One ordinary morning, I stepped outside and saw a ‘Just Had a Baby’ sticker on the back of my boyfriend’s car. We had been together for two years, and we definitely did not have a baby. That moment shattered everything I thought I knew about our relationship.
Life can be pretty terrible sometimes, can’t it? Actually, no — let me rephrase that. Life can completely fall apart when you least expect it. But we’ll come back to that.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
There was a time when I thought my life was a fairytale. Not perfect, of course, but soft-edged and warm, like everything was finally falling into place.
I had a job I enjoyed, a boyfriend who made me feel like I mattered, and so many dreams we were beginning to build together. Eric and I had been dating for two years.
Right after the fairytale—something felt off
It all started so suddenly — we met at a concert and connected instantly — but it felt real, like something meant to be. We never stopped talking after that night.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
There was only one obstacle: distance. Eric lived in another city, which made things more complicated than I liked to admit. But he made the effort.
Every week, he’d drive out to see me and stay at my house. I never visited him. He said he lived with a roommate and it wasn’t the best space for guests.
It just made more sense for him to come to me. And I believed him — or, more accurately, I wanted to believe him.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
We had plans. Real ones. He told me he was going to move in with me as soon as some work matters were sorted.
We talked about adopting a dog, redecorating the living room, and building a real life together under the same roof.
I held on to those dreams like they were solid, something I could trust. I had no reason not to.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Then, one morning, my phone rang. It was Leslie.
My best friend’s voice burst through the phone with barely contained excitement. “Rachel! Oh my gosh, congratulations! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Still half asleep, I rubbed my eyes. “Tell you what?”
“The baby, of course!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
My heart stopped. “What baby?”
There was a pause. “Yours and Eric’s… right?”
I sat up, fully awake now. “Leslie, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She hesitated, and then said carefully, “I just drove past your house and saw Eric’s car parked outside. There’s a sticker on the back that says ‘Just Had a Baby.’ I thought… I mean, I assumed…”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
I couldn’t speak. My mouth opened, but no words came out. I stared at the wall in front of me, a chill creeping down my spine.
“Oh no,” she gasped. “Rachel… You didn’t know?”
“No,” I whispered. “I didn’t.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice soft and apologetic now. “I thought you were keeping it from me. Maybe you should talk to him.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I mumbled a thank-you and hung up. The air in the house felt heavier suddenly, like it knew something I didn’t. I walked outside, not even grabbing a jacket, and headed straight for Eric’s car.
The sticker that broke my world
There it was. Bold white letters across the rear window: ‘Just Had a Baby.’ The kind of sticker new parents proudly show off to the world.
My hands trembled. My stomach turned. Every logical thought in my head tried to come up with an explanation, but my gut knew better. My gut was already screaming.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
I marched back into the house, fury bubbling under my skin. Eric was still asleep, face buried in the pillow like nothing was wrong with the world.
“Eric!” I shook him. “Get up.”
He groaned. “What’s going on?”
“Get up now.” I didn’t wait. I kept pushing his shoulder until he sat up, rubbing his temples.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
He sat up slowly, wincing. “Rachel, seriously, I have a headache…”
“Would you like to explain the sticker on your car?”
He blinked. “What sticker?”
“Don’t play dumb. The one everyone on the street can see.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
His face went pale. “I didn’t put it there.”
“Do you have a child, Eric?”
He looked at me, confused, then threw the covers off and ran outside. I followed him. He stood in front of the car, staring at the sticker like he was seeing it for the first time.
“I swear,” he said. “I didn’t put that there. I don’t know where it came from.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
I crossed my arms. “You expect me to believe someone just walked by and slapped that on your car?”
He hesitated. “We were out last night celebrating my friend’s new baby. Maybe one of the guys thought it would be funny.”
“Funny?” I repeated, my voice rising. “You think this is funny?”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
“No! I’m just saying — maybe someone thought it was a joke. We used my car to go places. I had no idea until now.”
“Are you absolutely sure?” I looked him dead in the eyes. “Because if you’re hiding something—”
“I’m not,” he said quickly. “Rachel, I love you. There’s no one else. No baby. Nothing.”
He took my shoulders gently, trying to calm me down. I didn’t pull away, but inside, I was crumbling.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“Alright,” I said after a moment. “I believe you.”
The moment I started to question everything
But even as I said it, something inside me had already started to shift. Trust doesn’t vanish in one second — it starts to rot slowly.
Later that day, Eric told me he had to leave. “There’s an emergency at work,” he said, pulling on his jacket. “I’m really sorry. I’ll come back later this week, I promise.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“Fine,” I said, trying not to sound disappointed.
As he reached his car, I called after him. “Aren’t you going to remove the sticker?”
“I’ll do it later. I’m running late.”
He kissed me, got in, and drove away.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
I texted Leslie: He said it was from a party. One of his friends must’ve stuck it on.
She replied instantly: Do you believe that?
