“My wife is going on a business trip. Let’s have some fun tonight, darling!” These were the words that Lauren’s husband, Dustin, sent to someone in a chat. Lauren was taken aback when she received an anonymous text message containing a screenshot of the conversation. To catch Dustin in the act, she hid on the balcony and witnessed him entering the bedroom with their teenage son’s teacher.
“Thank you for agreeing to look after my kids, Mom. I hope they’re not giving you trouble. Alright, I have to hurry with my packing – my flight is in four hours. I’ll call you once I land!” Lauren quickly informed her mother and abruptly ended the call.
As she sorted through the neatly packed clothes, toiletries, and cosmetics on her bed, getting ready for her business trip to Miami, her phone suddenly made a soft notification sound. Seeing an incoming message from an unfamiliar number, Lauren couldn’t resist her curiosity and unlocked her phone to read it. To her utter shock, she was met with a screenshot of her husband Dustin’s intimate conversation with another woman.
Dustin’s message on the screenshot read, “My wife is going on a business trip and the kids are staying with their grandma. That means we’ll have the house all to ourselves tonight. Let’s celebrate, babe!”
Lauren’s face turned pale and the blood drained from it as she kept reading the string of disturbing text messages. The time seemed to pause as she read through them. The messages read:
“I can’t wait to hold you in my arms, darling. :)”
“I’ll see you soon. In my house, and in my bedroom. XOXO ;)”
“Dustin… What is going on? Oh, God… How long has this been happening?” Lauren broke down in tears. She couldn’t bring herself to believe that her husband, who she had been married to for 25 years, had cheated on her.
The words that Dustin had used in his intimate text messages with his mistress kept replaying in Lauren’s mind, causing a strong feeling of disgust that made her want to vomit.
However, Lauren understood that she couldn’t just stand there crying; after all, she had done nothing wrong. It was her husband who had betrayed her in every aspect. She wiped away her tears and made a decision to uncover the depth of this secret affair.
Knowing that Dustin would return home in a few hours, Lauren had a strange idea. She swiftly concealed her luggage underneath the bed and turned off every light in the house to give the appearance that she had already left for her trip and was no longer at home.
She hid behind the dense potted palm tree on the darkened balcony, waiting for her husband to arrive with his newfound love.
Lauren’s anxious wait ended when she heard the tires of Dustin’s SUV screech on the gravel in the parking lot outside her house. Her heart began to race, eager to see who Dustin’s wife was.
“Oh, honey! Can’t you wait a little longer? The fruits of waiting are sweet!” Lauren heard a woman’s flirtatious giggle, accompanied by the loud slam of a car door and the click-clack of stilettos approaching the front door.
Lauren felt her heart drop as she peeked through the curtain and saw her husband confidently entering the bedroom with his mistress just a few minutes later. Her eyes widened in complete shock when she realized that the woman was actually her teenage son Josh’s math teacher, Miss Madison.
“Oh my god, is Miss Madison… my husband’s mistress?” Lauren gasped.
She watched as Dustin shut the bedroom door behind them and began unbuttoning his shirt. Madison, already lying on the bed, playfully extended her slender finger and signaled Dustin over with a seductive gesture. In mere seconds, Dustin had removed his shirt and snuggled up beside Madison.
At that moment, Lauren realized she couldn’t just stand there and watch. She sprinted out of her hiding spot on the balcony and barged into the bedroom, giving Dustin the shock of his life.
“DUSTIN, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? Why is our son’s teacher with you on our bed?” Lauren screamed as Dustin jolted up in surprise.
His eyes widened with terror. He desperately wanted to come up with a quick excuse, but his mind went blank, leaving him frozen in fear.
“La-Lauren…is that you? Are you back home?” Dustin stuttered. “I thought you were going to…”
“You thought I would catch my flight to Miami, thinking about you while you undressed in front of your young lover and carried on with her in our home! In OUR BEDROOM! ON OUR BED! How disgusting!” Lauren raged.
“Wait…just a minute, Lauren,” Madison interjected. “I’m not your husband’s lover,” she stated firmly.
