A 9-Year-Old Girl Steals Her Mother’s Wedding Dress to Stop the Wedding — But Everything Changes When Her Mom Gets Sick
Susan Peterson was only 16 years old when she found out she was pregnant. She was so happy and thought her boyfriend James would be just as thrilled. She dreamed they would raise their baby daughter, Ruth, together as a happy family.
But her dreams broke apart quickly.
James didn’t want to be a father. He left Susan and Ruth behind. “I don’t want to take care of you or the baby,” he told Susan before walking away from their lives forever.
Susan, who had no family because she was an orphan, felt crushed and alone. But she didn’t give up. She worked very hard, finished school, and found a good job. She raised Ruth all by herself, loving her daughter with all her heart.
Ruth always wondered why she didn’t have a dad like other kids. One day, she asked Susan about it.
Susan looked into Ruth’s eyes and said gently, “Ruth, your father didn’t want to be with us. He left us. But that’s okay. You and I can be happy without him. We’re strong, and we have each other.”
Ruth nodded, but deep inside, she started to feel angry toward men. She thought all men were bad and would leave her mother just like her dad did. Because of that, Ruth hated it whenever her mother dated someone new.
One day, Susan brought home a man named Jeremy. “Mommy is dating him,” she told Ruth, trying to sound hopeful.
But Ruth didn’t like Jeremy at all. She hated him.
At dinner, Ruth scooted closer to her mother, making sure Jeremy couldn’t sit next to Susan. She wanted to keep Jeremy away from her mom.
Later that night, Susan went to Ruth’s room and sat beside her. “Honey, I have something important to tell you,” she said softly. “Jeremy and I really like each other. We want to get married. But we wanted to tell you first.”
Ruth’s face scrunched up. “I don’t like him, Mommy,” she snapped. “All men are bad. He’s just like Dad. He’ll leave you, and you’ll be sad.”
“Oh, Ruth,” Susan said as she hugged her tightly. “Jeremy isn’t like that. He’s a wonderful man who loves you. He came here today because he wanted to meet you. Mommy loves him, just like I love you.”
“But, Mom,” Ruth whispered, “I don’t want you to be sad.”
Susan smiled gently, brushing Ruth’s hair away. “Mommy will be happy with him, and so will you. Won’t you try to like him if Mommy says she likes him?”
Ruth hesitated, then said quietly, “Okay, Mommy. If you like him, he must be nice. But I don’t want you to marry him.”
“We’re not getting married anytime soon,” Susan assured her. “We still have a whole month. Jeremy wants to spend time with you before the wedding. Is that okay?”
Ruth mumbled, “Yes, Mom,” but her heart was still full of doubt.
Even though Jeremy was kind and patient, Ruth never fully trusted him. She thought he was just pretending to be nice, waiting to marry her mom and then leave her like Dad did.
So Ruth made a secret plan.
The Plan to Stop the Wedding
On the morning of the wedding, just hours before it was supposed to start, Ruth told her mom, “I’m going to play in the garden.”
She had overheard Susan on the phone saying her wedding dress would arrive around 11 a.m. Ruth waited outside near the door. When the parcel arrived, she grabbed it and ran as fast as she could to a nearby salon.
Ruth remembered seeing on TV how girls got their hair and makeup done at salons before weddings. She thought people at the salon might want to buy a wedding dress.
At the salon, she walked up to the receptionist and said nervously, “Hi, my name is Ruth. Can you please buy this dress from me?”
The receptionist looked confused. “You’re very young to be selling a wedding gown. What’s going on?”
Ruth’s voice was serious. “It’s not for me. It’s my mom’s dress. If you don’t buy it, I can’t save her. I don’t want Mommy to be sad.”
The receptionist looked worried. “Why will your mom be sad if she gets married?”
Before Ruth could answer, the salon manager, Mrs. Anderson, came in. She recognized Ruth immediately. Susan was a regular customer there.
“Hi, Ruth! What are you doing here alone? Where’s your mom?” Mrs. Anderson asked.
Ruth looked down and said, “Can you please buy this dress? I don’t want Mommy to get married.”
Mrs. Anderson shared a quick glance with her receptionist, confused but touched by Ruth’s words. She smiled gently and said, “Okay, Ruth. I’ll buy the dress. Would you like some cookies and milk while you’re here?”
Ruth shook her head. “No, I have to get home before Mommy finds out I sold her dress.”
Mrs. Anderson knelt to Ruth’s level. “Why did you sell the dress? You can tell me. I promise I won’t tell your mom.”
