I forced a smile, but something didn’t sit right. Why had he been so secretive? And Maggie’s description of the woman… I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was off.
Later that night, I found myself going through his social media. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but my gut was telling me there was more to the story.
Then I saw it.
A photo from two years ago, long before we met. Jacob was smiling, his arm around a woman with long blonde hair, wearing a red dress.
My heart dropped.
The next morning, I showed the photo to Maggie.
“Is this her?” I asked, my voice shaky.
Her eyes widened. “Yes, Mommy. That’s her.”
The room spun. Jacob had lied. But I needed more proof before I confronted him.
When Jacob left for work, I set up hidden cameras in the basement and living room. I told him I had a last-minute work trip and took Maggie to my mother’s house.
“Darling, I hope you find the answers you’re looking for,” my mom said softly, her concern clear. “You and Maggie have been through so much.”
That night, I stayed in a hotel, watching the camera feeds obsessively. Jacob was home, lounging on the couch, drinking milk from the carton, eating pretzels. Nothing seemed amiss.
But then, just after midnight, the motion detector went off.
I clicked the feed, and my heart stopped.
Jacob was in the basement, kissing the woman in red. They laughed, whispered to each other.
I had the proof.
Furious, I raced back home. As I pulled into the driveway, I saw Jacob walking the woman to her car. His face twisted in shock when he saw me.
“Oh, honey! You’re home early?” he stammered. “This is the designer I told you about.”
“Really?” I crossed my arms, feigning disbelief. “She does late-night calls?”
“She does… she’s busy,” he muttered.
“And I just watched you make out with her in my basement. Is that part of the job?”
Jacob froze. The woman rolled her eyes and turned to him.
“Finally,” she snapped. “Hillary, you’ve finally figured it out. Jacob, now you can come back to me.”
My heart sank.
“We’ve been together for ten years, sweetheart,” she continued. “He told me he was only with you for your house and your steady paycheck. Being a sad widow was just a bonus.”
The words hit me like a slap. I turned to Jacob, waiting for him to deny it.
He didn’t.
“Get out,” I said, my voice steady but full of anger. “Both of you. Get out. Now.”
The woman stormed off. Jacob stood there, looking lost.
“Out. Don’t ever come back,” I said, pointing to the street.
The next day, I packed up all of Jacob’s things and threw them into garbage bags. I thought about dropping them at his mom’s place, but then I had a better idea.
I left his things at a construction site where the workers could help themselves.
I drove straight to my mother’s house.
“What happened?” she asked, her voice gentle.
“I’ll tell you tomorrow,” I said, swallowing hard. “Today is about Maggie.”
I took Maggie for ice cream. As she dug into her sundae, I leaned over and kissed her head.
“You did the right thing, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.”
She beamed. “No more secrets, Mommy.”
“That’s right,” I whispered, holding her close. “But when we get home, Jacob won’t be there anymore.”
She was quiet for a moment, then spoke softly.
“Mom? I didn’t like New-Dad that much anyway.”
And just like that, I knew we’d be okay.
Sometimes, losing the wrong person is the best way to make room for the life you truly deserve.