“The Unexpected Truth”
I had been driving through the night shift, my body exhausted but my mind sharp, when something unexpected happened. As I glanced into the rearview mirror, I saw him—my husband—sitting in the back of my taxi with another woman. I froze, my heart racing, trying to suppress the anger rising within me. I had always suspected something, but now I had undeniable proof.
I had thought I was lucky to have met Lucas.
He entered my life at a time when everything seemed perfect: a good job at a large company, a cozy apartment in the city, and a five-year-old son named Maxime. Lucas—charming, charismatic, but with no home at the start.
“Don’t worry, we’ll make it work,” I reassured a friend when he moved in with us.
“You don’t really know him,” she warned.
“He accepted Maxime as his own. That’s already more than I ever hoped for,” I replied.
I truly believed in him. Thanks to my connections, he found a job quickly. In no time, he became “someone”—new suits, a fancy car, and a year later, a proposal.
“You can stop working, Camille. Take care of Maxime. I’ll take care of everything else,” he told me with confidence.
At first, life was sweet. But soon, as soon as I stopped earning, everything started to change. Maxime became “a problem,” “too sensitive,” “not the way a boy should be.”
And Lucas’s money? I rarely saw it. Always “on the card,” “being processed,” or “just a little longer.” I kept quiet.
Then, I had to return to driving at night, as a taxi driver, while Lucas was supposedly “away for work.”
One night, I came home late. Martha, our downstairs neighbor, was already waiting in her pink robe.
“So, how was your day?” she asked, gently stroking Maxime’s hair as he slept, clutching his dog tightly.
“Better than nothing,” I sighed. “And you?”
“With him, it’s like having my own grandson. Just give me a child, and my day is complete. I never had grandkids, so Maxime is my treasure.”
“You’re our guardian angel, Martha. I wouldn’t make it without you.”
She grimaced when mentioning Lucas. “Your Lucas… does he know how hard it is for you?”
“He knows,” I lied. “He’s just… very busy with work.”
But the truth was, he had another occupation. Another life.
That night, everything seemed like another routine shift. A usual call from a restaurant downtown. A man in a gray coat and a woman with bright red lipstick got into my car.
I glanced in the rearview mirror—and my heart sank. It was Lucas. With his mistress.
They settled in the back, sitting close like honeymooners. I pulled my hood up and remained silent.
“Finally,” she murmured. “I thought you’d come up with an excuse, something like ‘my son has a fever.'”
“Not tonight, Ashley. I missed you.”
They kissed. I fought the urge to gag.
“My parents want to meet you,” she said.
Lucas looked at her, puzzled.
“They promised me a house if I introduce someone serious. A fiancée.”
He laughed softly.
“Are we putting on a show now?”
“They’re very traditional. We won’t tell them about your wife—anyway, you’re going to divorce her soon, right?”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“You’re my favorite. My cleverest daughter.”
“I was thinking of two houses. One for us, one to rent. It would be perfect.”
Lucas smiled, pleased.
“Exactly. As soon as my wife gets her inheritance, I’m leaving. No way I’m leaving empty-handed. Her mother’s very sick, it’ll happen soon.”
I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
“Great,” she said joyfully. “I’ll organize a barbecue this weekend. We’ll show up, smile, say a few sweet words—and the deal’s done.”
“Saturday? Perfect. I’ll find an excuse.”
I nearly choked. Saturday. Our anniversary.
My husband had just promised a false engagement to another woman—on the very day we met, nine years ago.
And he didn’t even realize it.
I drove them to a small house with a porch. Not ours. His “business trips” always ended there. Lucas got out, not recognizing me. Paying in cash, eyes down.
“Thanks, man,” he said, putting his arm around Ashley’s waist.
I stayed in the car, watching them disappear behind the door.
Then, I went still, my breath coming slowly.
“Sorry, Lucas. But you just lost the game.”
A few days before our anniversary, I set the table and lit a candle. When Lucas entered the kitchen, I acted as if everything was normal.
“Lucas,” I said, filling his plate, “do you remember what Saturday is?”
He paused, trying to find an excuse.
“Anniversary… Oh, right. The day we met, huh?”
“Exactly. Nine years ago, I gave you that watch you’re still wearing.”
