I Helped Plan My SIL’s Wedding, Baked the Cake, Paid for the Catering – Then Found Out on the Wedding Day I Wasn’t Invited

Dahlia pours her heart into planning her brother’s wedding. From designing the invitation to booking vendors to even baking the perfect cake. But on the big day, she discovers a brutal betrayal: she’s not invited. As secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, Dahlia must decide if some betrayals deserve forgiveness… or just a slice of revenge.

I’ve never been the kind of person to hold a grudge.

But I can say, without hesitation, that I will never forgive Claire for what she did to me.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

When my brother, Liam, got engaged, I was happy for him. Sure, Claire wasn’t my favorite person in the world. She had an edge to her, a way of making every conversation feel like a subtle competition.

But she seemed to love my brother.

And Liam? He was smitten.

A man holding a ring box | Source: Midjourney

A man holding a ring box | Source: Midjourney

So, when Claire begged me to help plan the wedding, I agreed. Not for her. But for Liam.

I helped design the invitations. I booked vendors. I coordinated the venue. And I even paid for catering and the wedding cake.

I spent weeks pouring my heart into their wedding. And I had no idea what Claire was planning behind my back.

A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

I tapped my pen against the edge of my desk, staring down at the sketches in front of me. Flour-dusted pages filled with delicate designs, tiers of smooth fondant, cascading sugar flowers, and intricate piping details.

The wedding cake had to be perfect.

I flipped through ideas, frowning.

Classic vanilla? Too boring.

Red velvet? Claire hated it.

A display of wedding cakes | Source: Midjourney

A display of wedding cakes | Source: Midjourney

My pencil hovered over the page before I scribbled down the only choice that felt right.

Chocolate-peanut butter cake.

My lip twitched into a small smile. It was Liam’s favorite.

I could still picture us as kids, sitting on the kitchen floor, legs crossed as we licked chocolate frosting off the beaters. Our mom would make chocolate-peanut butter cupcakes every time Liam had a big event.

Cupcakes on a kitchen counter | Source: Midjourney

Cupcakes on a kitchen counter | Source: Midjourney

Birthdays, soccer games, even the time he got a participation trophy in third grade. He used to sneak into the kitchen and swipe extra spoonfuls of peanut butter frosting straight from the bowl.

“Best flavor in the world,” he’d say, licking it off his fingers.

A boy holding a cupcake | Source: Midjourney

A boy holding a cupcake | Source: Midjourney

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. Claire would probably want something fancy and pretentious. Some overpriced, trendy cake with sugared roses or some fancy French technique she found online.

But if I was pouring my heart into this cake, I wanted Liam to taste something familiar.

Something that felt like home.

A fancy wedding cake | Source: Midjourney

A fancy wedding cake | Source: Midjourney

I pressed my pen into the paper, writing the final flavor choice in ink.

And then I exhaled, stretching my fingers. My fingers still ached from this morning’s baking.

A reminder of how far I’d come. A reminder of how much it had cost me.

A woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney

A woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney

My bakery was my dream. My entire world. And for a while, I thought my marriage had been, too.

I swallowed hard, my eyes flicking to the stack of unopened letters on the corner of my desk. Useless apologies from my ex-husband, the divorce lawyer’s final bills, and, of course, inventory of all my stock.

I had loved my husband. Deeply. And for a while, I thought he had loved me, too.

The exterior of a bakery | Source: Midjourney

The exterior of a bakery | Source: Midjourney

But in the end, he had only loved what I built. The successful business. The prestige of being married to a pastry chef whose cakes and pastries were featured in magazines.

Not me.

And the day I finally realized that? It broke me. And I felt I had no choice but to leave him. Either that or be his private bank.

I squeezed my eyes shut, inhaling deeply.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

Not now, Dahlia. This is about Liam.

I squared my shoulders and picked up my pen again.

Focus.

Because no matter what, Liam deserved a perfect wedding cake. Even if I didn’t believe in happy endings anymore.

A woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney

A woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney

The morning of the wedding, I stood in the venue’s kitchen, carefully piping the final details onto the cake.

Guests were arriving, laughter spilling in from the grand hall. My heart swelled, knowing that I had helped bring this entire event together.

Then, my mom stormed in, her face like thunder.

