{"id":7536,"date":"2026-03-16T15:59:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T15:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/?p=7536"},"modified":"2026-03-16T15:59:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T15:59:28","slug":"7531-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/?p=7536","title":{"rendered":"My Cousin Demanded Money Because I Missed Her Wedding for My Dad\u2019s Stroke \u2014 Another Guest Shut Her Down"},"content":{"rendered":"
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My Cousin Demanded Money Because I Missed Her Wedding for My Dad\u2019s Stroke \u2014 Another Guest Shut Her Down<\/h1>\n<\/header>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve\u00a0<\/span>learned\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>when\u00a0<\/span>people\u00a0<\/span>say\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>family\u00a0<\/span>first,\u201d<\/span><\/em>\u00a0their\u00a0<\/span>actions\u00a0<\/span>sometimes\u00a0<\/span>tell\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>very\u00a0<\/span>different\u00a0<\/span>story.\u00a0<\/span>My\u00a0<\/span>cousin\u00a0<\/span>Caroline\u00a0<\/span>claimed\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>understood\u00a0<\/span>when\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>couldn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>attend\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>wedding\u00a0<\/span>because\u00a0<\/span>my\u00a0<\/span>dad\u00a0<\/span>had\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>massive\u00a0<\/span>stroke\u2026\u00a0<\/span>but\u00a0<\/span>then\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>sent\u00a0<\/span>me\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>bill\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>my \u201c<\/span>empty\u00a0<\/span>seat.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>What\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>wanted\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>money \u2014\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>what\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>got\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>one\u00a0<\/span>unforgettable\u00a0<\/span>reality\u00a0<\/span>check,\u00a0<\/span>courtesy\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>another\u00a0<\/span>guest.<\/span><\/p>\n

About\u00a0<\/span>six\u00a0<\/span>months\u00a0<\/span>before\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>big\u00a0<\/span>day,\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>genuinely\u00a0<\/span>excited\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>Caroline.\u00a0<\/span>She\u00a0<\/span>wasn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>just\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>cousin \u2014\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>someone\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>grew\u00a0<\/span>up\u00a0<\/span>with,\u00a0<\/span>close\u00a0<\/span>enough\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>wanted\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>be\u00a0<\/span>there\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>big\u00a0<\/span>way.\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>RSVP\u2019d\u00a0<\/span>right\u00a0<\/span>away,\u00a0<\/span>bought\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>gorgeous\u00a0<\/span>dress,\u00a0<\/span>helped\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>bridal\u00a0<\/span>shower,\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>even\u00a0<\/span>took\u00a0<\/span>time\u00a0<\/span>off\u00a0<\/span>work\u00a0<\/span>so\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>could\u00a0<\/span>celebrate\u00a0<\/span>beside\u00a0<\/span>her.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Then\u00a0<\/span>life\u00a0<\/span>threw\u00a0<\/span>something\u00a0<\/span>far\u00a0<\/span>bigger\u00a0<\/span>at\u00a0<\/span>me.\u00a0<\/span>One\u00a0<\/span>month\u00a0<\/span>before\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>wedding,\u00a0<\/span>my\u00a0<\/span>father\u00a0<\/span>suffered\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>massive\u00a0<\/span>stroke.\u00a0<\/span>It\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>terrifying \u2014\u00a0<\/span>we\u00a0<\/span>didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>know\u00a0<\/span>if\u00a0<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span>would\u00a0<\/span>make\u00a0<\/span>it\u00a0<\/span>through\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>night.\u00a0<\/span>Thankfully\u00a0<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span>survived,\u00a0<\/span>but\u00a0<\/span>his\u00a0<\/span>recovery\u00a0<\/span>meant\u00a0<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span>needed\u00a0<\/span>constant\u00a0<\/span>care<\/span><\/em>.\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>only\u00a0<\/span>family\u00a0<\/span>member\u00a0<\/span>nearby\u00a0<\/span>who\u00a0<\/span>could\u00a0<\/span>help,\u00a0<\/span>so\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>canceled\u00a0<\/span>everything \u2014\u00a0<\/span>including\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>trip\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>wedding.<\/span><\/p>\n

Writing\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>email\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>Caroline\u00a0<\/span>explaining\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>situation\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>one\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>hardest\u00a0<\/span>things\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019ve\u00a0<\/span>done.\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>detailed\u00a0<\/span>my\u00a0<\/span>dad\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>condition,\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>exhausting\u00a0<\/span>care\u00a0<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span>required,\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>how\u00a0<\/span>heartbroken\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>miss\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>big\u00a0<\/span>day \u2014\u00a0<\/span>not\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>lack\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>wanting\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>be\u00a0<\/span>there,\u00a0<\/span>but\u00a0<\/span>out\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>necessity.\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>ended\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>promise\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>take\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>out\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>hear\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>stories\u00a0<\/span>once\u00a0<\/span>things\u00a0<\/span>settled\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>my\u00a0<\/span>dad.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her\u00a0<\/span>reply\u00a0<\/span>seemed\u00a0<\/span>kind\u00a0<\/span>at\u00a0<\/span>first. \u201c<\/span>Totally\u00a0<\/span>understand,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>wrote. \u201c<\/span>Family\u00a0<\/span>comes\u00a0<\/span>first.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>breathed\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>little\u00a0<\/span>easier \u2014\u00a0<\/span>thinking\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>actually\u00a0<\/span>got\u00a0<\/span>it.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

