Parents Secretly Brought My Brother to My Wedding Without Telling Me, So I Made a Toast Revealing...

Parents secretly brought my brother to my wedding without telling me, so I made a toast revealing how he slept with my ex years ago. Now, his pregnant wife filed for divorce. This is going to be a long read, so I apologize in advance.

I (32M) got married to the love of my life, Meg (25F), last week. The wedding ceremony was beautiful, though it involved some drama that could have been avoided, to be honest. Because of what happened, my brother might be going through a divorce.

Hell has descended on me, and the family is hounding me day and night, asking me to make things right, but I genuinely do not feel that I am in the wrong, which is why I have come to you for opinions and insights. I do not share a good relationship with my brother, Colin (34M). We used to be quite close as kids—at least, as close as you would expect two brothers to be.

It wasn't perfect; we had our share of fights, even as kids, but it was never a strained sibling relationship. I had his back, and I knew he had mine, so it was all good between us. Our parents always put family before anything and tried to instill those values in us as well.

It's a shame I was the only one who reflected these values. Six years ago, when I was 26, I started dating a girl, Shay (now 32F). I was madly in love with her, and everyone around me knew that.

She was part of the same friend group I was hanging out with at the time, and I was besotted with her the minute I saw her. To me, she was the complete package; she was gorgeous, tall, eloquent, and just stunning and smart overall. I was so taken by her that I completely overlooked all her toxicity— and boy, was she very toxic.

The moment I started dating her was the moment drama completely engulfed and overtook my life. She was a great girl, but she was not the right girl for me. We were not compatible at all.

I was very non-confrontational, and she was the exact opposite. She loved drama—lived for it, in fact. There was a new fight every other week for something very random and trivial in my eyes, but I was crazy about her, and that's why I kept ignoring all the red flags.

Six months into dating, I found out she was cheating on me with someone from her workplace. I found out by accident and was devastated. I confronted her, and she kept denying it until she finally broke down and admitted everything.

I was heartbroken, but she apologized profusely. She said she had made a mistake and would do anything to gain my trust again. Stupidly, I believed her.

I gave her another chance, even though I knew I shouldn't. I have always believed that cheaters never change, and I have never been proven wrong. All through my life, I have known cheaters in various capacities, and none of them could change their ways.

I knew all that and still gave her a chance because I believed—or rather wished—that this time it would be different and she wouldn't be like the others. I was wrong. For the first few weeks, everything was fine.

I started trusting her again and felt that maybe we could get past the incident and build a new life together. Three or four months after I caught her cheating, I started getting this nagging feeling that something was wrong. She was acting shady and suspicious.

I didn't have any proof and didn't want to believe she was cheating again, so I rationalized her behavior in my mind, but it kept festering until I finally asked her if something was going on or if she had something to tell me. She became very defensive and said I was suspecting her for no reason, and that if I had decided never to trust her again, I should have told her so she wouldn't be wasting her time trying to earn my trust back. She basically gaslighted me into believing I was being paranoid and that nothing was wrong.

I believed her. I know I'm a fool, but I still couldn't shake the feeling something was off. A few weeks passed, and she was still acting weird.

I didn't have any proof, but all the overthinking was driving me crazy, so I started checking her phone without her knowledge. I should have known that was the point where the relationship had ended. I didn't trust her at all, and even if I hadn't found anything in her phone, the fact that I thought her capable of doing something like that should have been enough to make me walk out.

But I'm glad I snooped around because I found something that changed my life completely, and it's never been the same since then. It took me a while to figure out what was happening, but when I did, it felt like someone had slapped me across the face. Basically, she was cheating on me and had been for a while—but not just with anyone.

She was cheating on me with Colin. I have never felt the hurt I felt when I saw those texts. The two people who were supposed to be the closest to me were the ones doing me dirty in the worst possible way.

I couldn't believe what I read. It just made me want to sink to my knees and ball my eyes out. And that's when Shay entered the room and saw me with the phone.

She started yelling at me, telling me I had no business invading her privacy, but I just showed her which chat I had open, slammed the phone on the wall, and went outside. I think I walked for around three or four hours. She called.

. . Me a couple of times, but I didn't respond.

When she realized I wasn't going to talk to her, she made Colin call me. He called me once and then left a couple of texts saying things like "I want to explain" and "it's not what you think," but I wasn't having any of it. What I had seen was enough proof, and I wasn't going to deny my own eyes.

I went back home and texted Shay to collect her stuff from my place. The next day, she called me again, but I didn't answer. For the next few days, I was pretty numb; I wasn't talking to anyone.

