My world shattered when my husband, Charles, passed away in a terrible accident at work.
For the next three years, I tried to hold it all together, mostly for my six-year-old daughter, Maggie. She was my everything, my little reason to keep going.
Then Jacob entered our lives.
Jacob had this warm, reassuring smile that made you feel safe. He had a way of being patient and kind. But what really won me over was how much he adored Maggie.
I couldn’t resist. I let Jacob into our lives, and before long, we were building something special. Our relationship grew quickly, and two months ago, we got married on a small farm with a peaceful duck pond.
One evening, as I tucked Maggie into bed, she clutched her favorite rabbit tightly and looked at me with her big brown eyes. She looked hesitant, almost worried.
“Mommy?” she said quietly.
“New Dad asked me to keep a secret from you. Is that okay?” I asked, trying to keep things light, but my heart began to pound.
Her little fingers gripped her rabbit tighter, and she bit her lip nervously.
“New Dad said I shouldn’t tell you… but yesterday, when you were at work, I woke up early from my nap and went looking for him. He promised me we could play on the PlayStation. I couldn’t find him anywhere.”
Maggie paused, her eyes darting around the room before she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. “I called for him, but he didn’t answer. Then I saw him and a lady in a red dress come out of the basement. He told me not to tell you.”
She leaned closer and whispered, “She had long blonde hair, like a princess. And a red dress. She smelled nice, too.”
The basement? Why would Jacob take a woman down there? A pit formed in my stomach.
That night, while Jacob relaxed on the couch, scrolling through his phone, I couldn’t keep quiet anymore.
“Maggie told me there was a woman here yesterday,” I said, crossing my arms. “She said you took her to the basement. Care to explain?”
Jacob didn’t look up from his phone, his voice calm but a little defensive. “She’s an interior designer. I wanted to surprise you by fixing up the basement. It’s been a mess for years.”
With a sigh, Jacob stood and led me downstairs. He flipped the lights on, revealing the basement transformed. The walls were freshly painted, the space looked cozy with new furniture, and soft lighting made it feel almost like a new room.
It all seemed fine, but something didn’t feel right. Why had he kept it such a secret? And why did Maggie seem so uncomfortable with the whole thing?
That night, when Jacob was asleep, I couldn’t shake the feeling. I grabbed my phone and checked his social media.
And there it was.
A photo from two years ago, long before Jacob and I met. He was smiling, his arm around a woman with long blonde hair and a red dress—exactly like Maggie had described.
The next morning, I showed Maggie the photo.
“Is this her?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Maggie’s eyes widened, and she nodded. “Yes, Mommy. That’s her.”
My heart sank. I had to get to the bottom of this.
When Jacob went to work, I grabbed the hidden cameras I’d set up after Charles’s death. I’d placed them around the house—just in case. I put a few in the basement and the living room.
I told Jacob I had to travel for work, but it wasn’t true. Later that day, I took Maggie to my mother’s house and explained everything. I stayed at a nearby hotel and spent the night obsessively watching the camera feed. But nothing happened for hours. Jacob just sat there, eating chocolate-covered pretzels and watching TV.
As I sat by the hotel window, eating breakfast the next morning, I felt ridiculous. Maybe I was overthinking everything. But then, my phone buzzed with a new notification.
I froze.
It was Jacob in the basement, kissing the woman in the red dress. They were laughing, whispering to each other, completely unaware of the cameras.
I felt my heart race. He was cheating. In my own home.
Without wasting another second, I drove back to the house. I pulled into the driveway just as Jacob was walking the woman to her car. He froze when he saw me, his face falling.
“Get out,” I demanded, my voice steady but full of anger. “Both of you. Get out now.”
The woman gave me a glare before storming off, slamming the car door behind her. Jacob tried to apologize, but I pointed to the street.
“I’m done, Jacob,” I said. “Just go.”
The next day, I packed all of Jacob’s things into garbage bags and left them by the door. I went to my mother’s place and hugged Maggie tight. We were going to be okay.
After a quick stop for ice cream, I sat beside her, watching her happily dig into her sundae. I leaned over, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
“You did the right thing by telling me the truth, sweetheart,” I said, my voice soft with pride. “I’m so proud of you.”
Looking at Maggie, I realized something—Jacob wasn’t needed. I had Maggie. I had our home. And I had the strength to move forward.
We didn’t need anyone else.
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