Ruth’s eyes brightened. “Really?”
“Yes!” Mrs. Anderson said kindly. “You don’t have to keep this secret alone.”
Ruth took a deep breath and told her everything: how she was afraid Jeremy would hurt her mom, how she wanted to stop the wedding, and how she only wanted her mom to be happy.
Mrs. Anderson felt sad for Susan and worried for Ruth. After sending Ruth home safely, she called Susan right away.
Susan was frantic. The wedding was supposed to start soon, but Ruth and the dress were both missing!
Jeremy was just as worried. Susan and Jeremy had started asking neighbors about Ruth and were ready to call the police.
When Mrs. Anderson told Susan what happened, she was shocked and angry. But she didn’t tell Ruth how she found out.
“Ruth, what on earth happened? Everyone was waiting at the church, but I had to cancel the wedding because you disappeared! Jeremy was so disappointed. He just left to handle all the cancellations. Where did you go?” Susan demanded.
Ruth looked scared. “Mommy, I was just playing…”
“Tell me the truth, Ruth! Where did you go?”
Ruth realized she couldn’t lie anymore. Tears filled her eyes as she told her mom everything about selling the dress and trying to stop the wedding.
Susan was furious. She locked herself in her room and told Ruth not to come near her.
Ruth felt terrible. “I’m sorry, Mommy,” she whispered, knocking on the door.
“No! Leave me alone!” Susan yelled.
Ruth went back to her room, crying softly.
Later that evening, Ruth tried again. “Mommy, are you still mad? I’m sorry.”
There was no answer.
Then Jeremy came home. Ruth opened the door, tears streaming down her face.
“What’s wrong, Ruth?” Jeremy asked gently.
She pointed to Susan’s room.
Jeremy knocked several times. When there was no answer, he opened the door carefully—and found Susan unconscious on the floor.
Jeremy scooped Susan up in his arms and rushed her to the hospital with Ruth following close behind.
The doctors said Susan had collapsed from stress.
Jeremy stayed by Susan’s bedside all night, holding her hand. When he left to get some water, he told Ruth, “Stay here with your mom, okay?”
Ruth nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Mommy. I’m a bad girl. You got sick because of me. I promise I will never do that again.”
Outside the ward, Jeremy heard Ruth’s soft voice.
“Please wake up, Mommy! I’m sorry! You promised to make a dress for my fancy dress competition. It’s only two days away. Please wake up!”
Ruth’s sobs echoed in the quiet hospital hallway.
Jeremy comforted her, saying, “Mommy will be fine. Don’t worry.” Then he took Ruth home to rest.
The next day, Jeremy visited Susan in the hospital and told her what had happened. He asked her to forgive Ruth.
“She’s just a child,” Jeremy said softly. “She’s scared and doesn’t know how to handle this. We need to take it slow.”
Susan nodded, her eyes tired but understanding.
When Ruth visited Susan that day, Susan smiled and hugged her. “I’m sorry for scolding you, honey. Mommy won’t be angry anymore.”
Ruth smiled back, wiping her tears. “I’m sorry too, Mommy. Can we go home now?”
Jeremy gently explained, “Not yet, Ruth. Mommy needs to stay here and get stronger. We’ll see her again tomorrow.”
“Okay, Mommy. Bye!” Ruth said as she left with Jeremy.
The next day, Ruth was in for a wonderful surprise.
Susan showed her a beautiful dress and said, “I remembered your fancy dress competition is tomorrow.”
Ruth’s eyes lit up. “Wow! It’s so pretty! But… who made it?”
Susan smiled. “Jeremy made it for you. He overheard you talking about needing a dress, and he stayed up all night sewing it.”
Ruth was amazed. She turned to Jeremy, who was standing nearby, and said shyly, “Thank you, Dad. I know now you’re nice, and you’ll never leave me. You care for Mommy and me, and I love you.”
Jeremy’s eyes filled with tears. “Susan… she just called me Dad.”
Susan smiled softly, feeling hope for the first time in a long while.
From that day on, Ruth and Jeremy became closer than ever. Susan was relieved her daughter had finally learned to trust men again.
Susan and Jeremy planned to marry at the end of the month. And the person who was the happiest of all about the wedding? Little Ruth herself.
What can we learn from this story?
Children need patience and understanding. Jeremy knew Ruth wouldn’t accept him right away, so he was gentle and took things slowly. That kindness helped them build trust.
Letting go of the past is hard, but it is possible. Ruth learned that not all men are bad, even though her father left her and her mom. With time, she found a new family where love and trust grew again.
