Iris was so delighted. Her daughter Eliza was all set to get married to the love of her life, Daniel. So Iris shuffled toward her future son-in-law to give him her late husband’s diamond cufflinks.
But Daniel was walking too fast, and Iris had to race her achy knees. She watched him approach Melissa, one of the bridesmaids, and whisper something to her.
Then, they both walked away from the venue toward the back of the restaurant. Curious, Iris tiptoed behind them, only to see them slipping into a bathroom together…
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Iris slightly opened the door, and her heart sank when she peered inside.
“I can’t wait anymore, babe,” Daniel tugged at Mellissa’s waist, pulling her closer.
“Not now, darling,” Melissa crooned. “If someone finds out, our plans will be ruined. Patience, babe…you just need to stay married for a little. Think of the big payday we’ll get when you divorce your boring wife. Millions of dollars worth…but now control yourself!”
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Iris leaned over and glimpsed at Daniel and Melissa on the bathroom mirror. They were locked in each others’ arms, kissing passionately.
“Not now…” Melissa muttered. “We have to get back.”
“Not until you promise to meet me at my house later,” Daniel said. “We carry on like we always have…after Eliza’s gone to work!”
Melissa giggled. Unable to see or take it anymore, Iris hurried away to warn her daughter.
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Iris hurried to the dining room, but Eliza was not there. Suddenly, the MC called for everyone’s attention.
“Before we proceed to the wedding hall, the bride has a special gift for the groom,” he announced.
Eliza appeared on the stage and took the mic from the MC.
“…I’ve waited for a long time to find a real love…and I want to dedicate this to him!”
As the band behind Eliza started playing the chords, she sang a melodious love song. A hush fell over the room as Eliza finished singing.
The guests applauded, and Daniel rushed onto the stage and hugged her. Iris knew it would crush her daughter’s heart when she learned the truth about Daniel’s scheming.
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The MC interrupted the bustling wedding scene. “And now… love birds, your first dance!”
Iris weaved through the crowd and approached her daughter. “Eliza, I have to tell you something…it’s about Daniel.”
“Is everything okay, Mom?”
“Sweetie, he is…Can we talk privately?”
“Daniel’s waiting for me. We’ll talk after the first dance, okay?”
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Melissa sidled around Iris and approached the bride. “Daniel’s waiting for you in the dance hall.”
Eliza was so gorgeous in her wedding dress as she followed Melissa to the door. Iris was shattered, and she did not have the courage to break her daughter’s heart on her big day.
So she watched in agony as the wedding proceeded. There was nothing she could do to bring Daniel and Melissa’s affair to light. There was only one way to expose him: Iris had to ensure Eliza caught him red-handed.
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Eliza and Daniel drove Iris to the airport the following Monday to catch an early flight back home. Iris was disgusted to watch Daniel acting so lovey-dovey with Eliza.
Iris hugged Eliza goodbye before heading to the boarding lounge. Around 15 minutes later, she called a cab and returned to Eliza’s house.
Iris knew Melissa and Daniel would meet after Eliza went to work, and she decided to catch them.
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When Iris arrived at Eliza’s house, she saw Melissa’s car parked in the driveway. She quickly called Eliza.
“Sweetie, my flight was canceled,” Iris told her daughter. “I hailed a taxi to your place…I’m feeling dizzy…can you meet me there?”
“Oh, God, Mom! I’m busy…but don’t worry. I’ll call Daniel and ask him, alright?”
“No, don’t call him. I want you to come here…please, it’s important.”
Eliza sighed. “Fine…I’m coming.”
Iris hung up and crept up to the window.
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She peered through the glass pane and saw nothing strange at first. Then, the door swung open as Daniel and Melissa entered the room, kissing each other.
He set her down, and the pair started making out on the couch.
Iris glanced at the street, but there was still no sign of Eliza. She peeked through the window and quickly looked away in disgust, seeing how things inside had heated up.
Iris stood by the curb, praying for her daughter to be there soon. Five minutes later, Eliza pulled up.
