My Groom Defended His Toxic Bestie, His Mom Canceled Our Wedding

An hour before our wedding, my husband’s toxic childhood bestie drugged me with sleeping pills and shaved my head while I was knocked out.

When I woke up, she was clinging to Carter Brooks’s arm, wearing a smug, victorious grin. "Oh, look, Lily. Where did all your hair go?" "The wedding is about to start.

You can't seriously walk down the aisle looking like a bald freak. Why don't I put on the dress and go in your place?" I thought Carter would stand up for me.

Instead, he just looked at her with fond indulgence. "Chloe has always been a prankster, Lily.

She didn't mean any harm." He glanced at my bare scalp, his brows furrowing slightly. "But you really can’t show yourself to the guests like this." "A wedding is just a formality anyway.

Since Chloe is willing to step in, let her take your place." I was so shocked that I couldn't even speak. Seeing my silence, Chloe grew even bolder.

She gestured to the bridesmaids, and they surrounded me, hands reaching out to strip off my wedding dress.

Just as I was trying to shrink back, the door of the bridal suite was kicked open with a violent bang.

Carter's mother stormed in, her face red with rage, and delivered a brutal slap right across Chloe's face. "I dare any of you to touch my daughterinlaw again!!!" Before I married Carter, the person I feared most was my future motherinlaw, Eleanor Brooks.

The first time I went to the Brooks mansion for dinner, I accidentally dropped a soup bowl. It shattered on the floor.

Eleanor, sitting at the far end of the long dining table, froze. The entire dining room fell into a suffocating silence. I was so terrified my spine went stiff.

Carter squeezed my hand under the table and whispered, "Don't worry.

Mom’s temper has been pretty stable lately." Those words, "pretty stable," almost made me burst into tears right then and there.

Later, I learned from the family driver that Eleanor had a legendary temper in her youth. When she flew into a rage, she would smash milliondollar antique vases without blinking.

A few years ago, during her worst phase, she had cracked the entire imported glass wall of the family library during an argument.

But Eleanor had never actually made things hard for me.

Whenever she saw me, she would just stare at me for a few seconds, then turn to Richard, her husband, and ask, "Why is your son’s girlfriend so timid?

Is he bullying her?" Carter would just laugh. "No way, Mom." After Carter and I got engaged, she handed me a ridiculously expensive diamond necklace.

She shoved it into my hands with a stern, almost hostile expression on her face. "Wear it or don't. Just don't lose it.

It's expensive." I stammered, "Thank you, Mom." Her ears flushed slightly, and she immediately turned around and walked away.

Carter had smiled and told me, "My mom isn't good at expressing her feelings, but she’s accepted you." At the time, I truly believed I was the luckiest girl in the world.

Until an hour before the wedding. For this wedding, I had grown my hair out for three long years just to get the perfect bridal style.

The night before, the penthouse suite of the hotel was packed with bridesmaids, hair stylists, and the planning team.

Chloe Miller was wearing a champagnecolored cocktail dress, bossing everyone around as if she were the bride. "Lily has such pale skin.

Make sure her makeup isn't too heavy tomorrow, or she'll look old." "Isn't that veil a bit outdated? Carter’s family has plenty of money.

Why don't we get a new one?" I clutched my jewelry box tightly and ignored her.

Carter, who was scrolling through his phone nearby, looked up. "That veil belonged to Lily's late mother." Chloe stuck her tongue out playfully. "I was just joking, Carter.

Why are you being so serious?" Everyone laughed. I didn't see what was so funny. By 11 PM, my neck and the back of my ears started breaking out in red hives.

The stylist suggested it might be an allergic reaction to the hairspray.

Carter glanced at me, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small white pill. "Lily, take this allergy pill.

We don't want it getting worse before tomorrow." With that, he placed the pill right at my lips. I swallowed it, and almost immediately, a heavy drowsiness washed over me.

Shortly after, Carter was called downstairs by his father to confirm the guest seating arrangements in the ballroom. Before leaving, he stroked my cheek. "Sleep if you're tired.

We have an early start tomorrow." Chloe immediately raised her hand. "Don't worry, Carter. I'll watch over Lily." I looked at her, feeling a knot of unease in my stomach.

But since it was the night before the wedding, I didn't want to cause a scene.

As I drifted off into a deep, hazy sleep, I heard Chloe whispering in my ear. "Lily, you have so much hair." "What a shame.

You won't be seeing it tomorrow." My eyes were too heavy to open. In my semiconscious state, I felt something cold sliding across my scalp. There was a low, buzzing sound.

I tried to flinch away. But Chloe pressed down on my shoulders, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Don't move, sweetie.

The stylist is just trimming some flyaways for you." I was too exhausted.

And I was too naive to believe that anyone in that room would be crazy enough to physically assault a bride. So, I fell back into the darkness.

When I finally woke up, my pillow was covered in clumps of black hair. My scalp was burning, stinging with a fierce, throbbing pain. It felt like it had been scorched by fire.

