My groom, still holding me close, turned to his mother with a stern expression. “Mom, this is not how I wanted this day to go,” he said, his voice firm but filled with disappointment. “You owe her an apology.”

The mother-in-law’s face turned from smug satisfaction to one of embarrassment. The power of the crowd’s support had turned the tide, and she suddenly found herself the focus of judgment. Her cheeks flushed, and she mumbled a begrudging apology, though her eyes still held a shadow of defiance.

But it wasn’t her apology that mattered anymore. What mattered was the unexpected outpouring of love and solidarity from the people around me. The guests, one by one, began to clap, a slow and steady rhythm that built into a crescendo, their smiles and nodding heads communicating far more than words ever could. I felt a warmth spread through me as I realized that I was not alone.