She got her things and left without a fuss, which I was grateful for. Colin didn't try to get in touch after that, and how could he? What could he possibly have to say to me after what he'd done?

But I think a week or so later, I called up my parents and told them exactly what had happened. I also told them that Colin was dead to me and that I wouldn't be coming home when he was around. They were hurt by the situation, but they supported me.

Initially, they also took Colin to task and stood by me for the first few months. From what I know, Colin got really defensive and told them Shay and he were in love, but they weren't having any of it, and I'm very grateful for that. I just cut Colin off completely and went to therapy.

In therapy, I realized how toxic Shay was for me, and that's when I began to genuinely believe that God had actually saved me through this whole fiasco. Even though it hurt like hell, I moved on from that incident gradually, but I never forgave Colin and never spoke to him again. A few months later, I met Meg, and the rest is history.

We started dating, and it was easygoing and peaceful with her, unlike the drama-filled relationship I had with Shay. I didn't tell anyone in the family about Meg until a couple of years later when we had decided we wanted to get married. She knew all about my situation with Colin and that we were estranged, and she knew about my apprehensions of introducing her to my family.

When I introduced her to my parents and told them we were engaged, they were delighted. They were also relieved, I guess. They congratulated me on finding someone and said they were happy for me.

They also said to my face they were even happier because now we could be a real family again. I asked them what they meant by that, and my mother said that now that I had moved on from Shay and Colin and Shay weren't dating anymore, Colin and I could now put everything in the past and move forward as brothers. I was shocked and hurt that she could even suggest something like that, but I tried to be respectful and look at things from her perspective.

I told her that while I knew she thought the issue was automatically and miraculously resolved because I had moved on and Colin and Shay weren't dating anymore, the fact of the matter was that my brother went behind my back and slept with my girlfriend. I told Mom that there would never come a time that I would forgive him or that I would move past this. It wasn't about Shay; it was about how Colin could betray me like that.

Mom got angry when I said this and told me I had to realize that no matter what happens, Colin and I are family, and as brothers, we have to stick together no matter what. I told her this little family lesson should have been given to Colin too, that we stand by each other and remain loyal to each other no matter what. I told her he was the one who wronged me, and I was the victim, so I got to decide whether or not I wanted to forgive him.

It was getting pretty heated between Mom and me, and Dad came to my rescue. He told Mom to drop it and not force me to do something I wasn't comfortable with. Mom agreed, but I could tell she was salty about it.

Dinner was awkward, and Mom tried to rope in Meg and get her to make me see sense. Meg just said she believed I was capable of making decisions for myself and that I would forgive Colin in my own time, if that ever came. Mom was practically seething at this point.

I don't know why or how she thought I would just forget something like this and move on, but she had this fantasy image of how our family was and would be forever, and she did not want to accept that the farce was broken and there was no way now that the family would go back to the way it was all those years ago. Dad told Mom that there would be no further discussion on the topic, and she agreed. Things were tense between us for a while, but they got better gradually.

She didn't bring up Colin again and tried to be very mindful of boundaries, so I had no reason to complain. Little did I know, my parents were planning a little intervention and were all geared up to ruin my wedding. Mom was involved in the wedding planning, as was Meg's mom.

She knew how many guests were coming, the dress code, the preparations, and the like, much in advance. My dad wasn't very involved in the process. Mom did nothing suspicious during the entire planning period.

Colin was not mentioned even once. She even apologized to me, saying she shouldn't have pushed me so hard that day and that she had begun to believe there was a chance at reconciliation. Realized she was wrong because Colin had wronged me in the worst way possible, so there was no reason for me to suspect her or doubt her intentions.

But I was wrong. On the day of the wedding, my best man, Richard "Rick" (32M), a friend of mine from school, came running to me, saying there was a problem I needed to deal with right away. I asked him what was up, and he said that Mom and Dad had arrived at the venue with Colin and his wife.

I was livid. I told Rick to make them leave, and he said he tried to do everything without creating a scene, but they refused to budge. He told them Colin wasn't invited and that I would be furious upon seeing him, but my mom said they were family and Colin was my real brother, unlike Rick, and I would always choose Colin over Rick.

Yeah, right, Mom! Totally. I couldn't believe they had planned all this behind my back, and I needed an explanation from them immediately.

I called my dad and asked what the hell was happening. He said they didn't want the family to believe there was a rift between the two brothers, which is why they thought it was best to bring Colin and his wife along. He asked me to just put up a farce for a couple of hours; then they would leave and pretend nothing happened.

He said he knew I probably anticipated this, but it was in the best interest of everyone, and it wouldn't hurt me to play along for the sake of the family. I told him he had betrayed my trust, just like his beloved son, especially when he knew I wanted nothing to do with Colin. He told me to stop being dramatic and suck it up for one day.

