Anna returned home from the cafe, packed her belongings, and drove to her grandfather’s house in the countryside. It was a small blue cottage with a wooden door, very different from Anna’s in Cleveland, but here she could find peace and a well-deserved break from housework and, especially, Edward’s lies.
The woman creaked open the gate upon arrival, but as she took a step forward towards the front door, she noticed a man lying unconscious in the yard with a shovel beside him. Blood had covered every square inch of the shovel as if someone had hit him on the head with it.
Anna called 911 right away and rushed the man to the hospital. Fortunately, they made it in time, and the man was out of danger. But when she got home from the hospital, she had another surprise in store for her. Her dear husband Edward was waiting for her at the cottage.
“I have been searching for you the whole day, Anna! You just disappeared without a trace. Where have you been?” Edward inquired.
“Because you were so preoccupied with your work and ‘client meetings,’ I decided to take a vacation with my baby,” Anna said indifferently. “It’s not as if I have to ask you for your permission for everything. Anyway, what are you doing here?”
Edward’s tone abruptly shifted. “Are you upset about something, honey? Do you want me to get you something?”
“No, Edward,” Anna retorted. “Right now, all I need is sleep. So, please move. And, yes, I’ll be sleeping alone, so you can sleep outside on the couch!”
Anna went to bed, but her thoughts kept returning to the man she’d discovered unconscious in her yard. What exactly was he doing here? Was she on the lookout for something? Is he familiar with me? And how did he get a head injury? Her head was racing with questions.
Anna fell asleep while trying to find answers for her inquisitive mind and was awakened by the sun the following day. It was mildly cold, so she reached out for the blanket, but she couldn’t find it.
She awoke, irritated, and was about to yell at Edward if he’d pulled it to his side when she realized she’d been sleeping alone.
However, as Anna looked around the room, she noticed it was in a terrible state. The blanket had been thrown on the floor, her room’s cupboard had open drawers, and her luggage had been opened and rummaged through.
If this is you, Edward, I swear you’re dead today! Anna was furious as she dashed into the living room. But that space was in no better shape. It was even messier than she’d found it when she first entered the house, and Edward was nowhere to be found.
She was about to go outside and check the yard for him, but just then, her gaze was drawn to a crumpled sheet of paper on the ground. When she picked it up, she discovered it was a blueprint for her cottage with a red circle at its center.
She dashed to the loft as it came under the circled region and discovered that, too, was messed up. Edward had vanished as if he didn’t exist, and the yard had been dug out in one corner.
Worried, she was about to call him, but just then she heard a voice from behind. “I’m sorry, but I hope I didn’t disturb you!” it said.
Anna turned around and discovered the man she’d saved the previous day standing at the doorstep. “Oh, it’s you! Are you all right now?” she worriedly inquired.
The man sighed as he looked around Anna’s house, which was in a state of disarray. “I was taken to the hospital on time thanks to your assistance,” he said. “By the way, my name is Andrew. Can I come inside, if you don’t mind? I’d like to speak with you about something…”
Anna offered tea to Andrew, and that’s when he started telling her the whole story. Andrew turned out to have cared for Anna’s grandfather in his final days. So, before his death, her grandfather told the kind man about the treasure hidden in the yard near his house.
“He also gave me a letter,” Andrew explained, “and it was addressed to you to an address in Florida. I went there, but you’d already left, so I waited until you came back so I could give it to you. I wasn’t there on his funeral day; otherwise, we could have met that day.”
Anna opened the letter and began reading it.
“Dear Anna, I hope you’re doing well,” the letter began, “I know it might come as a shock to you, but I have a box hidden in my yard, and there’s a map to it.”
“My grandfather gave it to me before he died, and I wanted to give it to you on your wedding day, but I’m sorry to say that your husband already has his eye on it. Edward is not who he appears to be. He came to see me after you two got married and overheard me talking to Andrew.”
“By the way, Andrew is the man who will most likely deliver this letter to you. The brooch you’ll find inside the box is worth millions of dollars, and it is a relic of our ancestors that has been passed down to us. Edward will not find it as long as he does not obtain the map. I hope you find it and keep it in a safe place. Love, Grandpa Silas.”
As Anna finished the letter, she showed a picture of Edward to Andrew. “Have you seen him around, or do you know him?”
“Oh, yes, he’s the man who comes here often. When I came here that day to clean the yard, I found him here, and he hit me over the head with a shovel.”
When Andrew said that, it all made sense: Edward’s sudden appearance at the cottage and his sudden disappearance. Anna immediately called the police and informed them of the situation. In no time, Edward was apprehended, and he confessed to the theft, and Anna was able to recover the brooch.
After the incident, Anna decided to cut all ties with Edward, who’s serving time in prison, and she and Andrew are now raising her son, Brandon, together.
What can we learn from this story?
