The day Ryan brought his girlfriend, Sophie, home was meant to be a milestone. After a quiet conversation and ice cream, Ryan shared how special Sophie was. The next day, I prepared a meal for her, and everything seemed perfect until Sophie saw a photo of Thomas, my husband. She became tense and revealed that Thomas had been having an affair with her mother for years, and her mom was pregnant.
Shocked, we drove to Sophie’s house, where Thomas greeted us, pale and panicked. Sophie’s mom, pregnant and confused, thought Thomas had never been married. I introduced myself, and everything crumbled. Sophie was heartbroken, and Ryan was furious.
I told Thomas he was dead to me, and after a tense exchange, I left, with Sophie following us. At home, we sat in silence, and I made chocolate cake to ease the pain. Ryan admitted he had never been close to Thomas, and Sophie shared her own feelings of abandonment. We were all left to mourn what we’d lost.