I told him this one day was my wedding day, and he had no right to ruin it. He told me no one was ruining anything and that my flare for theatrics needed to be toned down a little bit. I should have asked him why this family pretense was so important to be done during my wedding when no one bothered to do the same for Colin's wedding.

I didn't even know he was married, but I was too furious to think straight, and all these ideas just popped into my head. Later, at the time, I was just feeling blind rage. I wanted to go over there, grab them by the collar, and throw them all out.

I didn't care if it would cause a scene, and I didn't care if it tarnished the family image; I just wanted them out. I couldn't think straight when Rick came to me with an idea that was much more vindictive and much less violent. He told me there was only one way to get back at everyone, and if I was okay with it, it could be done.

The idea seemed good to me, but it was also too much drama for a wedding, and I didn't want to ruin Meg's day as well. I told Rick I would think about it and let him know. The wedding went off without a hitch, but Meg had seen Colin and his wife and asked me what was up.

I told her in brief what had happened. Once the ceremony was over, I took her aside and asked if she was okay with me doing what Rick and I had planned. She was a little hesitant but said if that was what I needed to do to put my family in place, there was no better time or place than this, and that I had her complete support.

I thanked her. God, I love my wife! I told her to just sit back and enjoy the drama.

When close friends and family were seated together, some people got up to make a toast. Rick started the whole thing because our plan was for me to make a toast to Colin and tell everyone how it was because of him that I met my wife—because he slept with my ex-girlfriend, leading to a breakup. It would be brutal for Colin and for my parents because I would be detailing everything in my toast, but they deserved it.

Colin did for being a piece of [ __ ], and my parents did for having no regard for my feelings and the hurt I faced. They only cared about the image of the family and society, and I was going to tear both to shreds in front of the entire world for all to see. Once everyone was done saying things about Meg and me, I got up and said I had a toast to make too.

I don't remember what I said exactly, but I'll give you the gist. I started by saying I wanted to make a toast to my dear brother Colin. The minute I said that, he and my parents turned white as a sheet.

His wife, however, looked only confused, and I had a hunch she didn't know why Colin and I were estranged. To top it all off, she was heavily pregnant. That part made me mad too—why was he at my wedding, parading his pregnant wife around?

It seemed to me he just wanted to steal the thunder, nothing else. Anyway, I continued with my toast. I said Colin and I had been brothers for the longest time, and even though he stabbed me in the back in a way worse than an enemy, I still wanted to thank him because it was his betrayal that ultimately led me to Meg.

I went on to detail how I first found love as a 26-year-old man with a girl who wasn't right for me, but I was young and naive, so I overlooked all her flaws. It was only when she committed the worst act. .

. that I took the decision to leave her, and then I dropped the bomb on everyone present. I said my ex-girlfriend had cheated on me with my brother, and that was the last straw that made me break up with her, go on a journey of healing, and find my wife, Meg.

I didn't spare my parents either; I said I had held a grudge against Colin for the longest time, to the point that we hadn't been in contact for five years. But I was glad my parents had chosen to bring him and his wife in secret, so I could finally express my gratitude to Colin for doing what he did and orchestrating the right events in my life. I know my parents were humiliated, but that's what I wanted.

They had trampled over every single boundary of mine, and I was not about to let them off so easily. The gasps from the crowd were audible, and it looked as if my mother would start crying right there. There was no way to diffuse the situation; I had said it all for everyone to hear.

Colin's wife—I don't even know her name—was looking at him in disbelief, and Colin couldn't look up and meet anyone's eye. It was utterly embarrassing for him, and neither Rick nor Meg nor I did anything to make the situation less awkward. My parents were sitting there, staring at the ground; Dad was twiddling his fingers, and Mom was trying her hardest to stop crying, but even her faintest sniffles were audible.

The room was that quiet; I felt like I could hear my heartbeat in that eerie silence. I just sat down after my toast and started eating. Everyone was staring at Colin and my family, but nobody said anything.

Finally, it was his wife who got up, apologized on his behalf, and thanked us for having them and allowing them to be a part of the celebration, and then she stormed off. I kind of felt bad for subjecting her to this humiliation for no fault of hers, but I couldn't help it—I had to take Colin and my parents to task, and it's a shame she got caught in the crossfire. My parents and my dear brother left soon after, and only then did the real fun begin.

However, my parents, especially my mother, have bombarded me with texts saying I had no right to air the family's dirty laundry in public and that I had torn their dignity to shreds in front of everyone. I didn't respond because I wanted to enjoy at least some of my wedding. Mom has since then started texting Meg, and I know it's getting to her.

