Mary’s marriage to Ed was like a dream—until she had to deal with his mother, Scarlett. Scarlett had never hidden her disdain for Mary. From day one, she made things difficult, throwing insults and picking at every little thing Mary did. But Mary tried to bear it, for Ed’s sake. Little did she know, something even worse was waiting to unfold.
One evening, Mary and Ed were driving in silence, headed to Scarlett’s house. Mary already dreaded the visit, bracing herself for another evening filled with snide remarks and cold stares.
Scarlett had always been possessive over Ed, acting as though he still belonged to her, and it was clear she wasn’t going to accept anyone taking her “little boy” away.
As they pulled into the driveway, Mary took a deep breath, forcing a smile. She trailed behind Ed up to the door. Scarlett opened it with a grin, rushing to embrace her son.
“Oh, my baby! You’re finally here!” Scarlett cooed, hugging Ed tight.
Ed laughed awkwardly, pulling back. “Mom, it’s been a week.”
Scarlett glanced at Mary, her expression shifting. “Well, Mary, it looks like you’ve put on a few pounds,” she said, smirking.
Mary forced herself to keep smiling, though her patience was wearing thin. “Good to see you too, Scarlett,” she replied, her voice strained.
Dinner was a nightmare. Scarlett kept up her usual string of complaints: “Mary can’t cook, she doesn’t have a respectable job, she doesn’t even dress right.” Mary clenched her fork tightly, swallowing her frustration. But then Scarlett crossed a line that made Mary’s blood boil.
Scarlett leaned in, staring directly at Mary. “So,” she said in a sugary tone, “isn’t it about time you gave me a grandchild? Or… maybe Mary has some problems?”
The words hit Mary like a punch. She and Ed had been trying for months to have a baby, and it was a sensitive topic. But hearing Scarlett throw it in her face was too much.
“How dare you?” Mary snapped, glaring at Scarlett. “Maybe it’s your son who has the problem!”
Scarlett recoiled, her eyes narrowing. “Excuse me? My son is perfectly healthy! But you, Mary—who knows what you were up to before you met him?”
Mary’s face flushed with anger. “You’re a damn witch!” She turned to Ed, her voice trembling. “Are you seriously going to just sit there and let her talk to me like this?”
Ed didn’t even look up from his phone. “Work it out yourselves,” he mumbled.
Scarlett’s mocking smile returned. “Mary, have you thought about trying herbal teas? My neighbor swears by them—they work wonders for people like you.”
Mary felt a wave of nausea rise in her stomach. She clenched her teeth, forcing out the words. “Why don’t you drink your own tea?”
Moments later, she bolted to the bathroom, feeling sick. When she came back, still pale, she looked at Ed. “I want to go home.”
“Fine,” he said, barely lifting his eyes.
On the drive home, Mary’s mind raced. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, and she needed answers. “Ed, can you stop at the pharmacy?” she asked quietly.
He sighed but pulled over. Mary hurried inside, grabbed a pregnancy test, and paid quickly. Back at home, she went straight to the bathroom. Holding her breath, she watched as the results appeared—two lines. She gasped, feeling a mix of excitement and relief.
“We’re going to have a baby!” she rushed to tell Ed, her face glowing with joy.
Ed glanced at the test, barely reacting. “Oh. That’s… good,” he muttered, not meeting her eyes.
Mary’s heart dropped. This was the moment she had dreamed of, but Ed’s reaction cast a shadow over it. As weeks went by, she adjusted to the idea of becoming a mother, but Ed’s coldness only grew. He seemed distant, more withdrawn with each day.
One morning, while waiting for him to get ready for a doctor’s appointment, Ed’s phone buzzed beside her. Normally, she would’ve ignored it, but something made her pause.
He’d been acting so strange. She picked up the phone and tried to unlock it, surprised to see a passcode. On a whim, she entered his birthdate. The screen unlocked.
A message popped up: a picture of a woman, half-dressed, with a flirty message. Mary’s stomach twisted as she scrolled through the conversation, reading words of love and lies. Ed had told this woman he was wealthy, a construction company owner—a fantasy far from reality.
Her hands shaking, she took screenshots, saving them on her phone.
When Ed came out of the bathroom, she held his phone up, her eyes full of hurt and fury. “What is this?!” she demanded.
He grabbed the phone from her, his face hardening. “None of your business.”
Mary’s voice trembled. “None of my business? You’re cheating on me! And I’m pregnant—your pregnant wife!”
Ed sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “Maybe it’s not even mine. How do I know you’re not cheating on me?”
Mary felt her heart shatter. “We’ve been trying for six months,” she said, her voice breaking. “And now you’re saying this?”
He crossed his arms, his expression smug. “Six months, no luck, and now all of a sudden it just happens? Too convenient.”
Mary clenched her fists, her voice rising. “You’ve been seeing this woman for more than six months, haven’t you? I saw everything. You’ve lied to her too—told her you’re rich!”
Ed shrugged. “So what? This marriage is over. I’m filing for divorce.”
Mary’s voice was barely a whisper. “And what about the baby?”
He scoffed. “You can’t prove it’s mine until it’s born. And by then, it’ll be too late.” With that, he threw her out, leaving her in tears.
Mary was heartbroken, but she knew she had to act. She decided to go to Scarlett, the one person who might understand. She sat across from Scarlett, pouring out her story—about Ed’s lies, his cheating, his threats to take everything.
Scarlett listened, her face pale. Finally, she spoke, her voice heavy with sadness. “He’s been taking money from me too,” she admitted. “He told me he needed it for your fertility treatments.” She shook her head, tears in her eyes. “He’s been lying to both of us.”
Mary took a deep breath. “I saved all his messages. I have proof.”
Scarlett’s face hardened. “Good. Let’s make him pay. We’ll get a DNA test when the baby’s born, and I’ll make sure he can’t manipulate anyone else.”
Together, Mary and Scarlett confronted Ed. When he saw the evidence, he knew he had no choice. He reluctantly signed divorce papers, giving up his claim to the house and agreeing to pay child support. But Scarlett had one last surprise.
She went to Ed’s lover herself, showing her the truth. “This is the man you thought you knew,” she said, revealing his lies, his deception, and his true financial situation.
Later that evening, Mary and Scarlett were enjoying tea together when they heard furious banging at the door. Ed’s voice was shouting from outside. “You promised you wouldn’t tell!”
Mary calmly replied, “I didn’t tell her anything, Ed.”
Scarlett’s voice was steady as she called out, “I did. You should’ve learned long ago that lies always come back to you.”
With Ed’s yells fading in the distance, Mary and Scarlett finished their tea, finally free of his manipulations. They had found strength in each other and a fresh start for the baby on the way.
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