I was sure my boyfriend was hiding a secret affair, so I tracked him down and confronted the woman he was with. But when she walked into our family dinner, the truth turned my world upside down, revealing who really stood by me.
Love makes you trust, but doubt can make you act. I’m Sarah, 28, and my boyfriend Ethan seemed like my forever—until his secrecy made me question everything. When I faced the woman I thought was stealing him, only to see her at our family table, I learned who my true allies were.
Ethan and I were solid, talking about a shared future, maybe even marriage. But he kept his family at arm’s length, claiming his mother, Linda, was overbearing and had chased off past girlfriends. “She’s intense,” he’d say. “I’m protecting you.” I figured she was just a quirky mom, maybe young and clingy since she had Ethan at 17.
His family knew of me—holiday cards came addressed to us both—but I’d only met his cousin Mark by chance. Ethan’s excuses for avoiding introductions felt flimsy, especially as he grew distant. He’d vanish for hours, mumble vague reasons, and was always on his phone. One night, I saw him withdraw cash from our joint account.
“He’s either proposing or cheating,” I told my friend Mia over coffee. I hoped for a ring but feared the worst.
That night, I asked him. “Ethan, are you planning to propose?”
He laughed, eyes wide. “Proposing? Are you dropping hints now?”
“No,” I said. “You’re acting weird—disappearing, taking money. If it’s not a ring, is it someone else?”
“Cheating?” He looked hurt. “Sarah, I’d never. Okay, it’s time. You’re meeting my family this weekend.”
“Really?” My heart leaped. “Finally!”
“Don’t get too excited,” he teased. “You might regret it.”
I laughed, kissing him, convinced a proposal was coming. The next day, Mia and I hit the mall for a dinner-ready look—new dress, fresh manicure. Outside a boutique, Mia yanked me back. “Don’t look,” she hissed.
Of course, I did. There was Ethan with a woman, arm in arm, laughing. She was radiant, holding shopping bags he carried. My stomach churned. “He’s cheating,” I whispered, tears stinging.
“It might not be that,” Mia said. “She looks older, maybe a friend.”
“Older?” I scoffed. “She’s gorgeous. He’s not proposing—he’s setting me up for his mom to dump me.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Mia urged, but I was already moving.
We followed them through the mall, watching her giggle at his every word. He bought her coffee, smiling like she was his world. They drove to a stunning house in a ritzy neighborhood. Ethan opened her car door, and she kissed his cheek, leaving a lipstick mark before waving goodbye.
“I got a photo,” Mia said softly.
“Save it,” I said. “I’ll confront him at dinner, in front of everyone.”
But first, I marched to her door, iced latte in hand, and rang the bell. She answered, smiling warmly. “Can I help you?”
“Stay away from my boyfriend!” I shouted, splashing the latte in her face.
“You’re insane!” she yelled, wiping her eyes.
“That’s what you get!” I snapped, storming back to Mia’s car.
At home, Ethan greeted me, a faint lipstick smudge on his cheek. “Good day?” he asked.
“Shopping with Mia,” I said coldly, staring at the mark. “What’s on your face?”
He checked his phone’s camera, wiping it off. “Must be sauce from lunch,” he mumbled.
Liar, I thought. “I’m heading to bed,” I said, ignoring his offer to watch TV.
“Hey, let me cover your manicure for the dinner,” he said.
“Already done,” I replied, retreating to the bedroom. His offer confirmed it—he was planning a proposal while cheating. My heart ached, but I’d expose him at the dinner.
The day arrived. We cooked a spread—roast chicken, garlic mashed potatoes—Ethan joking to lighten my mood, but I stayed cold. The doorbell rang, and he returned with an older man and her—the woman I’d doused.
“Who is she?” I demanded.
“My mom, Linda,” Ethan said, confused. “Sarah, what’s wrong?”
“Your mom?” I stammered, mortified. “I… I thought…”
“Nice to meet you, Sarah,” Linda said icily. “Though I hear you’re not staying in Ethan’s life long.”
“Why not?” Ethan asked.
“She threw a latte in my face,” Linda said, smirking. “Told me to stop sleeping with you.”
Ethan turned to me. “Sarah?”
“I saw you with her,” I whispered. “I thought you were cheating. Mia and I followed you. I’m so sorry.”
“Why didn’t you ask me?” he said, pained.
“I was scared,” I admitted. “I reacted.”
“Why didn’t you tell her you were my mom?” Ethan asked Linda.
“I wanted her to squirm,” Linda replied coolly. “Now end this, Ethan. She’s unhinged.”
“No,” Ethan said firmly, dropping to one knee. “Sarah, I love you. I’ve been planning this for weeks. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” I gasped as he slipped a ring on my finger, pulling me into a kiss.
“You can’t marry her!” Linda shrieked. “She’s a lunatic!”
“You set her up,” Ethan snapped. “You kissed my cheek, played it up, knowing she was watching. You’re as much to blame.”
“She’s not good enough!” Linda yelled.
“That’s my call,” Ethan said. “Leave if you can’t support us.”
Linda stormed out, her husband muttering an apology before following. “I’m sorry,” I told Ethan.
“It’s okay,” he said, kissing me. “I’d have lost it too if I saw you with someone else.”