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“Mom, are you okay?” Eliza approached Iris.
“No, I’m not. Your husband and that Melissa. They’re in there…fooling around.”
“WHAT?” Eliza was shocked.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I overheard them on your wedding day…”
“You overheard what?”
“They are having an affair…and have planned to swindle you and take your money when Daniel leaves you,” Iris replied as Eliza froze.
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“Daniel and Melissa?” Eliza’s breath shuddered. “He’s always been nice to me…how did I not have a clue about this affair?”
“They’re in there right now…” Iris pointed to the door. “Why don’t you go see with your own eyes?”
Eliza nodded curtly and wiped her tears. She angrily marched to the front door, and Iris was right behind her.
They tiptoed to the living room. The sound of Daniel and Melissa giggling behind the couch echoed in the hallway.
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“What the hell’s going on here?” she yelled.
Iris rushed in but was caught off-guard by the sight before her shocked eyes. It didn’t make any sense.
Just mere minutes ago, when she looked through the window, Daniel and Melissa were engrossed in their intimate moment. But now, they were casually seated on the sofa like nothing had happened.
“Eliza? What do you mean?” Daniel replied. “Melissa and I were discussing work…Didn’t I tell you I’d be working from home this week?”
“You LIAR!” Iris pointed at Daniel. “I saw the both of you doing ‘things’ on that sofa…you must’ve seen us coming and gotten dressed.”
“Gotten dressed?” Melissa frowned. “Jesus…you think Daniel and I are having…an affair?”
“Just shut up,” Eliza snapped. “My mother saw you two in the bathroom on our wedding day…and now, in our house. You were so insistent on sharing our assets and money when we got married. And now I know why…Daniel, you married me for my money.’
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“That’s not true!” Daniel denied the allegation. “Being married means sharing everything. What’s mine is yours, Eliza. I’m sorry your mother thinks so cheap of me…but she’s mistaken. Melissa and I are friends and business partners. I thought you… trusted me.”
“I did, Daniel. But why would my Mom lie to me? I just…I just don’t understand.”
“Eliza, I love you…and I can prove it,” Daniel took Eliza’s hand.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of keys.
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“See this?” He dropped the keys into Eliza’s palm. “I made the final payment for our new home yesterday. Melissa was here to help me with an idea to surprise you. But everything’s ruined now.”
“He’s lying, Eliza,” Iris insisted as she watched Eliza lift the keys with her trembling fingers.
But Eliza didn’t seem to hear. “You were going to surprise me?” she whispered.
“Yes! I wanted to drive you there in a blindfold…walk you onto the lawn…and show you our dream home. But I guess I’ll be staying there alone now. There’s no point in sharing my life with a woman who doesn’t trust me.”
Daniel snatched the keys from Eliza and stormed to their bedroom.
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“Wait, you can’t just leave me like this,” Eliza ran after Daniel. “I don’t doubt you…but I know Mom would never tell me something like this unless it’s true.”
Daniel stopped and turned around. “I don’t know what your Mom saw and heard. I’ve offered you proof. If you still don’t believe me, I don’t think this marriage can last.”
“I trust you…that’s why it hurts so much to think of you cheating on me. I love you, Daniel…”
“I love you too,” Daniel said. “I don’t understand what went wrong to make it easy for you to believe such awful things about me. If you truly believe that I’ve been unfaithful to you, tell me now. I’ll pack my things and leave you…forever.”
“I trust you! Please forgive me,” Eliza hugged Daniel as Iris couldn’t believe it.
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Iris’s heart raced in her chest. It was all too much for her. Her knees gave way as a dull pain spread through her chest. The last thing Iris heard was the piercing shrill of ambulance sirens.
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Iris was rushed to the hospital, where the doctors informed her she’d had a heart attack.
“You scared me, Mom…I’m glad you’re okay,” Eliza visited Iris and hugged her.
“I’ll feel a lot better if you tell me that you’ve kicked that fraudster and his mistress out.”