I told Meg to block Mom, but she just keeps texting her from new numbers or messaging her from new accounts on Instagram. All this negativity is affecting Meg poorly, and I feel bad that I subjected her to this. She doesn't deserve it; she's the one who saved me, and I've dragged her down to the dumps with me, and that's just not right.

I have asked Mom to stop involving Meg in the drama, but she says I was the one who involved her by causing that scene during the wedding, and now both Meg and I will have to face the repercussions of what I've done. I know it's no use arguing with my mother because she's stubborn, and nothing I say will make her see sense. Plus, I can't expect her to because what I did was vindictive.

I just feel bad that, because of my little revenge trip, my wife is suffering, and that's the last thing I want for her. I don't know how to get my mother off our backs, and I feel like I've caused more trouble than it's worth. Update one: I got a call from my SIL, Amy.

I didn't have her number, so I picked up. She was very nice and apologized profusely for calling without prior notice, but she said she wanted to meet me and hear my side of the story because what Colin had told her was very different. She begged me not to tell anyone in the family she was coming to meet me, and I told her that I don't talk to them anyway, so she was fine on that front.

Honestly, I was in two minds about this, but Meg said we needed to help her out because she was going to have a child and she deserved to know the kind of person Colin really was. Even though this is going to cause more trouble, I know Meg is right—Amy isn't at fault, and she needs to know the truth. I can't play a part in ruining her life when she's never wronged me.

I agreed to meet her, but I'm very nervous. This has spilled over far beyond what I had anticipated, and I think it's not going to end well for Colin. I don't feel bad for Colin; that piece of [ __ ] deserves every single bad thing coming his way.

I just don't want to be part of family drama again, and especially not drag Meg into it. I hope it goes well, though I know it won't. I saw Amy's reaction to the whole outburst during the wedding, and I know this drama won't end with me meeting her today.

Update two: The meeting went okay, I think. I felt so bad for her; she came alone, and she's pregnant. It seems like the baby will come any minute.

It looked as if she'd been crying. Thankfully, Meg was there too, so she eased the situation a little. I asked Amy if she had any questions, but she said she wanted to hear the whole story again.

I told her exactly what happened, how I found out, how I confronted him, and everything. I also told her. .

. How Mom was pestering me into making things normal between Colin and me because of family. I asked her what story Colin had told her, and she said Colin had said that Shay and I were friends, but Shay fell for him.

I couldn't accept that because I secretly had feelings for her all along, so I broke off my friendship with him. It was only a year after I stopped talking to her that Colin and she got together, and even then, just briefly. I told her that was a complete lie.

I don't know how long they dated because I never bothered to ask or find out. I asked her if my parents had told her the same story as Colin, but she said no. She said Colin had told her it was a very sensitive topic for the family, and since I had cut everyone off, my parents didn't like talking about me.

It was very rare for me to be mentioned whenever she met Mom and Dad. I asked her if they had invited her to the wedding, and she said it was mostly Mom pressing them to go. Amy said she didn't want to attend because they hadn't received an invite.

Plus, she knew about the bad blood between Colin and me. But Mom basically blackmailed both of them into attending. Colin didn't want to attend either.

She said Mom kept saying we needed to let bygones be bygones and be a family again for the baby. She thought maybe I had indicated to Mom that I wanted Colin to be there, so she never tried to confirm with me. Also, she never thought the reality would be so different that it would completely turn her life upside down.

I felt really bad for her, but there wasn't anything else I could do. I've told her to let me know if there's any way I can help her. I don't want her to suffer just because my brother is a horrid human being who not only betrays his brother but also lies to his wife.

I think she's going to go forward with a divorce because she seemed pretty upset about the whole thing. I just hope it works out for her; it's not easy being a single mom out there. Update 3: Amy has filed for divorce.

My dad called me up and informed me, and unlike Colin and my mother, he isn't blaming me for everything that transpired. He just said Colin was going through a rough time right now and he might try to call me and get in touch, but he's asked me to stay away. I told him I had been staying away until they decided to bring him along to my wedding.

He didn't say anything to that. Apparently, my mom and Colin are trying to get in touch with me, but they've been blocked everywhere, so I'm safe from their onslaught. I don't know the actual details of the divorce, but I do know Colin isn't taking it well because he really loves Amy.

I think karma has finally come back to bite him in the ass, and I can't help but feel a little smug about it all. I feel bad for Amy and Meg, and I think we're going to offer her help when the baby comes, but I don't feel an ounce of guilt or remorse for Colin. He deserves it.

He broke me once on purpose, and now he's broken himself. That's just how it is when you betray someone's trust and wrong them.