My daughter Serena, at 18, had fallen head over heels for a man who was 60 years old. And, despite my protests, she was determined to marry him. She kept saying that she was madly in love with him, and nothing I said seemed to matter. But what Serena didn’t know was that I was about to uncover a shocking truth about this man.
It was a warm afternoon when I sat in the living room, flipping through some routine mail. The doorbell rang, signaling Serena’s early arrival from her part-time job. I always looked forward to these visits, excited to catch up with her. She stepped inside, filling the room with her lively energy and the sweet scent of vanilla.
“Hey, Dad! You won’t believe what happened with my roommate, Jessica…” she began, but then stopped when she saw the look on my face. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I quickly replied. “Everything’s great. Come on in, honey.”
She walked over to the couch, and we began chatting. “So,” I prompted. “You were saying…”
“Yeah, Dad,” she replied. “Actually, I met someone. His name is Edison. He’s nice, caring, and really loves me. We’re thinking about getting married.”
“But…” I trailed off, worried.
“But he’s sixty,” she finished, her voice full of uncertainty.
Sixty? My daughter, only 18, with a man almost three times her age? I was stunned, struggling to wrap my head around it. “Sixty, Serena? That’s… don’t you see the problem here?”
“Dad, age doesn’t define love,” she shot back, her voice filled with conviction. “Edison understands me. He makes me feel loved, seen, and cared for.”
“But what about the future, Serena? He’s so much older!” I tried to reason with her.
“Love is not about numbers, Dad. It’s about how someone makes you feel. Edison makes me feel special,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “Please, Dad, can you meet him? I promise you’ll like him.”
I didn’t want to admit it, but I was worried. She sounded so certain, so in love. But what harm would it do to meet Edison? I agreed to meet him, hoping that maybe I was overreacting.
That night, I went to Edison’s house to meet him. The conversation was civil enough, but I needed a moment to breathe. I stepped out to the balcony for some fresh air, when I overheard a conversation that froze me in place.
“Annie, come on now,” Edison’s voice, smooth and practiced, reached my ears. “I’m your brother. You know me well. It’s just harmless fun. A chance to win a little something extra.”
I heard a woman’s voice reply, “This is reckless, Edison. You’re toying with that girl’s affections for some ‘harmless fun.’”
My heart sank. What were they talking about? I moved closer to the door, straining to hear.
“The bet, Edison,” Annie hissed. “You think marrying some naïve girl is easy money to clear your debts?”
The truth hit me like a punch in the gut. Edison wasn’t in love with my daughter at all. He was using her as part of a bet to make money. I was furious.
I rushed back inside and found Serena. “Serena, we’ve been fooled! It’s all a game to him!” I blurted out, my voice shaking with anger.
She stared at me in confusion, then shock. “Dad, what are you talking about?”
“He’s lying to you! He’s just using you!” I tried to explain, but Serena looked more and more upset. “No! You don’t understand! Edison cares for me! He’s everything you’re not! You were never around for me. After Mom died, it felt like you chose work over me. I didn’t need boarding schools or nannies, Dad. I needed you!” Her words cut deeper than I wanted to admit.
But I had to make her see the truth about Edison. That was the priority now.
Then, Edison entered the room, and I couldn’t hold back. I stormed up to him, fists clenched. Without thinking, I punched him square in the face. “Stay away from my daughter, you creep!”
Serena screamed, “Dad, stop! It’s my life, not yours!” She pushed me away, her eyes filled with fury. No matter what I said, I could see it: she was blinded by the fake love Edison had shown her.
Heartbroken, I left their house, but I wasn’t defeated. I had to save my daughter, and I was willing to do anything to make that happen.
I called a friend of mine, a private investigator, and asked him to look into Edison. A few days later, he handed me a thick report detailing Edison’s dark past—failures, gambling addiction, and lies. I now had the ammunition to expose him.
