I pointed out that for our mom, the day was already “ruined.” Celine insisted it wasn’t a “scam.” She explained that Gavin wanted her to have the big wedding she missed out on the first time, to make it “real. For everyone. Not just paperwork.” While I had my doubts, I chose to believe her.
The next day, our mom was heartbroken. She had always dreamed of walking her daughters down the aisle and felt she had been shut out of the true beginning of Celine’s marriage. Even our dad’s attempts to cheer her up didn’t work.
A few weeks later, I received a surprising email. It was from a woman named Tamra, with the subject line: “URGENT – Regarding Gavin J.” The message was short but chilling:
“You don’t know me, but I thought you deserved to know: Gavin is still legally married. To me.”
I was stunned. I replied, thinking there must be a mistake. Tamra’s quick response confirmed my worst fears: “I married Gavin in 2020. He promised it was for immigration, too. Said it would be annulled. But it never was. He ghosted me.” She had found Celine’s wedding photos online and realized he had done it all over again.
I immediately called Celine. “Did you ever see a divorce certificate? From his last marriage?”
“What? He told me there wasn’t one—because it was annulled!” she cried.
The truth came out. We checked legal records and confirmed that Tamra was right. Gavin was still legally married to her, which made his marriage to Celine invalid. He had lied to both women.
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