But\u00a0<\/span>then,\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>week\u00a0<\/span>after\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>wedding,\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>got\u00a0<\/span>this\u00a0<\/span>mass\u00a0<\/span>email<\/span><\/em>\u00a0from\u00a0<\/span>Caroline:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>We\u00a0<\/span>dropped $<\/span>3,000\u00a0<\/span>on\u00a0<\/span>empty\u00a0<\/span>seats,\u00a0<\/span>so\u00a0<\/span>if\u00a0<\/span>you\u00a0<\/span>RSVP\u2019d\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>bailed,\u00a0<\/span>we\u00a0<\/span>totally\u00a0<\/span>expect\u00a0<\/span>you\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>cover\u00a0<\/span>your\u00a0<\/span>share.\u00a0<\/span>We\u00a0<\/span>paid\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>you,\u00a0<\/span>now\u00a0<\/span>pay\u00a0<\/span>us\u00a0<\/span>back.\u00a0<\/span>Simple,\u00a0<\/span>right?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

At\u00a0<\/span>first,\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>thought\u00a0<\/span>it\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>joke.\u00a0<\/span>But\u00a0<\/span>it\u00a0<\/span>wasn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span>She\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>serious \u2014\u00a0<\/span>treating\u00a0<\/span>my\u00a0<\/span>dad\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>stroke\u00a0<\/span>like\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>cancellation\u00a0<\/span>fee.\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>replied,\u00a0<\/span>reminding\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019d\u00a0<\/span>told\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>well\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>advance<\/span><\/em>\u00a0why\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>couldn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>make\u00a0<\/span>it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Her\u00a0<\/span>response\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>cold:\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>admitted\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>said \u201c<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>understand\u201d\u00a0<\/span>before\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>wedding\u00a0<\/span>because\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>want\u00a0<\/span>drama<\/span><\/em>,\u00a0<\/span>but\u00a0<\/span>insisted\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>should\u00a0<\/span>pay\u00a0<\/span>because \u201c<\/span>we\u00a0<\/span>already\u00a0<\/span>had\u00a0<\/span>enough\u00a0<\/span>no\u2011<\/span>shows\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>ruin\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>budget.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Then\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>mutual\u00a0<\/span>friend,\u00a0<\/span>Jenna,\u00a0<\/span>texted\u00a0<\/span>me\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>something\u00a0<\/span>shocking:\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>had\u00a0<\/span>received\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>same\u00a0<\/span>bill\u00a0<\/span>email \u2014\u00a0<\/span>even\u00a0<\/span>though\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>at\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>wedding.<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0When\u00a0<\/span>Jenna\u00a0<\/span>confronted\u00a0<\/span>Caroline,\u00a0<\/span>Caroline\u00a0<\/span>tried\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>dismiss\u00a0<\/span>it\u00a0<\/span>as\u00a0<\/span>an \u201c<\/span>email\u00a0<\/span>mix\u2011<\/span>up.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>But\u00a0<\/span>Jenna\u00a0<\/span>didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>let\u00a0<\/span>it\u00a0<\/span>go.\u00a0<\/span>She\u00a0<\/span>replied\u00a0<\/span>all\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>original\u00a0<\/span>message,\u00a0<\/span>cc\u2019ing\u00a0<\/span>every\u00a0<\/span>guest:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>Hey \u2014\u00a0<\/span>just\u00a0<\/span>wondering,\u00a0<\/span>didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>you\u00a0<\/span>get\u00a0<\/span>partial\u00a0<\/span>refunds\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>guests\u00a0<\/span>who\u00a0<\/span>canceled\u00a0<\/span>ahead\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>time?\u00a0<\/span>Where\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0<\/span>the $<\/span>3,000\u00a0<\/span>coming\u00a0<\/span>from?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>silence\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>immediate.\u00a0<\/span>No\u00a0<\/span>reply\u00a0<\/span>from\u00a0<\/span>Caroline \u2014\u00a0<\/span>not\u00a0<\/span>even\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>dramatic\u00a0<\/span>texts\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>sent\u00a0<\/span>me\u00a0<\/span>later\u00a0<\/span>accusing\u00a0<\/span>Jenna\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>me\u00a0<\/span>of \u201c<\/span>ruining\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>wedding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u00a0<\/span>happened\u00a0<\/span>next\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>even\u00a0<\/span>more\u00a0<\/span>telling:\u00a0<\/span>guests\u00a0<\/span>who\u00a0<\/span>learned\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>truth\u00a0<\/span>started\u00a0<\/span>distancing\u00a0<\/span>themselves\u00a0<\/span>from\u00a0<\/span>Caroline.\u00a0<\/span>Many\u00a0<\/span>ignored\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>messages\u00a0<\/span>entirely.\u00a0<\/span>People\u00a0<\/span>suddenly\u00a0<\/span>saw\u00a0<\/span>her\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>who\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>really\u00a0<\/span>was \u2014\u00a0<\/span>entitled\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>insensitive.\u00a0<\/span>And\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>have\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>lift\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>finger.<\/span><\/p>\n

