My heart skipped. The basement? We barely used it. “What did she look like?” I asked carefully.
“She had long blonde hair. She smelled really nice,” Maggie said innocently.
That evening, I asked Jacob about it. He smiled and said she was an interior designer helping him plan a surprise renovation—a cozy space for family movie nights. He showed me the basement, and it did look different. Newly furnished. Warm. But something didn’t feel right.
Later, while he slept, I looked through his old social media. There she was—the woman Maggie described. Same red dress, same long hair. The photo was from two years ago.
The next morning, I showed the picture to Maggie. “That’s her,” she confirmed.
I needed clarity. So I quietly installed cameras around the house and told Jacob I’d be out of town. In truth, I dropped Maggie off with my mother and stayed nearby, watching the live feeds.
The first day passed uneventfully. Then, late at night, a motion alert popped up—someone was in the basement.
I opened the video and saw them. Jacob and the woman. Laughing. Embracing. Acting like they had nothing to hide.
I drove straight home and arrived just as he was walking her out. His face paled.
“You’re home early,” he said, trying to smile.
“This your designer?” I asked calmly. “She always works after midnight?”
She turned to him. “Really, Jacob? Still lying?” Then she looked at me. “We’ve been together for ten years. He said you were just a lonely widow. He promised he was coming back to me.”
I waited for him to deny it. He didn’t.
“Please leave,” I said. “Both of you.”
The next day, I packed up his belongings and dropped them off at one of his job sites. I didn’t look back. I went to pick up Maggie from my mother’s.
Her eyes lit up when she saw me. “Is everything okay, Mommy?”
“It is now,” I said, hugging her tight.
We went out for ice cream, just the two of us. As she enjoyed her sundae, I leaned over. “You did the right thing telling me. I’m really proud of you.”
She nodded. “No more secrets?”
“No more,” I promised. “But when we go home, Jacob won’t be there.”
She was quiet for a moment, then smiled slightly. “That’s okay. I didn’t like New-Dad that much anyway.”
He was gone. So was the life I thought we were building. But in that moment, I saw clearly—he wasn’t our foundation. Maggie and I were.
Sometimes, it takes letting go of the wrong person to realize the strength you’ve had all along.