Later that night, as Jacob was casually scrolling through his phone on the couch, I decided to confront him.
“Maggie told me there was a woman here yesterday,” I said, crossing my arms firmly. “She said you took her to the basement. Care to explain?”
For a split second, his face betrayed something.
Was it guilt?
Or panic?
But then he quickly regained his composure.
“Oh, that?” he asked, laughing it off. “She’s an interior designer. I wanted to surprise you by renovating the basement. It’s been a mess for years.”
“An interior designer?” I repeated, my voice dripping with skepticism.
“Yeah! I wanted to turn it into a cozy family hangout for us. I thought it’d be a great gift, you know? I was thinking of getting a projector, a mini – fridge, and maybe even a popcorn maker.”
He led me down to the basement and flipped on the light. To my astonishment, the dingy space had been completely transformed — freshly painted walls, new furniture, and warm, inviting lighting.
It was… beautiful. Jacob grinned from ear to ear, clearly proud of his handiwork.
“What do you think?”
I forced a smile, but something just didn’t feel right. Why had he been so secretive about it? And there was something about Maggie’s description of the woman that kept bothering me.
That night, while Jacob was sound asleep, I quietly opened his social media. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was looking for, but my gut told me there was more to this than met the eye.
And then I found it.
A photo from two years ago, taken before we even met. It was of Jacob, beaming from ear to ear, with his arm wrapped around a woman with long blond hair, wearing a red dress.
My stomach churned with nausea.
Was this the same woman Maggie had seen?
The next morning, I showed the picture to Maggie.
“Is this her?” I asked, my voice tense.
Her eyes widened in recognition.
“Yes, Mommy. That’s her.”
I felt the room start to spin. Jacob had lied to me. He definitely knew the woman. But I needed more proof before I confronted him again.
When Jacob left for work, I retrieved the hidden cameras I’d installed in the garage and on the porch after my husband’s death, and carefully set them up in the basement and living room. I knew Jacob wouldn’t notice them; he was always so oblivious to details.
Later, I told Jacob that I had a last – minute work trip that would take me away for a few days.
“Not a problem, love,” he said nonchalantly. “I’ll take care of Maggie.”
“No, actually, I was thinking of taking her to my mother’s. She’s been asking for a sleepover for a while, and I think Maggie could use a break from our usual routine. Is that okay with you?”
“Absolutely,” he said, shrugging. “We could all use a little break. You too, Hillary. You need to take it easy between work, okay?”