I stared at the screen for a long time but didn’t answer. I didn’t know how.
The rest of the day was a blur. I cleaned, paced, folded laundry I didn’t need to fold.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. It gnawed at me, constant and sharp. I realized I knew shockingly little about Eric’s life. He had never introduced me to his friends.
Said they all lived far away. He didn’t have social media. And he once told me his parents were dead. No way to confirm anything.
But I did know one thing — where he worked. I opened my laptop and searched for his company’s social media page.
A scroll too far — and a truth I couldn’t unsee
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I scrolled until I found a photo of Eric giving some sort of presentation. It was dated a few months ago.
I scanned the comments. And then I saw it.
“So proud of my Eric!” — posted by someone named Susan.
I clicked her profile. It was public. My blood ran cold. There were photos of Eric. In one, he stood next to a smiling older woman. The caption read: “My wonderful son.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
I kept scrolling. And then I saw it. Eric again. This time with a little boy, maybe four years old, and a pregnant woman smiling beside him. The caption read: “My son and his beautiful family.” I stopped breathing.
I clicked on the pregnant woman’s profile. It was full of pictures — her and Eric, their son, and a brand-new baby in a hospital blanket. They were smiling. Happy. A complete family.
I sat there, frozen. I had been with him for two years. I wasn’t a girlfriend. I was a secret.
If I was a secret, she deserved to know
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I texted Leslie: Eric’s married. He has kids.
She replied: What a jerk. You can’t let him get away with this.
She was right. I had to do something. I scrolled back through the woman’s — Angela’s — profile.
Her latest post was about looking for a nanny. My hands were steady now. I called the number listed.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
The night before the interview, I barely slept. I cried for hours, but it wasn’t sadness anymore. It was anger. Betrayal. I felt humiliated and used. But I also felt something else — clarity.
That morning, I got in my car and drove to the address Angela had given me. It was a quiet street.
A pretty house. Eric’s car wasn’t there. I rang the doorbell. Angela opened it and greeted me with a soft smile. She looked tired but kind. She invited me in and led me to the living room.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“So,” she said, “do you have experience with children?”
One house, two women, and a man with no way out
I nodded. “My parents worked a lot, so I helped raise my younger brother. It taught me a lot about responsibility.”
“That must’ve been hard.”
“It was. But I’ve always loved kids. That’s why I’m interested in the position.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
She seemed satisfied. We chatted a bit more, and then I asked gently, “Will your husband be joining us today? Or are you raising the kids on your own?”
“He should be back any minute,” she said. “Would you like some tea?”
“Yes, thank you.”
In the kitchen, as she prepared our tea, I watched her closely. She didn’t seem like someone who deserved to be lied to.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
She seemed like a good person. Someone who had been living in the same dream I had — only hers came with a marriage license and two children.
I took a deep breath. “There’s something I need to tell you,” I said. “I didn’t come here for the job.”
Angela turned around slowly. “Then why did you come?”
The front door opened. Eric walked into the kitchen. He stopped dead. His eyes darted from me to Angela and back. He looked like he had seen a ghost.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
Eric stammered, “Rachel? What—what are you doing here?”
Angela frowned. “You two know each other?”
I stood up. “I came to tell your wife the truth.”
He grabbed my arm and dragged me outside. “Are you crazy? What the hell are you doing?”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
“You lied to me. For two years.”
“You can’t tell her. You’ll ruin everything.”
“You ruined everything.”
He changed tactics. “I was going to leave her. I want to be with you. You have to believe me.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
“You just had a baby with her. That’s your idea of leaving?”
“It was complicated!”
“No. It was deceit.”
I turned and walked back inside. Angela was waiting, arms crossed.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I looked at her. “I know this is painful. But I think it would hurt more if you never knew. Eric and I have been seeing each other for two years. He told me he had no family. No social media. Nothing. I didn’t know about you. I swear.”
Angela stared at Eric. “Is that true?”
“She’s insane,” he said. “She’s making this up—”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
I pulled out my phone and showed her the photos. Our text messages. His voice notes.
Angela’s face hardened. “You lied to me.”
She picked up a dish towel and hurled it at him. Then another. “We have two children! And you—you betrayed us all!”
Eric raised his hands. “Angela, please—”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Sora
“I trusted you!” she shouted. “And you made me a fool!”
“I should leave,” I said quietly.
Angela turned to me, her eyes still wet. “Thank you. For telling me. I know that wasn’t easy.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
She nodded.
I walked out of the house, past the man I had loved and the woman he had broken. I got into my car, started the engine, and drove away.
My chest still ached, but there was something else now — strength. The kind that comes when the lie finally falls apart.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Tell us what you think about this story and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
If you enjoyed this story, read this one: After my husband’s death, I moved in with my mother-in-law for the sake of my daughter. I thought we could support each other in our grief—until I overheard her whisper to my child, “I’ll take you from her.” That was the moment I knew I had to fight. Read the full story here.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to [email protected].
Để lại một phản hồi