I reached up to touch it. My palm met a strange, bristly, rough texture. In that single second, my entire mind went completely blank.

I barely recognized the person staring back at me in the mirror. My hair had been shaved down to the scalp.

In some areas, it was uneven and patchy, exposing raw, irritated red skin.

Behind my ears and down my neck were tiny, bloody scratches, covered in a greasy, pungent ointment that made my head burn in waves of agony.

I stared at my reflection, my hands and feet turning icecold. Chloe was sitting on the sofa, casually twirling a pair of scissors.

When she saw me walk out of the bathroom, she waved them at me. "Oh, you're awake?" My lips trembled. "What... what did you do to me?" "I didn't do anything," she shrugged. "I mean, a bald bride?

The guests would laugh their heads off." Two of the bridesmaids stood beside her, whispering and snickering behind their hands.

Chloe raised her phone, aiming the camera at me. "This is epic. A bald bride. It's so avantgarde. So artistic." Instinctively, I raised my hands to block my face.

Ashley Davis laughed even louder. "Why are you hiding your face? You can't hide your head anyway." The room erupted into a chorus of giggles.

I stood frozen in the center of the room, my ears ringing. I wanted to scream at them. I wanted to lung forward and snatch her phone. I wanted to smash those scissors into her face.

But my throat felt like it was clogged with cement. I couldn't squeeze out a single coherent word. I’ve always been like this since I was a kid.

The angrier I get, the more mute I become. And Chloe knew this better than anyone.

She stood up, strolled over to me, and reached out to touch my bare head. "Come on, let me feel it." I took a violent step back, my lower back slamming hard against the vanity table.

The sudden movement sent a sharp pain through my irritated scalp, and tears instantly spilled over my cheeks. Chloe sighed, walked back to the sofa, and dialed Carter’s number.

She put it on speaker. "Carter, you need to come up here." "Lily seems a little upset." On the other end of the line, Carter's voice sounded exhausted. "What's wrong?" Chloe sighed dramatically. "I was just playing a little prank on her.

But she suddenly started crying. I'm actually getting a bit scared." I rushed forward to grab the phone.

Chloe quickly hid the phone behind her back, raising her voice on purpose. "Don't be like that, Lily!

I already said I didn't mean it!" I was shaking violently. "You... you did this on purpose." Ten minutes later, Carter pushed the door open and walked in.

The moment his eyes fell on me, his expression froze. His brows slammed together. A look of sheer shock flashed in his eyes. I thought he would be furious.

I thought he would ask me if I was okay, if it hurt.

But before I could speak, Chloe threw herself into his arms, grabbing his sleeve. "Carter, I really didn't mean it." "I just wanted to make the wedding memorable." "Don't yell at me, please.

I'm scared." Carter looked down at her. In that split second, my heart completely shattered. Because he didn't push her away.

He merely sighed, his tone filled with helpless indulgence. "Chloe, why do you always have to take your pranks this far?" On the day we got our marriage certificate, she posted on Snapchat saying, "The man I love was stolen from me," and he called it a "prank." Now, she had drugged me and shaved my head on the night of my wedding.

And to him, it was still just a "prank."

Carter walked over to me, reaching out to touch my head.

I flinched away, leaving his hand hanging awkwardly in the air. "Lily, let's just calm down first." I stared at him. "How do you expect me to calm down?" He looked at my shaved head, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I know you've been wronged." "But the ceremony starts soon.

The guests are arriving, and both of our families are already downstairs. If we make a scene now, we won't be able to salvage this." "So what?" I whispered.

Carter was silent for a few seconds. "I’ll make Chloe apologize to you." Chloe immediately sniffled, her eyes red. "Lily, I'm so, so sorry." Carter looked at me, as if waiting for me to accept the apology and move on.

I let out a bitter, humorless laugh. "She shaved my head, and you think a simple 'sorry' makes it okay?" Chloe’s crying intensified. "I knew it.

Lily has always hated me." "Carter and I grew up together.

She always thinks I'm trying to steal her husband." "But I really just view both of you as my family!" The bridesmaids began to chime in. "Yeah, Chloe went a bit too far, but is it really worth throwing a tantrum over?" "The wedding is the most important thing right now.

Can we just focus on fixing her look?" "Exactly. Just buy an expensive, highquality wig. Problem solved." At that moment, the door opened again, and a few more people walked in.

It was Samantha Stone, the hotel’s wedding director, followed by the lead stylist and the photography crew. When Samantha saw me, she visibly gasped.

But she quickly forced her professional smile back onto her face. "Mr. Brooks, Mrs.

Brooks, I’ve been briefed on the situation." She spoke so casually, as if we were just dealing with a minor issue like the wrong color of table flowers. "We can rushorder a premium humanhair wig.

We guarantee the styling will be completed before 6 AM tomorrow." I looked at her coldly. "I want to call the police." Carter frowned. "Lily." Samantha lowered her voice, adopting a soothing, corporate tone. "Mrs.