The report mentioned Duke R., Edison’s former business partner, who had been left in the dust after Edison’s financial disasters. The report also mentioned a café called Le Beans, where Duke hung out. I wasted no time and called Duke, setting up a meeting.
At Le Beans, I met Duke. The man was rough around the edges, clearly worn out by life, but he was willing to help. He shared everything he knew about Edison’s gambling issues, and how Edison had burned everyone around him, including his own family.
With that information, I knew I had to confront Edison face-to-face. I went to Edison’s favorite casino, pretending to be a wealthy Texas businessman named Parker. I sat down at the table where Edison was playing, ready to put my plan into action.
“Welcome, Parker. Feeling lucky tonight?” Edison greeted me with a smirk.
I played the game, carefully watching Edison’s every move. When I pulled a royal flush and beat his hand, I smiled knowingly. “Looks like beginner’s luck,” I said, leaning in.
Edison’s face went white as he recognized me. “Billy? What’s this about?”
I leaned in closer. “It’s about Serena. Stay away from her, and we’re done. But if you don’t, I can be… persuasive.”
He sighed, defeated. “Fine, I’ll stay away from her,” he muttered.
I walked out of the casino feeling like I had won—but still, something nagged at me. Was this really over?
The next morning, as I listened to Serena’s voicemail once again, I could feel my heart sinking. When I called her friend Sarah, my fears were confirmed. Serena was throwing an engagement party for Edison at The Grand Springs. My heart nearly stopped.
I rushed to the venue, arriving just in time to see Serena glowing with happiness while Edison charmed the guests. I approached him, my fury rising.
“We need to talk, now,” I demanded, pulling him aside.
“Now? During the party?” Edison chuckled, but I wasn’t having it. I dragged him into a quiet bathroom, my anger boiling over.
“You think you can just waltz in and ruin my daughter’s life?” I seethed.
Edison smirked. “She loves me, and your little secrets? They could destroy you,” he threatened, revealing that he knew some of my past mistakes.
But I wasn’t backing down. “You’re not getting her. Not on my watch!” I retorted.
“Two minutes, Thompson,” he said, his voice dripping with menace. “Then I’ll call security. You think you can stop this? She loves me, and if you hurt me, she’ll turn her back on you forever.”
His words hit me like a punch in the stomach. Serena was already against me. I couldn’t afford to lose her forever.
Defeated, I sat outside, my heart heavy with sadness. That’s when I heard a cough. Looking up, I saw a woman standing there, her gray hair catching the light. “You’re Mr. Thompson, right?” she asked softly.
“Annie? Edison’s sister?” I said, shocked to recognize her.
She smiled faintly. “Yes, we’ve met before… when you tried to warn your daughter.”
I told her everything, how Edison was using Serena, how he was a liar and a gambler. Annie, too, had suffered from Edison’s actions. “He’s wasted everything,” she said bitterly. “Our inheritance, my savings—it’s all gone.”
She agreed to help me, and we quickly devised a plan to expose Edison’s lies. At the wedding, as Edison was about to place the ring on Serena’s finger, women began standing up, one by one, exposing his deceit. Annie was among them, sharing her own story. The room erupted in chaos as the truth about Edison came to light.
“Don’t marry him, dear. He’s a liar, and he’ll hurt you,” an older woman told Serena.
Serena’s face twisted in shock, and as the reality of Edison’s betrayal set in, she threw her engagement ring away, running out of the church. The police arrived shortly afterward to arrest Edison for his crimes.
Later, I met Serena at her place. She was crying, apologizing. “Dad, I’m so sorry. I should’ve listened to you.”
I hugged her tightly and showed her a plane ticket to Boston. “It’s time to start over. Chase your dream of studying fashion design,” I told her.
She smiled, grateful and hopeful. “Thanks, Dad. I love you.”
This whole experience taught me an important lesson: it’s never too late to be there for the people you love. And I will always put my daughter first, no matter what.
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