I never expected to find a hearse at my wedding, much less one driven by my mother-in-law Linda. But there she was, rolling up to our ceremony in a polished black funeral vehicle, ready to deliver what she called a “special gift.”
You know those moments in life that are so absurd you wonder if you’re dreaming? Well, my wedding day turned into one of those moments. And trust me, no amount of wedding planning could have prepared me for what happened.
A bride looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
My fiancé, Ben, and I always wanted a dreamy summer wedding. We’ve been together since high school and our wedding day was something I’d been looking forward to for years.
As I stared into his eyes standing under a white flower arch, I couldn’t believe this was really happening. I couldn’t believe we were about to begin a new chapter of our lives.
Ben’s hands were warm in mine as he read his vows, his voice soft with emotion. “Molly, from the moment we met…”
HONK! HONNNNNK!
A couple holding hands | Source: Pexels
The sound cut through our ceremony like a knife.
Two hundred heads turned toward the gravel path leading to our outdoor venue. That’s when we saw a massive black hearse crawling toward us.
“Oh God,” Ben whispered, his face draining of color. “Please tell me that’s not…”
“Your mother? Of course, it is,” I muttered, watching Linda’s dramatic entrance unfold.
This was classic Linda.
I still remember the first time I witnessed one of her dramatic displays. It was our freshman year of high school.
A school hallway | Source: Pexels
Linda had hired an entire mariachi band to follow Ben through the hallways all day because he’d forgotten to call her during his weekend at his dad’s. It was her way to teach him a lesson and show her importance.
I can still picture Ben’s mortified face as the band serenaded him in the cafeteria, trumpets blaring while Linda stood in the doorway ‘conducting’ them with dramatic flourishes.
Who could’ve guessed that the red-faced boy trying to disappear behind his math textbook would become my husband?
A young boy standing in his classroom | Source: Midjourney
This wasn’t the only time she’d been super dramatic. I can never forget what she did at our engagement party last year.
She showed up in a floor-length white wedding gown, donning a tiara and a cathedral veil.
When my mom politely asked about her choice of attire, Linda blinked innocently and said, “Oh, I thought we were supposed to wear what we’ll wear to the wedding.”
Yeah, right, I thought when Mom told me about her response.
She spent the entire evening twirling around, showing off the dress’s ‘superior quality’ compared to the one I’d chosen for my wedding day.
A close-up shot of a white gown | Source: Pexels
But what she did this time was something totally different.
“Maybe she’ll just park and quietly join the ceremony,” Ben’s sister Melissa whispered behind me as we looked at the car.
I almost laughed.
Linda? Quiet? The woman had spent the last three years making sure everyone knew exactly how she felt about me. How could she just quietly join our wedding ceremony this time?
A hearse | Source: Midjourney
The hearse’s brakes squealed as it stopped right beside the flower-lined aisle. Linda emerged wearing a floor-length black dress and dark sunglasses, looking like the widow in a 1950s murder mystery.
“Did you know she’d wear this today?” Ben asked as he squeezed my hand.
“No,” I replied, watching his mother’s theatrical exit from the vehicle. “But honestly, I’m surprised she didn’t hire professional mourners to follow her around wailing.”
Ben tried to suppress a smile, but I could see the tension in his jaw.
A groom at his wedding | Source: Midjourney
His mother’s financial hold over him had always been her favorite weapon. Those college loans she’d paid for came with strings attached. Strings she loved to pull whenever Ben showed signs of breaking free.
Linda glided down the aisle like she was leading a funeral procession. She paused dramatically in front of our officiant, dabbing at her eyes with a black lace handkerchief.
“I just want everyone to know,” she announced, her voice trembling with fake emotion, “that this IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!”
An older woman in a black dress | Source: Midjourney
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. I heard my aunt Martha mutter, “Oh, for heaven’s sake.”
“Mom,” Ben started, but Linda held up her hand.
“No, Benjamin, let me finish,” she said.
Then, she turned to address our guests.
“To me, this is like… like a death in the family.” She pressed the handkerchief to her heart. “But I did bring a ‘special gift’ for the occasion. It’s in the back of the hearse. You’ll want to see it.”
A woman standing at her son’s wedding | Source: Midjourney
“Linda,” Ben’s aunt called out, “That’s enough.”
But Linda was already striding back to the hearse, her heels clicking against the gravel. The guests watched in horrified fascination as she threw open the back doors.
“Is that…” I squinted. “Is that a coffin?”
Sure enough, Linda was now dragging out an enormous black coffin adorned with a massive white bow.
Several guests started recording on their phones because this looked like something they wanted to post on social media. It had the potential to go viral.
