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I was convinced my boyfriend, Michael, was hiding something. My gut screamed it. So, I followed him one day and caught him with another woman. I confronted her, thinking that dramatic moment would be the end of it, the final word on our relationship. But when she arrived at our home for a family dinner, acting like she belonged, everything I thought I knew began to unravel in a chaotic mess.<\/p>\n
Why are men sometimes so afraid of introducing their girlfriends to their families? Usually, it means they don\u2019t take the relationship seriously. But that was not the case with Michael and me. Things between us were definitely serious; we both knew this was the real thing. We talked about the future, and it was clear we saw it together\u2014probably for life.<\/p>\n
Still, he refused to introduce me to his family. The only relative I had ever met was his cousin Josh, and that only happened because we ran into him on the street. It was strange, because everyone in his family clearly knew about me. They even sent us joint holiday cards. Yet Michael kept putting off any actual introduction.<\/p>\n
He always said his mother was a \u201ccomplicated person.\u201d He insisted he was just trying to protect my peace of mind, but how bad could she truly be? From what I knew, she had given birth to Michael at sixteen, which suggested she would be young, modern, maybe even close with him. Michael swore it was the opposite. He claimed she was clingy, overbearing, and had always scared away his past girlfriends. He said he was terrified of losing me and that was why he kept me away from her.<\/p>\n
But lately, something in me had shifted. Michael had grown distant. He would disappear for hours, offering vague explanations, and come up with clumsy excuses that made no sense. He was constantly glued to his phone. And one evening, I saw him pull a substantial amount of cash from his savings account. At that moment, I knew it had to be one of two things: either he was planning to propose, or he was cheating on me.<\/p>\n
One night, I decided to just ask him, hoping he\u2019d be honest.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael, are you planning to propose to me?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? Is this the point in our relationship where you start pressuring me about marriage?\u201d he responded with wide eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I\u2019m not pressuring you. I just feel like you\u2019re about to propose, and I want to know if I\u2019m right,\u201d I explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would you need to know that? Wouldn\u2019t it ruin the surprise if I was?\u201d Michael replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you\u2019ve been acting really strange lately,\u201d I explained. \u201cAnd I keep going back and forth between thinking you\u2019re about to propose\u2026 or you\u2019re cheating on me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael looked genuinely taken aback. \u201cI\u2019m not cheating on you. That\u2019s for sure. And if I ever planned to propose, believe me, you would not see it coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what\u2019s going on with you?\u201d I pressed.<\/p>\n
He hesitated, then exhaled. \u201cAlright. I think it\u2019s time I introduced you to my family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWait\u2026 really?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d he nodded. \u201cIt\u2019s time. They\u2019re coming over this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart practically skipped. \u201cThat\u2019s amazing!\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael smirked. \u201cYou say that now. But once you meet them, you might change your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed and kissed him. He was definitely about to propose, and the fact that he was finally letting me meet his family only confirmed it.<\/p>\n
The next day, I texted my friend Kate and begged her to come with me for some much-needed prep: nails, outfit, everything. If this dinner ended with a ring, I had to be ready. First came the manicures. Then came the outfit hunt. After about the fifth store, it felt like psychological warfare.<\/p>\n
We were exiting yet another shop when Kate suddenly shoved me back inside.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell?\u201d I blurted out.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing! Nothing,\u201d she stammered.<\/p>\n
I leaned toward her. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
She flinched. \u201cDon\u2019t look. There\u2019s nothing there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naturally, I looked. And that was when my world cracked.<\/p>\n
There was Michael. With another woman. A completely different woman. She was holding onto his arm. He was carrying her shopping bags. They looked\u2026 happy.<\/p>\n
My chest tightened. I could barely breathe.<\/p>\n
Kate stepped beside me. \u201cI told you not to look.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s cheating on me,\u201d I whispered, tears filling my eyes. \u201cHe\u2019s not going to propose. He\u2019s just setting up the family dinner so his mom can kick me out\u2014like all the others.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know that,\u201d Kate said gently. \u201cIt might not be what it looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else could it possibly be?\u201d I cried. \u201cLook at her! She\u2019s stunning. Way out of my league.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you kidding? She looks older than you. It\u2019s probably just the makeup,\u201d Kate muttered.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re only saying that to make me feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n
I wiped my eyes and said, \u201cWe\u2019re following them.\u201d<\/p>\n
We tailed them through the mall, staying low-profile. She giggled at every joke. He bought her a coffee and smiled at her like she was the only woman in the world. They stopped at a small coffee shop. Michael sat down and the woman walked off to the restroom.<\/p>\n
This was my chance. I stormed over, my heart pounding, and stood over the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet away from my boyfriend,\u201d I hissed.<\/p>\n
She looked up at me, clearly confused. She was older than I thought, with deep wrinkles around her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know what you\u2019re doing,\u201d I spat. \u201cHe\u2019s mine. You can\u2019t have him.\u201d<\/p>\n
