I never imagined that following my ten-year-old son would uncover my husband’s double life.It started with a phone call I wasn’t meant to hear. “Hi, Mom! I’m coming to see you tomorrow instead of going to school!” But… he was talking to someone else. Not me. Not his real mom.Curious and deeply unsettled, I followed him the next morning past his school, through unfamiliar streets, until he reached a cozy blue house.
A young woman opened the door, hugged him tightly, and welcomed him inside. I was frozen. Who was she? Why did my son call her Mom? I knocked. She opened the door, her smile vanishing when she saw me. “You’re Paula,” she said, as if I were the intruder. Inside, my son looked stunned. “Mom? What are you doing here?”
“Who is she, Liam?” I asked. “Why are you here?” Her name was Melissa. And after a moment of tense silence, she admitted it she’d been seeing my husband, Benjamin, for a year. Liam knew. He spent time with her often. He even liked calling her Mom. Because, as he put it, she was always there.
That day, my perfect life collapsed. My career-driven choices had distanced me from my family. And while I chased promotions, Benjamin built a new life behind my back.Three weeks later, I filed for divorce. Liam chose to stay with them during the week. Now, I’m rebuilding. I gave up the partnership I once dreamed of. I’m trying to repair the only relationship that matters now the one with my son. Because no job is worth losing the people who love you most.