You can’t escape karma. Edward decided to flee with the ancient brooch, but he was apprehended and punished for his actions. Everything in life happens for a reason. If Anna hadn’t caught Edward cheating on her that day, she would never have found out the truth about Edward.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a young mother who found an old crib on her doorstep with an envelope inside.
Everyone Fell for My Charming New Boss, But I Knew Him as My Ex, Who Came Back to Finish What He Started — Story of the Day
Until Ellie fell asleep.
Then, I turned back to Logan. He was sitting on the couch, relaxed like he belonged there.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I whispered.
“Family. This is normal. You’ve just forgotten what it’s like. I’ll remind you.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“You have no right.”
“I’m her father. And I will win you back.”
I grabbed my phone.
“I’ll call the police.”
“Go ahead. And tell them you left your daughter alone… while popping painkillers.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
He pulled a pill bottle out of his pocket with my name on it.
“Remember how you screamed at the office? We’ve got the footage. I installed the cameras.”
“That’s not mine! You planted it!”
“Can you prove it? They’ll believe me. I’m… a role model.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“What do you want, Logan?”
“You. And Ellie. Or… lose everything again.”
“You won’t dare! I rebuilt my life from ashes!”
“And I’ll destroy it again. I have enough power.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
***
I realized there was no protection. The police wouldn’t help. My coworkers were still hypnotized. I had to act alone.
And suddenly, I wasn’t scared anymore. I was angry. Not just for me — for every woman he ever fooled.
But William, seeing my burning eyes, stepped in.
We hatched a plan.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
I created an anonymous page. I posted stories about women who survived emotional abuse. Seemingly fictional. But each one was a piece of the truth. We needed Logan to react.
William used his media skills to target those posts directly at our coworkers. Every one of them saw the stories, including Logan.
A few days passed. William placed a tablet in front of me, showing analytics from the anonymous page we had just launched.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Look at this,” he said. “They’re reading. They’re talking. If we keep the pressure, he’ll crack. That’s when we hit record. Let’s take his mask off.”
Logan didn’t know it was us, but he felt it. That afternoon, I saw him in the glass hallway by the elevators. Alone. He thought no one was watching. His fists were clenched. He slammed a folder onto the windowsill.
“Idiots!” I heard him hiss under his breath.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
Logan glanced around, forced a smile back on his face, and walked away like nothing had happened.
He tried to keep the mask, but it no longer fit. People in the office started whispering. And he felt it.
At the significant conference where I was to speak, Logan sat in the front row. Smiling. As always. Pretending.
Finally, I stepped onto the stage. My hands were damp.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
I knew one wrong word could cost me everything — my job, my daughter, and my sanity.
But if I stay silent, he wins. Again.
I looked out into the crowd. I saw William in the back.
I have such a support system. We’ll win.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
I began my speech.
“We’re here to talk about strength. About women who survived. Who made it through darkness…”
I paused.
“And about those who pretend to be the light but are the darkness itself. Let’s talk about the men who live among us — perfect on the outside. But if you take off the mask…”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
I looked at Logan. He didn’t even shift.
“I once met such a man. No one but me saw what lay beneath. But today… I have the chance to show you.”
I played the video footage from my home. Every second felt like an hour. I kept my eyes on the screen, not daring to look at the crowd.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Then I heard it. His voice. The voice I had once loved — at that moment, pure venom:
“And I’ll destroy it again. I have enough power.”
This is it. This is how I finally take back my power.
Suddenly, Logan jumped up.
“It’s edited! It’s… a lie!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Is it, sweetheart? When you reappeared in my life, I took precautions. Spent quite a bit on a modern surveillance system. Video, audio. And today, it was worth every penny.”
Logan snapped and lunged at me.
“No one will believe you! You’re nothing without me! You were nothing before me, and you’ll be nothing after I’m done!”
His wild eyes, his voice, his screams — all recorded. Everyone saw it.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“You’ll regret exposing me. Even if they cancel me — I’ll still win. Because deep down, you know I made you.”
William was there, waiting. He stepped in and stopped Logan.
“Great headline for tomorrow’s paper,” William muttered, though his jaw was clenched.
The mask was off. Logan’s image crumbled. An investigation began. On my way out, I passed Mia in the hallway. She didn’t say a word. Just looked at the floor.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
***
That evening, I picked Ellie up from her friend’s house. She ran to me and hugged me so tight I couldn’t breathe.
“You look like a superhero, Mommy,” she whispered.
And at that moment, I believed her.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
I quit the next day. Walked out of the office in silence. Head held high.
Today, I run my own project — a small women’s center. It’s just two rooms above a bakery and a second-hand couch I found online.
But every week, women walk in who remind me of who I used to be — scared, silenced, surviving.
And now, I help them remember they deserve more than survival. They deserve to live.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
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