Eliza rolled her eyes. “Mom, please don’t talk about my husband like that. You’ve mistaken things about him…”
“Wake up, Eliza. He’s just using you. All that nonsense about buying a house was his way of guilt-tripping you into staying.”
“But it proves he loves me. Why would he want me to stay if he was only after my money?”
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“Why don’t you check your prenup, Eliza?” Iris snapped. “Good Lord, how do I make you understand that your husband is a gold-digger?”
“Mom, please stop this. Let’s not assume things and punish Daniel for something he’s never done.”
“Fine then,” Iris said. “If you don’t want to open your eyes and see the reality, then things are going to be different from now on.”
“What do you mean, Mom?”
Iris reached for her phone and dialed a number.
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“Hello, Mr. Simms…I’m calling you about my will,” Iris told her lawyer. “I want to make an urgent change. I’ve decided to leave all my wealth to charity. My daughter will not inherit a dime. And I want you to freeze her bank account. Yes…immediately. Thank you.”
“What?” Eliza stood shocked. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m sorry, Eliza, but you left me with no choice. I don’t want our family’s hard-earned money being palmed to a gold-digger using you.”
“Fine!” Eliza yelled. “If you’re cutting me off your will, so be it. I don’t want to see you again.”
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The following few weeks were the most challenging days for Iris. She underwent heart surgery and was released from the hospital after a long recovery period.
She felt very lonely and even tried calling Eliza. But her daughter never answered, and Iris was heartbroken. She called her every day and sent her text messages.
Iris wasn’t surprised when there was no reply. But one day, her doorbell rang. When Iris opened the door, she froze in disbelief.
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“Eliza?!” Iris teared up as a wave of emotions washed over her. “Sweetie…”
Iris stopped talking when Eliza looked at her with red, puffy eyes.
“It’s Daniel, isn’t it?” She wrapped her arms around Eliza’s shoulders and led her inside.
“I’m sorry, Mom…I should’ve listened to you,” Eliza sobbed. “You were right!”
Iris hugged Eliza. She hated seeing her daughter so heartbroken but was glad she was finally free from that money-grubber, Daniel.
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Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
Ally bursts into the church and interrupts the bride, who is about to finish saying her wedding vow. Ally introduces herself as the groom’s ex-girlfriend and accuses him of being a con man.
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.
My Daughter’s Twin? I Confronted My Husband About a Possible Affair—What I Discovered Will Shock You
When a new family moved in next door, I couldn’t help but notice how much their daughter looked like mine. It made me suspicious. Could my husband be having an affair? I needed to ask him, but the truth I discovered was much worse than I expected.
Emma and Lily, my daughter, were playing together in our backyard. They were twirling around like two bright sunflowers trying to catch the sunlight. Their laughter should have made me happy, but instead, it made me feel uneasy.
I squinted, trying to find any difference between my daughter and the new neighbor’s girl. But it felt like I was looking at two identical pictures. They had the same golden curls shining in the sunlight, the same button noses, and the same playful sparkle in their eyes.
The only clear way I could tell Emma apart from Lily was that Emma was about an inch taller than her new friend.
“Heather?” Jack’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I forced a smile and looked back at my husband. “Just thinking.”
I didn’t mention how I was worried that our perfect little world might be on shaky ground.
Jack looked confused for a moment, but then Emma came running over and grabbed his hand.
“Come push Lily and me on the swing, Dad!” she shouted.
“Uh… sure, sweetie.” His smile didn’t seem genuine as he let Emma lead him to the swing, where Lily was already waiting.
“Can I go first, pleeease?” Lily asked.
“Okay, but then it’s Emma’s turn,” Jack replied.
As he helped Lily onto the swing, I couldn’t shake the feeling that they looked so comfortable together, like a father and daughter. That thought twisted my stomach with worry.
Later that night, after I tucked Emma in, I found myself looking through old photo albums. I flipped through pages of Emma’s baby pictures, hoping to find some feature that clearly showed she looked like Jack.
