Tina writes about a painful conflict that arose as her stepdaughter Eve prepared for her wedding. Tina and her husband blended their families years ago, and she raised Eve alongside her own children, loving her as her own. When Eve asked to wear Tina’s wedding dress as a tribute, Tina was touched and initially willing. However, Eve then explained she wanted to significantly alter the dress. This put Tina in an impossible position, because years earlier she had promised her biological daughter that the dress would be saved for her wedding exactly as it was. Wanting to honor that promise, Tina gently told Eve she couldn’t lend her the dress. Eve appeared calm and accepting at the time, but the issue was far from over.

Soon after, Tina discovered that Eve had told the family a very different story, accusing her of favoritism and claiming she was being denied the dress because she wasn’t truly loved like a real daughter. The accusation spread quickly, turning Tina’s husband and extended family against her. Even when Tina’s daughter tried to explain the real reason, no one believed it. Overwhelmed and hurt, Tina lashed out in frustration and suggested Eve should have asked her biological mother instead, which only worsened the situation. Now Tina feels trapped between staying true to her promise and repairing her damaged family relationships. She insists she didn’t act out of favoritism, but she’s unsure how to make the family see the truth without betraying her daughter or escalating the conflict further.