In\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>end,\u00a0<\/span>Caroline\u00a0<\/span>didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>get\u00a0<\/span>my\u00a0<\/span>money \u2014\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>got\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>bad\u00a0<\/span>reputation\u00a0<\/span>instead.\u00a0<\/span>And\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>walked\u00a0<\/span>away\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>something\u00a0<\/span>better\u00a0<\/span>than\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>refund:\u00a0<\/span>peace\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>mind,\u00a0<\/span>family\u00a0<\/span>support,\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>knowledge\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>stood\u00a0<\/span>up\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>what\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>right.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My Cousin Demanded Money Because I Missed Her Wedding for My Dad\u2019s Stroke \u2014 Another Guest Shut Her Down I\u2019ve\u00a0learned\u00a0that\u00a0when\u00a0people\u00a0say\u00a0\u201cfamily\u00a0first,\u201d\u00a0their\u00a0actions\u00a0sometimes\u00a0tell\u00a0a\u00a0very\u00a0different\u00a0story.\u00a0My\u00a0cousin\u00a0Caroline\u00a0claimed\u00a0she\u00a0understood\u00a0when\u00a0I\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0attend\u00a0her\u00a0wedding\u00a0because\u00a0my\u00a0dad\u00a0had\u00a0a\u00a0massive\u00a0stroke\u2026\u00a0but\u00a0then\u00a0she\u00a0sent\u00a0me\u00a0a\u00a0bill\u00a0for\u00a0my \u201cempty\u00a0seat.\u201d\u00a0What\u00a0she\u00a0wanted\u00a0was\u00a0money \u2014\u00a0and\u00a0what\u00a0she\u00a0got\u00a0was\u00a0one\u00a0unforgettable\u00a0reality\u00a0check,\u00a0courtesy\u00a0of\u00a0another\u00a0guest. About\u00a0six\u00a0months\u00a0before\u00a0her\u00a0big\u00a0day,\u00a0I\u00a0was\u00a0genuinely\u00a0excited\u00a0for\u00a0Caroline.\u00a0She\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0just\u00a0a\u00a0cousin \u2014\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0someone\u00a0I\u00a0grew\u00a0up\u00a0with,\u00a0close\u00a0enough\u00a0that\u00a0I\u00a0wanted\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0there\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0big\u00a0way.\u00a0I\u00a0RSVP\u2019d\u00a0right\u00a0away,\u00a0bought\u00a0a\u00a0gorgeous\u00a0dress,\u00a0helped\u00a0with\u00a0her\u00a0bridal\u00a0shower,\u00a0and\u00a0even\u00a0took\u00a0time\u00a0off\u00a0work\u00a0so\u00a0I\u00a0could\u00a0celebrate\u00a0beside\u00a0her. Then\u00a0life\u00a0threw\u00a0something\u00a0far\u00a0bigger\u00a0at\u00a0me.\u00a0One\u00a0month\u00a0before\u00a0the\u00a0wedding,\u00a0my\u00a0father\u00a0suffered\u00a0a\u00a0massive\u00a0stroke.\u00a0It\u00a0was\u00a0terrifying \u2014\u00a0we\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0know\u00a0if\u00a0he\u00a0would\u00a0make\u00a0it\u00a0through\u00a0the\u00a0night.\u00a0Thankfully\u00a0he\u00a0survived,\u00a0but\u00a0his\u00a0recovery\u00a0meant\u00a0he\u00a0needed\u00a0constant\u00a0care.\u00a0I\u00a0was\u00a0the\u00a0only\u00a0family\u00a0member\u00a0nearby\u00a0who\u00a0could\u00a0help,\u00a0so\u00a0I\u00a0canceled\u00a0everything \u2014\u00a0including\u00a0the\u00a0trip\u00a0to\u00a0her\u00a0wedding. Writing\u00a0the\u00a0email\u00a0to\u00a0Caroline\u00a0explaining\u00a0the\u00a0situation\u00a0was\u00a0one\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0hardest\u00a0things\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0done.\u00a0I\u00a0detailed\u00a0my\u00a0dad\u2019s\u00a0condition,\u00a0the\u00a0exhausting\u00a0care\u00a0he\u00a0required,\u00a0and\u00a0how\u00a0heartbroken\u00a0I\u00a0was\u00a0to\u00a0miss\u00a0her\u00a0big\u00a0day \u2014\u00a0not\u00a0for\u00a0lack\u00a0of\u00a0wanting\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0there,\u00a0but\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0necessity.\u00a0I\u00a0ended\u00a0with\u00a0a\u00a0promise\u00a0to\u00a0take\u00a0her\u00a0out\u00a0and\u00a0hear\u00a0the\u00a0stories\u00a0once\u00a0things\u00a0settled\u00a0with\u00a0my\u00a0dad. Her\u00a0reply\u00a0seemed\u00a0kind\u00a0at\u00a0first. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-life-story"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7536"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7536\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7540,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7536\/revisions\/7540"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}