“What are you doing?” Jack’s voice startled me.
He stood in the doorway, looking confused.
I quickly shut the album. “Nothing. Just… reminiscing.”
“Reminiscing…” he repeated, frowning a little as he looked over my shoulder at the photo album in my lap.
I could see the questions in his eyes, but he didn’t ask any. Just like I didn’t bring up the growing distance between us or why he always changed the subject when I mentioned our new neighbors.
Days turned into weeks, and my suspicions grew like weeds in a neglected garden. Every shared laugh between Jack and Lily, and every nervous glance when I mentioned the neighbors only fed the growing doubt in my mind.
One sleepless night, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I turned to Jack in bed.
“Is Lily your daughter?” I asked suddenly.
The words hung in the air like smoke, heavy and suffocating. Jack’s body went stiff.
“What?” He turned slowly, his face full of shock. “Heather, what are you talking about? Where is this coming from?”
“Don’t play dumb, Jack. The girls look exactly alike. And you’ve been acting strange ever since Lily and her family moved in.” My voice trembled. “Just tell me the truth. Did you have an affair?”
Jack sat up, running a hand through his hair. “This is crazy. Of course, I didn’t have an affair! I promised you before God. How can you think I would break that?”
“Then why won’t you talk about them? Why do you shut down every time I mention Lily?”
He hung his head, and his silence spoke louder than words. I could almost hear him thinking, deciding what to say or not say.
“I can’t… I can’t talk about this right now,” he finally said, swinging his legs off the bed.
“Jack, don’t you dare walk away from me!”
But he was already out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts and fears.
The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed and a note on the nightstand. “Gone to work early. We’ll talk tonight.”
Classic Jack, always avoiding confrontation.
I spent the day in a haze, trying to act normal while my mind raced with worry. By afternoon, I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed answers, and I knew just where to find them.
“Emma, sweetie,” I called out. “Why don’t you go play with Lily for a bit?”
Emma eagerly ran out the door, and I waited an hour before I followed, my heart pounding in my chest. I knocked on the neighbor’s door, forcing my best “neighborhood mom” smile onto my face.
Lily’s father answered, his friendly grin faltering slightly when he saw me. “Hey, it’s Heather, right? It’s so good to finally meet you! Please, come in. I’m Ryan. Emma’s out back with Lily if you’re looking for her.”
“I am… could you call her, please?” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.
As soon as Ryan turned his back to call the girls, I started searching through his living room.
There were many framed photos of Ryan and Lily with people who mostly shared Ryan’s dark hair and olive skin tones. I guessed they were his family. But why were there no photos of Lily’s mom?
Then it hit me—why had I never seen Lily’s mom?
I peeked down the hallway. That’s when a large photo of a blonde woman hanging on the wall upstairs caught my eye. Without thinking, I hurried up the stairs.
“What are you doing?” Ryan’s voice came from behind me, startling me.
I turned and saw Ryan frowning at me. A million excuses rushed through my mind, but none came out. I had to know the truth.
“Is that Lily’s mom? Where is she?” I asked, pointing at the photo.
Ryan flinched. “Yeah… that’s Mary. She’s no longer with us.”
“Because of Jack?” I hurried down the stairs. “They had an affair, didn’t they? And that’s why Lily and Emma look so much alike, isn’t it?”
We talked for hours, and Jack finally shared years of family secrets and shame. With each revelation, I felt the space between us getting smaller.
As the sun began to set, I heard Emma and Lily’s laughter coming through the open window. Jack and I moved to the window to watch them, two golden heads bobbing in the fading light like sunflowers.
I leaned against him, feeling the steady beat of his heart. The girls still looked like two copies of the same photograph, but now I understood the deeper truth behind their resemblance.
The girls’ similar looks weren’t a sign of betrayal but a sign of healing: a second chance for a broken family.
Emma and Lily’s laughter echoed in the backyard again as they twirled around, and it felt like a promise of new beginnings. This time, the sound didn’t chill me; it warmed my heart.
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