She laughed. Not a kind laugh, but a loud, mean one.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d she sneered. \u201cYou\u2019re crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
I reached into my bag and pulled out the smoothie I had just bought, a bright red berry blend.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think I\u2019m crazy?!\u201d I screamed and threw the smoothie right into her face. It covered her hair, her face, her dress, and the coffee table. The look of utter shock on her face was worth every cent.<\/p>\n
I walked off immediately, finding Kate waiting by the mall exit. \u201cYou didn\u2019t,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I did,\u201d I said, marching out.<\/p>\n
When I got home, Michael wasn\u2019t there. I got a text from him: \u201cI\u2019m taking Mom home. She\u2019s sick. Don\u2019t wait up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wait. Mom?<\/p>\n
I texted him back immediately. \u201cDid you introduce your mom to your mistress?\u201d<\/p>\n
No reply.<\/p>\n
The rest of the night, I stayed up waiting, my mind racing. What if he wasn\u2019t cheating? What if he was just taking his mother home?<\/p>\n
He finally came home just after 3 A.M. He looked tired.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere were you?\u201d I asked, standing in the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother was sick. I took her home,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re cheating on me, aren\u2019t you?\u201d I demanded.<\/p>\n
He sighed. \u201cOlivia, can we do this tomorrow? I\u2019m exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo! I need to know now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not cheating on you,\u201d he said. \u201cI would never.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t lie to me, Michael! I know you are,\u201d I yelled. \u201cI saw you today at the mall with that woman. You were holding her hand. You were buying her things!\u201d<\/p>\n
He just looked at me. \u201cShe\u2019s my mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
I snorted. \u201cSure. Your mother. Why don\u2019t you believe me? I saw her with my own eyes. She\u2019s gorgeous. Way out of my league. And she\u2019s older. Maybe she\u2019s rich? Is that why you\u2019re cheating on me?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked me straight in the eye. \u201cShe\u2019s my mother, Olivia. Her name is Cynthia. She got a little sick today, so I took her home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why was she flirting with you?\u201d I insisted.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wasn\u2019t flirting with me! She\u2019s my mother! And she was with my stepfather!\u201d<\/p>\n
My mind raced back. The man was quiet, yes, but he was there. I hadn\u2019t paid him any attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cLiar,\u201d I mumbled. \u201cShe was holding your arm.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, she was! She had a huge shopping bag! And she was walking funny because her new shoes were too tight!\u201d<\/p>\n
He walked over to the kitchen counter and pointed at a sticky spot. \u201cThat was a berry smoothie, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
I stayed silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had to spend over two hundred dollars to replace her dress,\u201d he said, his voice flat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll pay you back,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not the point, Olivia,\u201d he said. \u201cShe\u2019s still sick, and now she\u2019s mad at me. I\u2019m just trying to keep the peace until she meets you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s\u2026 meeting me tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, she is! And now I have to explain to her that her future daughter-in-law threw a smoothie in her face!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFuture\u2026 daughter-in-law?\u201d I asked, eyes fixed on his face. \u201cWhat\u2019s that on your cheek?\u201d<\/p>\n
He frowned, glanced at his reflection in his phone. \u201cLooks like lunch leftovers,\u201d he mumbled, wiping it off. \u201cHow embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n
I knew he was lying about the ring, but that didn\u2019t matter now. I walked off to the bedroom. Once I lay down, I realized there was no way I could sleep. Michael never offered to pay for my nails. That confirmed it\u2014he was planning a proposal. Bastard.<\/p>\n
He was cheating on me and still wanted to marry me. I loved him. God, I loved him so much. I hated myself for it, but I wasn\u2019t going to let this go. I was going to show his whole family exactly who he was.<\/p>\n
Finally, the day came. Michael and I cooked a beautiful dinner together. He cracked jokes, but I stayed distant. Just as we finished setting the table, the doorbell rang. Michael went to get the door, and a few moments later walked into the dining room with an older man and\u2026 her. That woman.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell is she doing here?!\u201d I screamed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou mean my mom?\u201d Michael asked, confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour\u2026 your mo\u2014oh my god,\u201d I stammered. \u201cYou\u2019re sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat she\u2019s my mom? Yes, Olivia. I\u2019m sure,\u201d he replied flatly.<\/p>\n
I was speechless. What was I supposed to say to the woman I\u2019d accused of sleeping with my boyfriend? The one I\u2019d soaked in smoothie?<\/p>\n
\u201cNice to finally meet you, Olivia,\u201d she said smoothly. \u201cI\u2019m Cynthia. Shame you won\u2019t be part of my son\u2019s life much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t she?\u201d Michael demanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you two are breaking up,\u201d Cynthia stated.<\/p>\n
The older man, probably her husband, stood silently in the corner, visibly uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd why\u2019s that?\u201d Michael challenged.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember the crazy girl I told you about? The one who threw a smoothie in my face? That was her,\u201d Cynthia said smugly.<\/p>\n
Michael turned to me. \u201cOlivia?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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