“Why, of course, you’re not his lover! Then why are you in bed with him in our bedroom? Do you think I’m blind?” Lauren shouted.
“I’m his DAUGHTER! And I was the one who sent you that text message to your phone this morning, Lauren. Nice to meet you, by the way!” Madison finished, leaving the couple stunned.
“Daughter? H-how is that possible?” Lauren stammered in shock and looked at Dustin for answers.
But his eyes were only on Madison. He was just as shocked. A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind. It felt like being pushed off the edge of a cliff as Dustin sank to the bed, holding his head.
However, his gaze was fixed solely on Madison. He was equally surprised. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. Dustin felt like he was being pushed off a cliff as he slumped onto the bed, holding his head.
“Oh my God…Are you…are you Brooke’s daughter?” he asked, with disappointment and distress etched on his face.
“Yes! I am Brooke’s daughter,” Madison responded, crossing her arms.
“Oh God…Now everything makes sense,” Dustin sobbed, turning towards Lauren. “…It all started with our argument 25 years ago, Lauren…Do you remember that day? When I was waiting for you in the park….”
It was Autumn 1995. Dustin and Lauren met at their usual spot in the park. While Dustin had come with a bouquet of red roses and chocolates to surprise his girlfriend, Lauren arrived with some devastating news.
“It’s only three years, Dustin. My parents have already talked to me about this,” Lauren said. “It’s nothing new. We already talked about it. My parents want me to study interior design in New York. I can’t go against their wishes.”
But Dustin was more than heartbroken. He could not accept the fact that Lauren was leaving him to go to college thousands of miles away.
“Lauren, it’s too far. Meeting up with you frequently is not something I can afford at the moment. Don’t you understand?” he debated. “I just started a part-time job, and there are many things on my plate. I can’t travel that far to see you.”
“I never asked you to come and see me, Dustin. We can write letters and call each other. Why must you always complicate things? I am going there to study and earn a degree. Then a job. It’s not like I’m leaving you forever. Can’t you wait for three years?” Lauren countered.
However, Dustin was unreceptive. “Well, if that’s the case, I don’t think a long-distance relationship would be feasible. Let’s end it…let’s break up,” he said without any further deliberation.
“Break up? How could you even say that, Dustin?” Lauren argued. “Look at me…hey…look at me and say what you said again.”
“It’s over between us, Lauren,” Dustin declared disappointedly. “We can never be happy as a couple in a long-distance relationship. You do what your parents want, okay? Forget about me. Just go wherever you want.”
Lauren was devastated. “Fine!” she said coldly before turning around and storming off in tears.
As Dustin watched Lauren’s slender figure disappear through the park gate, he was haunted. A year of whirlwind romance had come to an abrupt end, and he was terribly hurt.
“Dude, she just walked away. All she said was ‘fine,’ how lame was that?” Dustin complained while gulping down his beer, venting to his friends at the bar that night.
“Come on, man. There are still plenty of fish in the sea,” one of his friends assured, patting him on the back. “She isn’t the only girl out there. Move on and forget about her; perhaps she’s not the one for you.”
Sadly nodding, Dustin was entirely drunk when one of his friends introduced him to a girl named Brooke, saying, “Brooke, this is Dustin – the guy I was telling you about!” They were left alone to chat at the bar.
Dustin was smitten with Brooke’s beauty and her smoky gray eyes. Everything about her seemed to be perfect. The moment he locked eyes with her, thoughts of Lauren and their breakup slowly faded from his mind.
“Hey!” Brooke held out her hand.
“You look gorgeous! Can I buy you a drink?” Dustin said, his eyes on Brooke as she smiled flirtatiously and nodded.
Things heated up pretty quickly at their first meeting. Dustin and Brooke spent a long time at the bar, even after all their friends had left. When the party was over, Dustin drove Brooke back to his one-bedroom apartment where they spent a passionate night together.
The next morning, Dustin awoke to the warm rays of sunlight and found himself alone in his bedroom. Brooke was gone without a trace. He sighed and held his head, remembering his one-night stand and deciding to get over it.
Two weeks passed. Dustin was getting ready to meet his friends that morning when suddenly his doorbell rang. He slipped on his sneakers and casually opened the door, only to freeze.