“Yeah… of course…”
“I reserved a table by the lake. For eight.”
His voice dropped, uncomfortable.
“Listen, Saturday is tricky. I have an important work trip.”
Then, as if remembering a detail, he added:
“But we’re not the kind of couple who needs a date to prove anything, right?”
I nodded without responding. In my head, everything was clear. Each piece of the puzzle came together from that conversation I had overheard.
That Saturday, I didn’t leave Maxime with Martha.
“My darling, we’re going to a party,” I told him, buttoning up his favorite shirt, adorned with a green dinosaur.
“Even better,” I winked. “Ice cream for dessert.”
I wore a blue dress I hadn’t worn in years—the one I wore on our first date. I styled my hair, put on some makeup, and a little lipstick. In the mirror, I found a woman I thought I had lost.
We drove.
“Where are we going, Mom?”
“To see some interesting people, my dear. But not a word about the lies, okay?”
Ashley’s house was bigger than I imagined. The garden was filled with voices and music; someone was already grilling.
Ashley opened the door, smiling—until she saw me.
Her gaze scanned my face, hesitant, then shifted to Maxime. Her smile faded.
“I’m invited,” I said softly. “By your parents. We can say we’re… family.”
She blinked, hesitated, then stepped aside with a forced laugh.
“Mom? Dad? Your guest has arrived!”
The music outside continued to play, but the hallway froze. An elegant couple walked in, visibly surprised.
“Hello,” I said with a smile. “Sorry for the surprise visit, but I thought it was time to meet the man who’s been dating your daughter… or, as I know him, my husband.”
Lucas walked in, a glass in his hand. At the sight of me, his face drained of color, and his smile vanished.
“Hi, darling,” I said, locking eyes with him. “Happy anniversary. I brought you a gift.”
Maxime appeared behind my legs, laughing.
“Hi, Dad! Mom said there’d be ice cream!”
Ashley choked, stepping back, as if slapped.
Her father opened his mouth in disbelief. Her mother put a hand on her chest.
“Sorry?” her mother exclaimed. “What did this child just say?!”
“Maxime,” I said gently, “go ahead and help yourself to as much ice cream as you want. Today, it’s your day.”
The boy ran to the buffet, delighted. I turned to Lucas.
I took off my wedding ring and dropped it into his hand, making a sound louder than thunder.
“I supported you when you were homeless, unemployed, and had no roof over your head,” I said, my voice firm. “I gave you a home. I trusted you. I gave you a son.”
“You have a son?” Ashley screamed, her eyes wide. “You said she had no children!”
Lucas opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
“But what is this, Lucas?” muttered her father.
“Wait… they’re married?” her mother wondered.
“Yes, still,” I answered. “But for how much longer?”
Ashley turned red with rage.
“I heard you,” I said to her parents, turning away from Lucas. “He’s waiting for my mother to die so he can take the apartment. Then he plans to marry your daughter—and live in one house, rent the other.”
A murmur of shock passed through the room.
Ashley’s mother collapsed into the nearest chair. Her father mumbled something incomprehensible.
Ashley took a deep breath.
“My God. You did this, with a child…”
“Do you think I gave birth to this child?” I cut in. “No, Ashley. It’s Lucas who dragged us into this lie. And you, you came to steal what didn’t belong to you.”
I turned to her parents one last time.
“I heard you were going to give your daughter a house. Be careful. Lucas loves gifts. And when he gets them… he wants the deed too.”
I turned on my heel.
“Let’s go, Maxime. These people have enough to deal with. Let’s go get some real ice cream.”
As Maxime and I headed to the car, I heard a glass shatter behind us.
I didn’t turn around. For the first time… I didn’t look back.
Three months later, during the divorce hearing, Ashley’s parents showed up. They testified freely, revealing lies and secrets.
Shame can do wonders. In their case, it brought back a little dignity.
Thanks to their testimony, and some evidence I had gathered from my taxi shifts, I got everything I deserved. The court left Lucas with nothing but his apologies.
I invited my mother to live with us. We sold her old apartment and bought a small nest by the sea—peaceful, bright, serene.
I learned that new beginnings are like clear glass: transparent, honest, and sincere. And I would choose this life over all the empty promises Lucas had made me.
Because true wealth, in the end, is peace.