“Sweetheart…” she hesitated, her hands gripping the kitchen counter. “You’re not on the guest list.”

An upset woman standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney

I let out a small laugh.

“What? That’s ridiculous. I’m literally holding their wedding cake.”

Mom’s face remained serious.

“Claire’s mom is checking the guest list. She says you’re not invited. And she won’t let you in.”

An upset woman standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney

My stomach dropped.

I set the piping bag down, my hands suddenly unsteady.

“Did she say why? What do you mean?”

Mom clenched her jaw.

“She refuses to explain.”

A person holding a piping bag | Source: Midjourney

A person holding a piping bag | Source: Midjourney

A ringing noise filled my ears. I had spent months helping Claire plan this wedding. Months. And she didn’t even have the decency to tell me herself?

Mom was seething. Without another word, she stormed out to find Liam.

As for me?

I wiped my hands clean, pulled off my apron, and walked out of the side exit.

Broken.

The rear view of a woman | Source: Midjourney

The rear view of a woman | Source: Midjourney

Mom caught Liam just before the ceremony. He was adjusting his tie, smiling, completely unaware of what was happening.

“Liam,” she snapped. “Do you know that Claire didn’t invite your sister?”

Liam froze. His smile vanished.

An upset woman standing in a wedding venue | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman standing in a wedding venue | Source: Midjourney

“Wait. What? Why?”

“She won’t say. But she’s making sure Dahlia isn’t allowed inside. How can you allow that? She’s your sister!”

Liam’s face darkened. Without hesitation, he turned on his heel and marched straight to Claire.

A side-view of a groom | Source: Midjourney

A side-view of a groom | Source: Midjourney

Claire stood with her bridesmaids, basking in their compliments and practically glowing in her lace-covered gown.

She barely even looked up when Liam approached.

“Claire,” Liam said, his voice hard. “Did you seriously not invite my sister?”

A smiling bride | Source: Midjourney

A smiling bride | Source: Midjourney

Claire sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Ugh, babe. Not now,” she said. “Can we not do this on our wedding day?”

Liam didn’t move at all.

“Answer me.”

She huffed, clearly annoyed.

“Look, she helped us. So what? That was her gift to us. And honestly, let’s face it, it’s her job, too.”

A pensive groom | Source: Midjourney

A pensive groom | Source: Midjourney

Liam stared at her in disbelief.

“She paid for the food, Claire. She spent days baking the cake! And you just… what? Pretended she didn’t exist?”

Claire let out a dramatic sigh.

“Fine. You wanna know the reason? I didn’t want divorced people at our wedding. It’s bad energy, especially for the bride! I don’t want that kind of luck in our marriage! I didn’t invite a lot of my friends and cousins.”

A close up of a bride | Source: Midjourney

A close up of a bride | Source: Midjourney

Liam’s jaw clenched.

“So you excluded my sister because she got a divorce?”

Claire shrugged.

“I mean… come on. It’s not my fault she couldn’t make it work. Why bring that kind of vibe to our day? And don’t be mad at me for just trying to stay happy? I’m superstitious, Liam! How do you not know this!?”

Liam fisted his hands at his sides, his entire body rigid with anger.

An upset groom | Source: Midjourney

An upset groom | Source: Midjourney

“Marriages don’t fail because of ‘bad vibes,’ Claire. They fail because of selfish, cruel behavior. Like this!”

Claire’s smug expression faltered.

“Liam, don’t be dramatic. You’re seriously making a scene over this? You’re lucky I even let her help. I did her a favor.”

Liam stared at her for a long, cold moment.

A close up of a groom | Source: Midjourney

A close up of a groom | Source: Midjourney

“You know what? You’re right,” he said calmly. “I don’t want bad energy at my wedding either.”

Claire frowned.

“Oh, so you understand what I mean?” she asked.

“No, I don’t,” he said. “Actually, I’m done. Just completely done.”

Liam wasn’t listening anymore. He turned on his heel and walked straight to the catering table.

Gasps filled the room as Liam grabbed the cake, but no one dared to stop him.

A wedding cake | Source: Midjourney

A wedding cake | Source: Midjourney

I was already home, curled up on the couch in stunned silence, when the doorbell rang.

I opened it to find Liam standing there, still in his suit, holding the wedding cake. For a second, neither of us spoke. His face was a mix of exhaustion and something heavier.