A man holding his phone | Source: Pexels
“What the…” Ben mumbled, feeling helpless. “How could she—”
“Inside this coffin,” Linda declared, patting its glossy surface, “is something that represents the ‘death’ of my dreams for my son. The end of everything I’d hoped for him.”
Then, she looked at me and said, “And also for what he deserves.”
With theatrical timing, she flung open the coffin lid. Inside lay a massive wreath and a note that read, Here lies Ben’s happiness — forever lost.
A note | Source: Midjourney
That’s when someone in the back snorted, and suddenly everyone started laughing.
I should’ve felt embarrassed watching all my friends and family laughing at Linda’s exaggerated entry, but I didn’t. Instead, I felt a wave of anger rush through my veins.
What she just did reminded me of all the times I’d let her passive-aggressive comments slide and ignored how she mistreated me in front of her family members.
A woman standing outdoors | Source: Midjourney
I didn’t even say anything to her when she showed up in that white gown at our engagement party. I stayed quiet for Ben’s sake, but this time, I knew I had to speak up.
This time, I knew she had crossed all limits.
I looked at Ben, silently asking permission to do what I wanted. He met my eyes and gave a slight nod. His expression told me he was so done with his mother’s controlling behavior.
Enough was enough.
A bride standing outdoors | Source: Midjourney
I took a deep breath and walked over to Linda as she stood beside her ridiculous coffin. I could see everyone’s eyes on me as I approached her.
“You know what, Linda?” I said, making sure my voice carried. “You’re absolutely right. Something does need to be put to rest today.”
“I know darling,” she smiled, unaware of what I’d say next. “I’m always right.”
“The idea that you have any control over Ben’s life… that needs to be put to rest,” I said. “Enough of the controlling behavior, Linda.”
A bride looking at her mother-in-law | Source: Midjourney
Her mouth dropped open in outrage.
Before she could speak, I reached into my bouquet and pulled out the black permanent marker I’d tucked there for the guest book.
With deliberate strokes, I wrote across the coffin lid, RIP MIL Control.
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
Then, I watched as Ben joined me and took the marker from my hand. He added two words on the lid, Forever Free.
Linda lunged for the marker, but Ben held it out of reach.
A man looking down | Source: Midjourney
“You’re right, Mom,” he said, his voice firm but calm. “Something has to end here. Your manipulation stops now.”
“If that’s how you feel,” Linda spat, “don’t expect to see a dime of your inheritance. I’m done with both of you.”
That was classic Linda behavior. She was never ready to accept her mistake or apologize. All she knew was how to control her son and act like she was the most important person in the world.
A woman at her son’s wedding | Source: Midjourney
Ben and I watched as she stormed back to the hearse, leaving the coffin behind. The tires spun on gravel as she sped away.
At that point, we both knew what her departure meant. She’d do everything to ensure none of their connections would help Ben with his career. We also knew we wouldn’t have access to the money in their joint bank accounts.
Honestly, I thought Ben would try to apologize to her, but what he said next made me realize I was marrying the right man.
A groom looking at the bride | Source: Midjourney
“I know she’ll try to cut us off, but I don’t care. No money is worth dealing with that,” he looked straight into my eyes. “I’d rather build from scratch with you than live under her control.”
We finished our vows right there, next to that ridiculous coffin, and honestly? It felt perfect.
However, this isn’t where the story ends.
A month after our wedding, Linda’s creative accounting at the family business came to light. Her dramatic exit at our wedding prompted some relatives to finally speak up about her sketchy financial dealings.
A close-up shot of a report | Source: Pexels
Soon after the investigation began, the authorities found proof that Linda had been funneling funds from the family business for years.
As a result, her assets were frozen, and she was kicked out of the business. She lost most of the money she thought was under her control.
A few days later, my phone rang with her name flashing on the screen.
“You need to convince Ben to help me,” she said in a polite tone. “I could lose everything, Molly. Please help me.”
“Sorry, Linda,” I replied, feeling lighter than air. “But like you said, we’re done with you.”
A woman using her phone | Source: Unsplash
In the following months, Ben and I built our life together, free from her manipulation.
And that coffin? We turned it into the centerpiece of our garden, filled with bright, blooming flowers. They reminded us that sometimes the best things grow from letting go of toxic ties.
Do you think I did the right thing by speaking up at my wedding? What would you have done if you were in my shoes?
If you enjoyed reading this story, here’s another one you might like: Lily and Mark sat in the darkened room, waiting, their faces lit only by the flicker of candles. Tonight wasn’t just Halloween. It was the night they’d finally reveal the truth, and each passing second brought Carla closer to the moment they’d prepared for.
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.
