nearby park. As she tries to enjoy a peaceful moment of solitude, the waiter feigns flirtatious advances, designed to tempt Heather toward infidelity.
While Heather holds to her virtue, and kindly denies the waiter’s antics, the damage has already been done. Armed with cameras, Roy and Linda hide in nearby bushes, capturing staged moments of sin between Heather and their hired actor.
As the fabricated evidence takes shape, Roy and Linda anticipate the devastating impact it will have on Glen’s perception of Heather. An anonymous email appears in Glen’s inbox, containing what seems to be definitive proof of cheating! As Glen opens the email, his eyes examine it.
True love holds true in the face of deception and manipulation! Despite his parents’ despicable tactics, Glen remains steadfast in his commitment to Heather. His unwavering faith in their love is unshaken by their deceitful machinations.
Backed by Glen’s unyielding resolve, Heather refuses to allow Roy and Linda’s treachery to dictate the course of their relationship. In a defiant display of resilience, she moves up the date of their wedding, determined to forge ahead with their plans for a future together.
However, such a bold move only escalates the desperation of her soon-to-be in-laws. As the wedding draws nearer, Roy and Linda find themselves increasingly desperate to thwart this union, resorting to extreme measures in their relentless pursuit to sabotage their son’s life.
Wedding Day Woes
As Heather prepares for the happiest day of her life, her excitement and joy are replaced with overwhelming panic. In the chaos of the wedding preparations, it seems that someone has stolen Heather’s wheelchair!
Even worse, Heather’s heart threatens to pound out of her chest when she realizes something in horror: Glen is already waiting for her at the altar!
Glen waits with bated breath, eagerly anticipating the love of his life coming down the aisle and becoming his bride. But as the minutes tick by, anxiety gnaws at him, and a sinking feeling settles in the pit of his stomach. No bride emerges from those chapel doors.
His eyes bounce around the chapel, looking for any sign of Heather. Instead, they meet those of his parents, seated nearby with smug satisfaction written on their faces.
In an instant, Glen recognizes the depth of their deceit and manipulation, and a wave of shame washes over him. Deep down, he feels as though he has failed Heather in the face of his parents’ relentless interference. With a heavy heart and faltering resolve, Glen’s despair threatens to eat him alive as he contemplates a devastating reality. What if his parents were right all along?
Defeated and overwhelmed by a sense of betrayal, Glen’s instinct is to flee, to escape the humiliation and anguish that threaten to engulf him. Glen gives into this insecurity and leaves the altar alone.
Roy and Linda look at each other with pride. The wedding’s off! They’ve won!
A Fairytale Ending
But suddenly, the audience explodes into a row of clapping and cheering. Roy and Linda whip their heads in shock to see what all the fuss is about. Astonished, their smiles disappear almost immediately.
Glen emerges from the crowd, cradling Heather in his arms as he strides confidently down the aisle!
It’s like something out of a fairy tale. Heather is literally swept off her feet by her devoted groom. Her radiant smile illuminates the room as she gazes lovingly into his eyes. Meanwhile, her wicked relatives scowl in the corner, defeated at last.
As nearby weddinggoers offer up their chairs for Heather, Glen says there’s no need. She won’t be leaving his arms anytime soon.
The joyous occasion continues as Glen and Heather exchange vows, surrounded by the love and support of their friends and family. Despite the initial hurdles and the nefarious schemes of Glen’s parents, their love prevails.
As the two lovers are finally pronounced husband and wife, they seal their commitment with a kiss. The guests erupt into applause, celebrating the union of two souls who refused to let adversity stand in their way.
Roy and Linda, stunned by the turn of events, find themselves moved by the sincerity of Glen and Heather’s love. Tears of regret well up in their eyes as they realize the depth of their mistake.
New Beginnings for the Newlyweds
At the wedding reception, Glen and Heather are approached by Roy and Linda, who offer heartfelt apologies for their past behavior. They express remorse for the pain they caused and acknowledge the error of their ways.
At first, Glen refuses to hear them out. But Heather, displaying remarkable grace, accepts their apology, recognizing that love has the power to mend even the deepest wounds.
With tensions eased and reconciliation achieved, the newlyweds embrace Roy and Linda, welcoming them into their lives with open arms. As they join the rest of the guests on the dance floor, laughter and joy fill the air, symbolizing a new beginning for the united families.
As Glen and Heather look towards the future, they do so with hope and optimism, knowing that together, they can overcome any obstacle that comes their way. For theirs is a love that knows no bounds—a love that triumphs over adversity and inspires all who witness it.
And so, as they dance beneath the stars on their wedding night, surrounded by the people they love most in the world, Glen and Heather are filled with gratitude for the journey that brought them together and the promise of a lifetime of happiness that lies ahead. Though life may be fraught with difficulty and trouble, both are confident that they will weather the storm and continue their path together.
While meeting the parents of your significant other can be stressful and maddening, the potential to join your partner’s family is often worth the risk. We often joke about the antics of our “in-laws,” but more often than not, the headaches they cause are a cheap price to pay for true love.
Well? Did we beat your household horror story? Please let us know!