“Lauren? Wh-what are you doing here?” he exclaimed in shock. Lauren was standing on his doorstep, holding her luggage and tears in her eyes.
“Dustin…I’m so sorry,” she said pleadingly. “I’m not going to New York. I thought about it over and over again. I realized I don’t need it. I’m tired of the constant pressure from my parents to send me away. Being away from you… I realized that I love you. I can’t be without you, Dustin. Please forgive me.
Dustin was amazed. He was happy and shaken. It felt too good to be true. And he knew this was not a dream.
“Wait…what? I mean…are you serious? You wanted to be an interior designer. Are you giving that up for me? What about your parents?”
“It’s my life, and I’ve decided. And yes! I’m here… outside your house. I want you back!” Lauren teared up with a smile. “You’re more important to me than my dreams. We’d rather spend the money we’ve saved for college on our future together. Will you forgive me? Shall we start over…fresh?”
Dustin was overjoyed to have his girlfriend back. He knew he could not have asked for anything better. Those two weeks without her…it was hell. He did not want to go back to that phase.
“I missed you, Lauren!” Dustin threw himself into Lauren’s arms and kissed her. However, his one-night stand with Brooke flashed through his mind and he pulled away from Lauren.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Uh…nothing…come in…what would you like?” Dustin turned around. He decided it would be best for him and Lauren if he kept quiet about the night with Brooke and just moved on for good.
Dustin and Lauren spent the whole day at his house, laughing and talking about their future. They were cooking together in the kitchen when Lauren asked him to pick up some things at the nearby grocery store.
“…and we need some dark chocolate…and jalapeño,” she said as Dustin kissed her and rushed out of his house.
He was so excited. He and Lauren were going to have a candlelight dinner and then watch a movie. But just as Dustin closed the door behind him, he saw Brooke standing right in front of his house. He was startled and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
“Brooke…what are you doing here?” Dustin rushed to Brooke.
“Dustin…I…”
“Look…I don’t want you coming to my house anymore, okay? What happened that night was an accident…we were drunk. Please forget everything that happened between us. You know…” Dustin anxiously explained, but Brooke interrupted him with a shocking revelation.
“Dustin, I’m pregnant…” she said, shaking Dustin’s world.
“You’re what? No…no, no…that can’t be,” Dustin panicked. “Okay, when are we getting an abortion? Look, Brooke, we can’t have this baby, okay? I’ll pay for everything. Let’s just terminate this pregnancy…please.”
“No…I want to have this baby, Dustin,” Brooke replied in a stern, cold tone. “I only came here to ask you one thing: Are you ready to be the father of my child?”
A heavy silence fell over Dustin. His heart began to pound. He was not ready to risk losing Lauren again. And he knew he could never father this child.
“Brooke, look…I love Lauren. She came back…I can’t just…”
But before Dustin could finish, Brooke cut him off again. “I know! And I understand. That’s why I came here, to find out once and for all,” she said. “I am willing to hide the fact that you are the father of my baby. But you must understand that I need money to raise my child.”
“So?” Dustin raised an eyebrow.
“So I need $100,000 in cash. Look, I’m not asking for much. I’m going to raise this child on my own. Give me the money and you’ll never see me again,” Brooke said.
This was a lot of money for a young Dustin who had just started his first part-time job. He looked at Brooke pleadingly again, but realized she would never change her mind.
“Fine…give me a few days, okay?” Dustin said. “I’ll figure something out. But please…don’t come here. Now please go before Lauren sees you.”
“I’ll be waiting for you at eleven in the morning…in the park…in two weeks,” Brooke said as she turned away, leaving Dustin in a daze. He walked to the store, unable to shake the horrible feeling that burned inside him.
Dustin did not return that night with the same happy face, although he faked a smile in front of Lauren. They had dinner. Then they cuddled on the sofa and watched Pretty Woman on DVD.
But Dustin’s mind was far from peaceful. He was haunted by Brooke’s pregnancy and her need for money. He just did not know where he could get enough money to keep Brooke quiet. He looked at Lauren for a few seconds and suddenly something flashed through his mind.