‘American Pickers’ Frank Fritz put under guardianship – things started going downhill after bad engagement – Latest news!
We occasionally follow paths in life that we never would have imagined. Although Frank Fritz was a well-liked character on television, he was going through a lot in his personal life.
This is his tragic tale…
Longtime partner of Frank Fritz was Diann Bankson. His tumultuous split from her resulted in his drinking, unemployment, and even a medical emergency. Although the two are now permanently apart, their time spent together left a lasting impression on them both.]
At the age of 25, Frank Fritz, the host of “American Pickers,” first laid eyes on Diann Bankson. The pair intermittently dated before being engaged in 2017. They moved in together after purchasing an Iowa farmhouse a year later in 2018.
Their relationship, however, soured in November of that year when Bankson claimed to have “walked in” on Fritz and “caught him in bed with another woman.”
Fritz disclosed in an interview that Bankson had cheated on him and that he was even reminded of her “betrayal” by a tattoo. However, he declared his desire to wed her.
“I had planned to get married, had purchased a house and a very expensive ring, and was shocked to learn that my fiancée had been seeing someone else for the previous 2.5 years,” Fritz remarked.
Fritz stated, “She’s the cheater, which is why I got a tattoo saying ‘Once a cheater, always a cheater.’” He said that the tattoo was meant to act as a reminder to never do “the same mistake again.” And that Bankson had “cost” him a lot of money, he said.
He started drinking to heal his broken heart. That’s how he handled his heartbreak, he claimed. He lost a lot of weight as a result of this as well. “I gave it a good shot,” remarked Fritz. I made an attempt to drown her.
He overcame his drinking issue, but because the last relationship with Bankson had “stung hard enough,” he made the decision to put off dating for a while.
Following the split, he had losses in his career as well. The Sun claims that after March 2020, he stopped hosting History Channel’s “American Pickers.”
Fritz gave an explanation for his absence, saying that he intended to return to the show after the scar from his back surgery healed. “I would like to return to the show,” Fritz remarked. Now that I’m fully recovered, I’m prepared to resume my role on the show.
Fritz claimed there had been no definitive decision made by the show regarding his return. He said, though, that a showrunner had given him a call and assured him that he would return to the screen.
Despite Fritz having worked on the show for ten years, TMZ claims that the show has “no plans” to employ him as a host once more.
In addition to not returning to his show, Bankson’s ex-boyfriend Eric Longlett, an engineering administration manager, made his debut. She gushed about how fortunate she was to be with him in posts about him on social media.
“He took me to see Elton John’s Yellow Brick Road Farewell Tour,” she captioned a photo of herself and Longlett together at the concert. I’m a fortunate woman. Love you, sweetie. oxo
Fritz was hospitalized on July 4, 2022, following a stroke. After finding him on his house floor, his companion had phoned for assistance. The 911 call in which his friend stated, “He might be seizuring, I’m not sure,” was obtained by The US Sun.
Bill Fritz, Fritz’s father, told the reporters that his son was healing nicely and getting better every day.
His recuperation was not as complete as the physicians had hoped, though. After being discharged from the hospital, he was placed under guardianship and sent to a nursing home.
On August 18, 2022, his “longtime friend” reportedly filed an emergency appointment for temporary guardianship and conservatorship on his behalf, which was subsequently approved.
The bank was designated as his conservator to manage his finances, and his friend was named as his guardian.
In its capacity as his conservator, the bank would manage all of his care facility bills, including daily costs, health insurance, maintenance, and property tax payments. The bank would have to make sure he could get to events and doctor’s visits in a suitable manner.
In addition to being “in decision-making since the stroke,” his friend’s guardianship required that he submit a “initial care plan” for the patient.
In order to achieve this, his guardian would have to make decisions about his living situation, place of residence at the time, health, and medical requirements. They would also need to arrange for him to participate in activities, maintain communication with him and his loved ones, and pursue romantic relationships. It would also be expected of him to provide an annual report as his guardian.
His health was getting worse, according to his papers, and it was making it more difficult for him to make wise decisions for himself, “without which physical injury or illness may occur.”
Documents revealed that he was unable to “make, communicate, or carry out important decisions concerning his own financial affairs,” indicating that his condition was far worse than previously believed.
His guardian will have to make decisions on his behalf as he heals and is able to “receive treatment for his injuries.”
The court determined that Fritz needs a guardian in order to prevent additional harm to his health. The court decided that “appointing a guardian and conservator is necessary to avoid immediate harm to him.”
This story really breaks my heart. We send Frank Fritz our best wishes for wellness and recovery.
Tell your friends and relatives about this so they can pray for the well-being of their beloved TV show presenter and learn what happened to him.
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