Brooks, I completely understand your frustration.

But if you call the police, it will negatively impact the hotel, the wedding, and both of your families." "We have several media representatives arriving tomorrow.

If this gets out, it won't look good for anyone." "This kind of prewedding prank is much better handled privately and discreetly." Suddenly, this penthouse felt like a giant, suffocating glass cage.

Everyone was standing outside of it. Watching me humiliate myself. Watching me tremble. I grabbed my phone, my fingers shaking so hard I could barely press the screen.

I was going to call 911.

Carter reached out and pressed his hand over mine, stopping me. "Don't do anything rash." "It's not that I'm not on your side." "But if you call the police now, things will get incredibly ugly." "Chloe’s parents are also staying at this hotel.

Our families have been close business partners for decades..." I yanked my hand back with all my strength. "So you're choosing her.

Again." Carter's face went pale. "No, that's not—" Chloe sobbed softly. "Carter, please don't fight with Lily because of me." How beautifully played.

She was the one who assaulted me. Yet, she made herself look like the victim caught in the middle. Samantha took this opportunity to hold up her tablet. "Mrs.

Brooks, please take a look at these wig options." "This one looks incredibly natural. It will easily cover up any... scalp irritation." She thrust the tablet in front of my face.

I couldn't stand looking at these hypocritical faces for another second. In a burst of rage, I grabbed the tablet and hurled it onto the floor. The screen shattered into pieces.

The room fell dead silent. I turned around to grab my purse. I was leaving. But Samantha stepped in front of the door, blocking my exit. "Mrs.

Brooks, you are highly emotional right now.

It is best if you don't go outside." Ashley Davis murmured under her breath, "Running out there bald... she'll just embarrass herself even more." I whipped my head around to glare at her.

She just smirked and held up her phone. "Don't look at me like that. I'm recording all of this."

The last thread of my sanity snapped. I lunged forward to grab her phone. Ashley screamed and ducked backward.

Chloe immediately threw herself in front of Ashley. "Lily, what are you doing? Don't get violent!" As she screamed, she deliberately slammed her arm against my hand.

The next second, she threw herself onto the sofa, acting as if I had pushed her. Carter instinctively caught her. "Enough!" he roared. The room went dead silent again.

Realizing he had raised his voice too much, Carter's lips parted, his expression softening slightly. "Lily, I didn't mean to—" I didn't listen. I looked down at my phone.

My finger hovered over one name. Eleanor Brooks. My motherinlaw. I was terrified of her.

I was afraid she would be angry, afraid she would lose her temper, afraid she would make the situation even more chaotic. But at that moment, I had absolutely no one else to call.

I pressed dial. A low, slightly raspy female voice answered. "Lily?" She sounded like she had just been woken up. "Why aren't you asleep yet?" My throat tightened.

I could only squeeze out one word: "Mom." And then, the tears finally spilled over. The line went quiet for two seconds.

When she spoke again, her voice was rapid and sharp. "Where are you?" "The bridal suite." "Is Carter there?" I glanced at the man standing protectively over Chloe. "Yes." Eleanor’s voice turned freezing cold. "Is he bullying you?" I choked on my sob, unable to answer.

Seeing me on the phone, Chloe let out a loud, mocking laugh. "Is Mrs. Eleanor coming to see the bald bride too?" "Well, hurry up then!" "I think Lily looks kind of cute like this.

Her head is so smooth and shiny. Touching it won't kill her." My hand clenched around the phone so hard my knuckles turned white. There was no sound from the other end.

Eleanor had hung up. Fifteen minutes later, the sharp clacking of high heels echoed down the hallway. The footsteps were fast, heavy, and furious.

Carter whipped his head toward the door. The next second, the heavy wooden door of the suite was kicked open. It slammed against the wall with a deafening crash.

Eleanor stood in the doorway. She was wearing a long black coat thrown over a dark red silk nightgown.

Her hair was unstyled, her face pale, but her eyes held a terrifying, murderous glint. Behind her stood her husband, Richard, two burly bodyguards, and the hotel’s general manager.

Richard was holding a small pillbox in one hand while supporting the doorframe with the other, his expression incredibly grim. Everyone in the room froze.

Eleanor didn't spare any of them a glance. Her eyes locked onto my head. In that instant, she marched over to me.

She reached out her hand to touch my head, but stopped herself, her fingers trembling. "Does it hurt?" The tears I had been holding back all night poured out of me. "Yes," I sobbed.

Chloe, apparently still lacking any survival instinct, tried to play her usual game.

She gathered the bridesmaids and stepped forward, reaching out as if to touch my bald head again. Eleanor closed her eyes for a brief second.

When she opened them, her face was filled with pure, unadulterated rage. She spun around. Her eyes locked onto Chloe.

Then, she swung her arm back and delivered a colossal, ringing slap.