“I’m sorry you wasted your time and money on that wedding,” he said, his voice rough. “I’ll make her compensate you. But more than that…”

A woman standing in her doorway | Source: Midjourney

A woman standing in her doorway | Source: Midjourney

My brother exhaled, shaking his head.

“Thank you. Because without you, I might never have seen Claire for who she really is.”

My throat tightened.

Liam had always been my big brother. The one who looked out for me. And today, when it really mattered… he chose me.

A man standing on a porch | Source: Midjourney

A man standing on a porch | Source: Midjourney

I stepped aside, and he walked in, setting the cake down on my coffee table.

For a long moment, we just stared at it.

Then Liam let out a breathless laugh.

“You know, I haven’t eaten all day.”

I grabbed two forks.

“Then let’s fix that.”

An open cutlery drawer | Source: Midjourney

An open cutlery drawer | Source: Midjourney

We sat on the floor, still in formal clothes, digging straight into the wedding cake like a couple of sugar-starved kids.

Liam took one bite, then froze. His eyes flicked to mine, a soft, almost broken sound escaping his throat.

“Chocolate-peanut butter,” he murmured.

“Yeah,” I swallowed thickly.

He stared at his fork, shaking his head.

A slice of cake | Source: Midjourney

A slice of cake | Source: Midjourney

“You made this for me,” he said.

It wasn’t a question. Just a quiet realization.

“Of course, I did, Liam.”

Liam pressed his lips together, nodding slowly. He took another bite, chewing carefully, like he was tasting more than just cake. Like he was remembering home.

A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney

A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney

After a moment, he cleared his throat.

“You know… if this was the wedding cake, I guess that means I got the best part of today.”

I blinked. He exhaled.

“I walked away from someone who didn’t respect me. From a future that would have been miserable.”

He looked at me then, his voice quiet but sure.

“But I still have you.”

“Always,” I whispered.

A woman sitting on the floor | Source: Midjourney

A woman sitting on the floor | Source: Midjourney

I was in my office, running my fingers over the edge of a new cake design, when I heard a soft knock on the door.

For a second, I thought I imagined it.

Then, it came again. Tentative. Hesitant.

I exhaled, already tired.

A woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney

A woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney

“Come in,” I called.

The door creaked open, and there she was.

Claire.

She looked… different. Not polished. Not smug. Just pale, uneasy, and carrying the kind of sadness that weighed down her shoulders.

I didn’t stand. I didn’t offer her a seat.

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A woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney

A woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney

I just folded my arms and waited.

“Hey.”

“You lost?” I raised an eyebrow.

She flinched but nodded, like she deserved that.

“No. I… I wanted to see you.”

I tilted my head, studying her.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

“I can’t imagine why.”

Claire swallowed, staring down at her hands.

“Liam won’t talk to me. Won’t see me… He…” Her voice caught, and for a split second, I saw genuine regret in her eyes.

But it didn’t move me.

She took a breath, trying again.

A man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

A man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

“I messed up. I…” She exhaled sharply. “I was awful to you, Dahlia. I was selfish and cruel, and I…”

Her fingers twisted together.

“I never meant for things to go this way.”

I laughed, short and humorless.

“Really? Because it felt intentional.”

A frowning woman | Source: Midjourney

A frowning woman | Source: Midjourney

Claire winced.

“I thought…” she hesitated. “I thought I could control everything. That if I just pushed hard enough, I’d get my perfect day. And instead? I ruined everything.”

I didn’t say a word.

She glanced at me then, eyes uncertain.

“I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But I wanted to…”

“Stop,” my voice was flat. “You don’t get to want anything from me, Claire.”

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

She swallowed hard.

I stood.

“You used me. Lied to me. Now, get out of my bakery.”

She hesitated. Then nodded once and turned toward the door.

She paused, her hand on the handle.

“I really am sorry.”

I didn’t answer. And a moment later, she was gone.