About a year ago, when Dustin and Lauren’s relationship had just started, he had sneaked into her backyard to meet her. But to his disbelief, Mr. Woods, Lauren’s father, was out on the balcony having a smoke, so Dustin hid in the garage.
While sitting in the garage for about an hour, Dustin accidentally stumbled upon an unlocked trap door hidden under garbage bags. Curious, he opened it only to find a suitcase of money hidden inside. Dustin closed the hatch and fled the garage, pretending not to have seen the money.
“Babe…are you okay?” Lauren snapped Dustin to his senses, stroking his hand.
“Yeah…yeah, I’m fine. So…when are we going to talk to your dad about us?” Dustin distracted her. “I hope the old man isn’t mad at us…and gets us married soon!”
Lauren sighed. She knew her father would be mad at her for sure. She gripped Dustin’s hand tightly and said worriedly, “I hope he forgives me. I’ll meet him tomorrow and explain everything.”
“Alright! I’ll take you home…as usual!” Dustin smiled as a plan began to form in his mind. When Lauren fell asleep that night, he rummaged through her purse and pulled out a bunch of keys. He stole the one with the keychain marked “Dad’s Garage” and crept back to bed.
The next evening, Dustin walked Lauren to her house. From behind the wall leading to their backyard, he saw Lauren’s dad and mom yelling at her. They were so angry with her. But after their heated exchange, he saw them hug Lauren and walk her into the house.
Dustin sighed deeply and waited until it got dark. He watched the bedroom and living room lights go out in Lauren’s house and approached the garage.
He quietly opened the garage door and crept over to the trap door. He opened it and took out the suitcase containing the money before disappearing into the night. Back in his apartment, he counted the money and was stunned to find $120,000.
That same night, Dustin met Brooke outside her rented apartment and gave her the money. Brooke was surprised because she had given Dustin two weeks to pay the ransom. However, she was happy to get the money early and agreed to leave town…with her little secret.
“I never saw her again after that,” Dustin finished with a heavy sigh.
“WHAT? Oh my God…I can’t believe this!” Lauren yelled. “You were the thief who broke into my dad’s garage and stole the money? You MURDERER! You killed my father!”
“Lauren…please…I didn’t…” Dustin pleaded. But Lauren was too angry to give him a chance to talk.
“It still feels like yesterday when I watched my dad collapse from a heart attack after finding his money stolen from the garage. You were there…with us…comforting me in the hospital as my dad died! You told me that the thief who stole the money would pay for his sins someday!” Lauren cried out.
“I…I’m sorry, Lauren…I had no choice…I was…” Dustin was at a loss for words.
“How could you do that to me?” Lauren yelled. “I sacrificed my dream for you! I lost my father because of you! You lied to me! I lived with a liar my whole life… I left everything behind for a man who cheated on me… and stole my dad’s money to pay for his secret child!”
At this point, Madison knew she could no longer keep quiet.
“My mom never told me about my biological father,” she chimed in. “I kept asking her who my father was. But she would never answer that question…until she was on her deathbed six months ago. Before Mom died, she told me all about Dustin…my DAD! Looking back at all the struggles my mom and I went through because of this man, I decided to make him pay.
“I moved to your town. I looked for him, and it was easier to find him with the address my mother gave me. Later I discovered that you had a bigger, more comfortable house in the same neighborhood. I got a job teaching at your son’s school. I was damned interested to see how the man who cheated on my mother was living now that he had paid such a small price for his lies…and deprived me of a life without a father.”
Madison pointed at Dustin with an angry glare. “All I had to do was watch him a few times to know what kind of man he was. I found out a lot of interesting things about him… the kind of secrets even you would never have known, despite being his wife! It’s a great pleasure to share what I found with everyone, Lauren!”
Madison then displayed a dozen photographs on the table – pictures of Dustin in compromising poses with several mistresses.
“Oh my God…that’s your boss’s wife…!” Lauren gasped as she stared daggers at her husband. Just then, Dustin’s phone rang. It was his boss.
“Hello Dustin…WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST GET IN MY MAIL?” Dustin’s boss barked on the other end of the line.