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

Marianne’s stepsisters have been stealing from her for months. From money to respect to her sense of security in her own home. Her mother won’t listen. Her stepfather won’t believe her. But Marianne refuses to stay powerless. With one ruthless plan, she turns the tables… and ensures that they never take from her again.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

50 Iconic and Rare Historical Photographs

We at HistoryColored have decided to curate 50 interesting, rare and iconic photos from history. There are many reasons why a photograph may be featured on this list. Some of the reasons include: it was the first time something was ever captured on camera, it shows a famous figure from history, the image depicts an important historical event, it is a “rare” photo that does not get shared as much as it should, or it is an “iconic” historical photo. It may not fall under any of these categories but can still be featured in this list for a different reason.

These photographs are in no particular order. They have been curated and added to the list over a long period of time, so no decision was taken on how they should be ordered. Be sure to take the time to check out every historical photograph featured on this list!

As well as this list, be sure to check out the other photos featured on HistoryColored!

1. The First Photograph Ever Taken, 1826 or 1827

The first photograph in history, the view from a window at Le Gras in 1826 or 1827.
The oldest surviving photograph to exist. It was taken by pioneer photographer, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. The scene depicts a view from a window in Nicéphore Niépce’s estate known as Le Gras in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, Bourgogne, France in 1826 or 1827. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

2. General William Tecumseh Sherman, circa 1865

Side profile photograph of General William Tecumseh Sherman in his Union Army military uniform in c. 1865
Side profile of Union Army Major General, and the Commanding General of the US Army, William Tecumseh Sherman, in his Union Army military uniform in circa 1865. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

3. Dali Atomicus, 1948

Salvador Dali suspended in mid air along with other objects within the iconic photograph Dali Atomicus taken in 1948
The photographic artwork by Philippe Halsman called “Dali Atomicus” showing three cats water, an easel, a chair, and Salvador Dalí all frozen in mid-air, 1948. This was the 28th attempt at taking this photograph. Credit: Library of Congress // Public Domain

4. The Solvay Conference on Quantum Mechanics, 1927

Key attendees of the 1927 Solvay conference photographed sitting down and in suits. The names are Auguste Piccard, Émile Henriot, Paul Ehrenfest, Édouard Herzen, Théophile de Donder, Erwin Schrödinger, Jules-Émile Verschaffelt, Wolfgang Pauli, Werner Heisenberg, Ralph Howard Fowler, Léon Brillouin,
Peter Debye, Martin Knudsen, William Lawrence Bragg, Hendrik Anthony Kramers, Paul Dirac, Arthur Compton, Louis de Broglie, Max Born, Niels Bohr,
Irving Langmuir, Max Planck, Marie Skłodowska Curie, Hendrik Lorentz, Albert Einstein, Paul Langevin, Charles Eugène Guye, Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Owen Willans Richardson
The 1927 Solvay Conference on Quantum Mechanics at the Institut International de Physique Solvay in Brussels, Belgium. This image features many of the greatest scientists in modern history. Some of those that you may recognize are: Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Max Planck, Niels Bohr, and Auguste Piccard. See the full list of names here. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

5. King George V & Tsar Nicholas II Together, 1913

Nicholas II of Russia photographed alongside similar looking and cousin King George V of the United Kingdom, while wearing military uniform.
First cousins and royals Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (left) & King George V of the United Kingdom (right) photographed together wearing military uniforms in Berlin, Germany, 1913. Credit: Library of Congress // Public Domain

6. The Manhattan Bridge Under Construction, 1909

Photographs of the Manhattan Bridge under construction. You can see the layout of the bridge but there is still a lot to build. March 23 1909.
The construction of the Manhattan Bridge on the East River in New York City. This photograph was taken on March 23, 1909. The bridge finished construction in 1909 and first opened up on the 31st of December 1909. Credit: Library of Congress // Public Domain

7. Soviet Prisoner of War, 1940

An injured Prisoner of War from the Soviet Union with a bandage around his bloody head, with clothing wrapped around his body. He looks cold as he is near the Arctic Circle where temperatures can get to -43 degrees Celsius
An injured Soviet Prisoner of War (POW) dressed in new clothes near the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finland, during the Winter War on the 6th of January 1940. Credit: Military Museum of Finland // CC BY 4.0

8. Dr. Wernher von Braun with 5 F-1 Engines

Aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun standing next to five F-1 rocket engines in 1969.
Dr. Wernher von Braun, an aerospace engineer that was a leading figure in Nazi German rocket technology, and then United States rocket technology, photographed standing in front of five F-1 rocket engines in circa 1969. Credit: Wikimedia Commons // Public Domains

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